Add a watermark to a PDF
A watermark tells everyone who opens the file what it is: a draft not to sign yet, a copy that isn't the original, a version meant for one reader. Type it, see it on the page, and download.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 2 min read
Choose the PDF to watermark
Then pick the words, size and angle. You'll see it on the page before you download.
Your file never leaves your device. The watermark is added right here in your browser. Nothing is uploaded. It's a visible label, not protection: anyone with a PDF editor can remove it.
On this page
How to watermark a PDF
- 1
Open the PDF
Choose the file. Its first page appears with DRAFT across it, ready to change.
- 2
Type the words
Type your own, or tap DRAFT, COPY, CONFIDENTIAL or SAMPLE.
- 3
Set the look
Slide the size, opacity and angle, and pick grey, red, blue or black. The preview updates as you go.
- 4
Pick the pages
Leave All pages, or choose Some pages and type them, like 1, 3-5.
- 5
Download
Tap Download watermarked PDF.
What a watermark does, and what it doesn't
A watermark is a label, not a lock. It's drawn over each page as see-through text, so it shows on screen and on paper. But anyone with a PDF editor can delete it, and it doesn't stop copying, printing or forwarding.
- To keep a file private, password-protect it.
- To take information out before you share a file, redact it. A watermark across an account number leaves the number readable.
- To show a signed document hasn't changed, rely on the signing record, not a watermark. SignMaster seals each signed PDF with a fingerprint and a certificate of completion: see tamper-evident PDFs.
Choosing the look
- Opacity around 25% leaves the page easy to read through. Raise it for a mark nobody can miss.
- 45 degrees runs from corner to corner; 0 degrees reads straight across.
- Long words at large sizes run off the page. The preview shows exactly where the edges fall, so shrink it until it fits.
- Western letters only. The watermark is Helvetica text, which can't print emoji or alphabets like Chinese or Cyrillic. The tool names the character to change.
Mark drafts before they go out for review, then send the clean final version for signature, so nobody signs the copy that says DRAFT.
Questions? Answers.
Can someone remove the watermark?
Yes. Anyone with a PDF editor can select and delete it. Use it to label a document, not to protect one.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Choose Some pages and type them, like 2 or 1, 4-6. The other pages stay as they are.
Does the watermark cover the text underneath?
It sits on top, but it's see-through, and the page's own text stays selectable and searchable.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The watermark is added by your browser, on your device.