Watermark PDF
PDF Tools
Add a diagonal text watermark to every page of a PDF — entirely in your browser. Free, private, no signup.
How this PDF watermark tool works
Type a word — CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, your name — and this tool stamps it diagonally across every page at low opacity, sized to fit the page, all in your browser with nothing uploaded. A text watermark is a signal, not a lock: it tells recipients how to treat the document and makes silent reuse awkward, which is exactly what it's for. The honest part most watermark tools skip: a determined person can crop, cover or rebuild a watermarked page. It deters casual misuse and marks status; it is not document security, and nothing that only draws on the page can be.
PDF watermark tips
- Short words work best — CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, SAMPLE, © Your Name. The tool scales the text to the page, and shorter reads bolder.
- The watermark sits at low opacity behind readability: your document stays legible, the status stays visible.
- Watermark the version you send, keep a clean original — you'll want the unmarked copy when the draft becomes final.
- A watermark deters casual copying but doesn't prevent it. For real confidentiality, control who receives the file; drawing on the page can't do that job.
- Stack tools: merge first, watermark second, so every page of the combined document carries the mark.
Watermark PDF — common questions
Latest questions readers ask us about this topic.
Is my document uploaded anywhere?
No — the watermark is drawn onto the pages in your browser and the marked PDF is generated on your device. For the documents people watermark (drafts, proposals, contracts), that privacy is the whole point.
Can someone remove the watermark?
With effort, yes — cropping, covering or reconstructing pages can defeat any visual watermark, from every tool, paid or free. Treat a watermark as a clear label of status and ownership, not as protection. Anyone claiming their watermark is 'secure' is overselling.
Does the watermark appear when printed?
Yes. It's drawn into the page content itself, so it prints and displays in every viewer exactly as you see it — a translucent diagonal across each page.
Can I use my own text and adjust the look?
The text is fully yours (up to 40 characters). Position, angle and opacity are fixed at the classic diagonal-center, low-opacity style — the setup that stays readable on virtually any page.
Will it watermark a password-protected PDF?
No — encrypted files can't be opened without their password, and this tool doesn't handle passwords. Save an unlocked copy from your PDF reader first, then watermark that.
Explore the topic cluster
A wider set of tools and guides on this topic.