How to Add a Watermark or Logo to a PDF
Put your logo or a word like SAMPLE on every page of a PDF — choose the angle, size and opacity with a live preview. Free and without uploading the file.
3 min read ·
To watermark a PDF, open Add PDF Watermark, add the file, and choose either Text (such as SAMPLE or your company name) or Logo or image. Adjust the colour, angle, size, position and opacity while watching the preview of page 1, then click Watermark every page and download. The watermark is stamped on every page of the document.
Add a text watermark
- Open Add PDF Watermark and add your PDF.
- Keep Text selected and type your watermark, or tap one of the suggestions: CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, COPY, SAMPLE, DO NOT COPY.
- Choose a Colour — grey is the least distracting.
- Choose an Angle: Diagonal across the page, Horizontal, or Vertical along the side. For horizontal and vertical text, choose a Position too.
- Pick a Size and drag the Opacity slider — 20–35% usually looks right.
- Check the preview, then click Watermark every page and Download watermarked PDF.
Add your logo as a watermark
- Choose Logo or image and upload your logo as a PNG or JPG.
- Pick a Position: centre, or one of the four corners.
- Set the Size and Opacity.
- Watermark every page and download.
Tip: a PNG logo with a transparent background looks much better than a JPG, which brings its white rectangle with it. If your logo only exists as a JPG on white, the Background Remover can often cut it out first.
Choosing a style that works
| Goal | Suggested style |
|---|---|
| Discourage copying of a sample or proof | Large diagonal text, 25–30% opacity |
| Brand a report or a price list | Small logo in a corner, 60–100% opacity |
| Show a document is a draft | Diagonal "DRAFT", grey or red |
| Mark a copy for a specific person | Horizontal "Prepared for J. Smith", bottom |
Diagonal watermarks across the middle are the hardest to crop out of a screenshot; corner logos are the least intrusive for reading.
Keep it readable
A watermark that makes the document hard to read defeats the purpose. Keep the opacity low for text watermarks, avoid strong colours over dense text, and check the preview at full size. If your pages have dark backgrounds, a white or light grey watermark works better than black.
How secure is a watermark?
A watermark is a visible label, not a lock. It deters casual copying and makes it obvious where a leaked document came from, but someone with a PDF editor and enough patience can remove or cover it.
If you need real protection:
- Stop people opening the file without a password with Protect PDF.
- Make the stamp harder to remove by flattening the document afterwards with Flatten PDF, so the watermark is merged into the page content rather than sitting as a separate item.
- Share images instead of the PDF for previews and samples: watermark first, then convert the pages with PDF to Image.
Watermarking photos instead?
For photos and images — before posting them online, for example — use Add Watermark to Image, which is designed for pictures.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put the watermark behind the text?
The watermark is drawn on top of the page, but at a low opacity it looks like it sits behind the text and doesn't block reading.
Can I use any language for a text watermark?
Text watermarks use the standard PDF font, which covers Latin letters, numbers and common symbols. For other scripts, make an image of the text and use it as a logo watermark.
Is the PDF uploaded?
No. The watermark is added in your browser, so confidential documents stay on your device.