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Add Watermark to PDF

Stamp words like CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT, or your own logo, across PDF pages. Choose the size, angle, strength, colour and position, all without the file leaving your device.

  • Free
  • No signup
  • Nothing uploaded
  • No watermark

Drop a file here

PDF file · read on your device, never uploaded

The watermark is drawn into the page, so it prints and cannot be switched off in a reader. It does not make the file secure. Someone determined can still remove it.

Processed entirely on your device. Nothing was uploaded.

How to Watermark a PDF With Text or a Logo

Add Watermark to PDF: before and after PDF A BEFORE ADD WATERMARK PDF A AFTER

A watermark tells anyone who opens a document what it is and who it belongs to. "DRAFT" stops an unfinished version being treated as final. "SAMPLE" marks a preview. A faint company logo shows where a design or price list came from.

Type your words, or choose a PNG or JPG image instead. Then set the font, the size, how strong it looks, the angle and the colour, and watch a picture of your page change as you go. Put a single mark in one of nine spots or drag it anywhere, or repeat it across the whole page so it is hard to crop out. It can sit on top of the page or behind the words. An empty Pages box means every page gets marked, while typing 2-5 or 1, 7 limits it.

The stamping is done by the browser on your computer or phone. The PDF is not uploaded, which matters when the reason for a watermark is that the file is sensitive.

No software to install Free Works on any device

Step-by-Step Guide to Watermark PDF Files

Six steps to a marked copy of your document.

  1. 1. Select your PDF

    Start by picking the document you want marked. Once it is read, the hint under Pages states the total page count.

  2. 2. Enter the watermark text

    Replace CONFIDENTIAL in the "Watermark text" box with your own words. Short and bold works best.

    Common choices:

    • DRAFT
    • COPY
    • SAMPLE
    • DO NOT SHARE
    • Your company name

  3. 3. Or stamp a logo instead

    Under "Or stamp an image", press Choose image and pick a PNG or JPG. The text box is switched off while an image is chosen; press Remove to go back to text.

  4. 4. Adjust the look

    Use the sliders and colour picker to get the balance right between visible and readable.

    Controls:

    • Font: seven choices, and Indian scripts get a matching font
    • Font size or Size: 10 to 140
    • Strength: 5 to 100 per cent, where higher is darker
    • Rotation: from -90° to 90° in steps of 5
    • Colour: any shade, for text watermarks

  5. 5. Place it or repeat it

    Under Pattern, keep One stamp and tap a square on the Position grid, or drag the mark on the page picture. Pick "Repeat, spaced out" or "Repeat, close together" to cover each page. Under Layer, choose on top of the page or behind the content.

  6. 6. Add the watermark

    Check the page picture, stepping to another page if you like, then press Add watermark. The marked PDF downloads with "-watermarked" in its name. If the mark is too strong or too faint, change the sliders and press again.

No .pdf file to hand? Download a sample PDF file (6.3 KB) and try it.

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What Is a PDF Watermark?

Think of a watermark as a label laid over the page, usually large, angled and partly see-through, so the content underneath can still be read. The name comes from paper makers, who pressed a faint mark into sheets while they were still wet.

In a PDF, the watermark is drawn into the page. It prints, shows in every reader and cannot be switched off by the person viewing it. It is a clear label rather than a lock, so a determined person with editing software could still remove it.

Watermarked PDF

.PDF

Your pages with a visible label or logo drawn across them.

What watermarks are for

  • Marking private documents
  • Showing a file is a draft
  • Branding with a logo
  • Labelling previews and samples
  • Discouraging copying
  • Separating copies from originals

Why Watermark Your PDF Documents?

Once a PDF is sent, you lose control of where it goes. A clear watermark travels with every copy, stating its status and its owner on every page.

“A watermark says what a document is, even after it has been forwarded five times.”
  • Clear confidentiality labels
  • Your brand on every page
  • Obvious sample status
  • Accountability when files are shared
  • No mix-ups between drafts and finals
  • Fewer casual copies
  • The mark survives printing
  • Quick to apply

Popular Uses for PDF Watermarks

Some of the commonest reasons to stamp a file.

  • Drafts for review Stamp DRAFT on a contract or report still being agreed.
  • Confidential files Label HR letters, salary sheets and internal plans.
  • Design proofs Put your logo across artwork sent to a client for approval.
  • Sample chapters Mark preview pages of a book, course or report as SAMPLE.
  • Price lists and quotes Brand a quotation so it is clear who issued it.
  • Copies of ID papers Write why and for whom a copy of an ID proof was made.
  • Question papers Mark teaching material with a school name.
  • Portfolios Protect work samples with a faint name across each page.

PDF Watermark Features

Text or image, placed once or repeated, with the look under your control.

Text

Any words you like

Type a status, a name or a short note, in English, Hindi, Tamil and more, in Helvetica, Times or Courier.

