Watermark
Add a watermark to a PDF
“DRAFT” on a contract draft, “CONFIDENTIAL” on an internal report, “Copy for rental application only” on an ID: a text watermark shows on every page what a document is meant for. This guide shows how to add one, which settings work well – and where a watermark’s limits are.
Jump right in: load your PDF into the PDF Werkstatt, type your text, check the preview and save. Free and without uploading anything.
Add a watermarkThe short version
- Load the PDF (or photos) into the PDF Werkstatt.
- Turn on the Watermark switch on the right and enter your text.
- Choose layout, size, angle, opacity and color – the thumbnails show the result instantly.
- Download the PDF. The watermark appears on every saved page.
The settings at a glance
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Text | Up to 80 characters. Latin letters including accents, digits, punctuation and symbols like € work; characters outside Western European scripts (e.g. Cyrillic, emoji) can’t be drawn by the standard font – the tool tells you. |
| Layout | Center: once, large, across the middle of the page. Tiled: repeated in staggered rows across the whole page. |
| Font size | In points (pt). On Letter or A4, 60 pt makes a word like “DRAFT” span roughly a third of the page width. |
| Angle | −90° to 90°. 45° is the classic diagonal, 0° is horizontal. |
| Opacity | 5–100 %. At 20–30 % the text underneath stays easy to read. |
| Color | Any color. Gray looks neutral, red signals “attention”. |
The watermark adapts to rotated pages: even on a landscape page it sits at the chosen angle relative to the reading direction.
Settings that work well
| Purpose | Text | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | DRAFT | Center · 80–100 pt · 45° · 20–25 % · gray |
| Internal documents | CONFIDENTIAL | Center · 50 pt · 45° · 20 % · red |
| Sample / quote | SAMPLE | Tiled · 36 pt · 30° · 15 % · gray |
| Copy of an ID or document | COPY – purpose – date | Tiled · 16–20 pt · 30° · 35–45 % · gray or blue |
Type your text, check the preview on every page, done – no software, no upload.
Marking a copy of your ID
Landlords, employers and online services sometimes ask for a copy of your passport or driver’s license. Privacy advocates recommend marking such copies with who they’re for, why and when – so a leaked copy is useless for anything else. A tiled watermark does exactly that:
- Drop photos of the front and back into the PDF Werkstatt (page size Letter or A4).
- Turn on the watermark and choose the Tiled layout.
- Enter purpose and date, e.g.
COPY – rental application 12 Main St – 2026-10-02. - Choose an opacity that keeps the details readable while the watermark covers the photo (around 35–45 %).
It’s also wise to black out details the recipient doesn’t need, such as document numbers – easiest on the photo itself before it goes into the PDF. Since the PDF Werkstatt works without uploads, your ID never lands on someone else’s server.
What a watermark can and can’t do
Can
Make a document’s status and purpose visible on every page, prevent mixing up drafts and final versions, and make passing it on less attractive.
Can’t
Protect a document technically. The watermark is a text layer on top of the page; someone with a PDF editor and some patience can remove it.
The watermark is real text, so it’s selectable and searchable. If content and watermark must be inseparable, you can additionally “print” the finished PDF as an image or photograph it – but then the rest of the text isn’t searchable anymore either.
Alternatives: Acrobat, Word, command line
Adobe Acrobat
The paid Acrobat versions have an “Add Watermark” feature for text or images. The free Reader doesn’t; Preview on the Mac has no watermark feature either.
Word and LibreOffice
While the document is still being edited, you can add the watermark there (in Word under Design → Watermark) and then export to PDF.
With qpdf, you place a ready-made stamp PDF over (--overlay) or under (--underlay) every page:
qpdf contract.pdf --overlay stamp.pdf -- contract-draft.pdfAdd your watermark now
“DRAFT”, “CONFIDENTIAL” or your own text – centered or tiled, with a live preview on every page. Free, in your browser, no upload.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a watermark to a PDF?
Load the PDF into the PDF Werkstatt, turn on the “Watermark” switch, enter your text, adjust the look and download the PDF.
Can a watermark be removed?
With a PDF editor and some effort, yes, because it sits as a text layer on top of the page. A watermark labels a document; it isn’t copy protection.
Does the text under the watermark stay readable?
Yes, if the opacity is low enough. 20–30 % works well for most documents.
Can I watermark only some pages?
The watermark applies to all pages being saved. For individual pages, select them, save them with the watermark using “Selection only” and merge them back with the other pages if needed.
Which characters can I use?
Latin letters including accented characters, digits, punctuation and €. Cyrillic, Asian scripts and emoji are left out, and the tool shows a notice.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The watermark is added in your browser; the file never leaves your device.
Sources
- qpdf – Running qpdf, command-line documentation.
- Digital watermarking, Wikipedia.
- pdf-lib and PDF.js – the open-source libraries the PDF Werkstatt uses in your browser.