Image

Logo stamps

Use a PNG or JPG; a transparent PNG blends in best with the page.

Style

Size, strength and angle

Three sliders set how big the mark is, how dark it looks and how far it tilts, with a live page preview.

Adjust:

  • Size
  • Strength
  • Rotation
Colour

Pick any colour

Choose a shade for text watermarks, from soft grey to bold red.

Position

Nine spots, drag or tiled

Place one mark in a corner, an edge or the centre, drag it anywhere, or repeat it across the page.

Pattern:

  • One stamp
  • Repeat, spaced out
  • Repeat, close together
Pages

Pages and layer

Mark every page or a list like 1-3, 7, and put the mark on top of the page or behind the content.

Why Use ToolXkit to Watermark PDFs?

Sensitive files stay local

The very documents that need a watermark are the ones you should not upload. Here they stay on your machine.

PDF Watermarks for Different Users

Businesses

Brand quotes, catalogues and proposals with a logo.

HR teams

Label offer letters and payslips as confidential.

Designers

Protect proofs and portfolio pages sent for review.

Legal professionals

Mark drafts and copies clearly during negotiations.

Teachers and trainers

Put an institute name on notes and worksheets.

Authors

Stamp preview chapters and review copies.

Best Times to Watermark a PDF

Stamp a mark on the file when you are:

  • Sharing a draft for comments
  • Sending an internal document outside the team
  • Showing artwork before payment
  • Giving out a free sample
  • Handing over a copy of an ID proof
  • Sending a price list to prospects
  • Publishing a portfolio online
  • Printing copies that must not be passed on

Tips for Effective PDF Watermarks

  1. Keep Strength between 20 and 30 per cent for a mark that is clear but still lets the page be read.

  2. A 45° angle across the centre is the classic look and covers the most of the page.

  3. Turn on the repeat option for proofs and samples. A single centred mark is easier to crop or cover.

  4. Use a transparent PNG logo. A JPG brings its white background box with it.

  5. On a scanned page, choose On top of the page. Behind the content hides the mark under the scan itself.

  6. Grey suits formal papers; red makes DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL stand out.

  7. Use the arrows on the page picture to check a page with a photo or table before you save.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about this tool.

How can I put a watermark on every page of a PDF?

Leave the Pages box empty, type your text or choose an image, set the look, and press Add watermark. Every page in the file gets the same mark.

Can I use my logo as a watermark?

Yes. Under "Or stamp an image" press Choose image and pick a PNG or JPG. Use the Size slider to scale it; a transparent PNG gives the neatest result.

How do I make the watermark lighter?

Move the Strength slider down. At 5 to 20 per cent the mark is soft and the page reads easily; at 100 per cent it is fully solid. A grey colour also looks lighter than red, and "Behind the content" keeps words on top of it.

Can I watermark only some pages?

Yes. List them in the Pages field, for example 1 for the cover or 2-10 for a run. Pages not listed are left unmarked.

Can the watermark be removed by someone else?

It is drawn into the page and cannot be turned off in a reader, but anyone with editing software and enough effort could remove it. Treat it as a clear label, not as security. For real protection, add a password with Protect PDF.

What do the Repeat patterns do?

They place copies of your mark in an even grid on every page instead of one. "Repeat, spaced out" leaves room between them, while "Repeat, close together" packs them tightly. Either makes the mark much harder to crop or cover.

Can I write a watermark in Hindi or another script?

Yes. Type it in the Watermark text box as usual. Devanagari, Tamil and other Indian letters are set in a font made for them, so they print properly and look right in the preview.

Can I put the watermark behind the text?

Yes. Under Layer, choose "Behind the content". Your text and images then cover the mark where they overlap. On a scanned page the scan covers it completely, so use "On top of the page" for scans.

Will the watermark print?

Yes. It is part of each page, so it prints along with the content and shows in every PDF viewer.

Does it change the quality of my PDF?

No. The stamp sits over the original content without redrawing it. Words underneath remain selectable, pictures keep their detail, and the only new thing in the file is the mark itself.

Is my file uploaded to add the watermark?

No. Stamping happens in the page you have open, and the confidential file you are marking never leaves the machine you are using.

Is this watermark tool free?

Yes. Mark any number of files at no cost. You do not register, and ToolXkit puts nothing of its own on the pages.

Can I change words that are already in the PDF?

These tools add to the page: text, numbers, stamps, borders, headers or watermarks. Rewording what is already printed on a PDF is not their job, so for heavy rewriting, edit the original document if you still have it.

Does Add Watermark leave a watermark of its own?

No. It is completely free, and the site adds no logo or mark of its own. The only marks on your pages are the ones you choose to put there.

Further reading

  • Watermark The history of watermarks in paper making and how the idea moved to documents.
  • Digital watermarking Visible and hidden marks in digital files, and their limits.
  • Alpha compositing How see-through layers are blended, the idea behind the Strength slider.

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