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Add a text watermark to a PDF

Mark a draft, brand a proof or stop a document being reused as-is. Type your text, pick the layout, size and opacity, and see it on the page before you save. The mark is written into the PDF itself, not added as an overlay the reader can hide.

Stays on your device Free
1. Add the PDF

The first page is previewed so you can judge the mark against real text.

Local only
Drop a PDF here, or click to choose Watermarks are drawn in your browser
First page preview

A client name, a department or a date works just as well.
Layout
18%
Lower keeps the underlying text readable.
Add a PDF to begin.
Watermarked PDF ready

This runs in your browser. Your file is not sent to us.

How to use watermark pdf

  1. Add the PDF. Drop the file in. The first page is previewed so you can judge the mark against real content.
  2. Style the watermark. Type the text, then choose the layout, size, colour and opacity. The preview updates as you change them.
  3. Save the marked copy. Download a new PDF with the watermark on every page. The original file is untouched.

What you get

  • Your own text, from CONFIDENTIAL to a client name
  • Diagonal, horizontal or tiled across the page
  • Opacity and size you control, with a live preview
  • Nothing is uploaded, so the file never leaves your device

Why this runs in your browser

Most free PDF sites ask you to upload your file. Then you wait. Then you hope they delete their copy. That is a bad deal for a payslip, a contract or a passport scan.

Watermark PDF reads the file on your device and saves the result to your downloads folder. There is no upload and no copy on a server. For the details, see how it works.

Watermark PDF questions

Is the watermark baked into the PDF?

Yes. It is drawn into each page's content, so it appears in every reader, in print and in screenshots. It cannot be switched off from a layers panel.

Can I choose a low opacity so the text stays readable?

Yes, the opacity slider goes from 8% to 60%. A diagonal mark at around 15–20% is usually readable on both dense text and white space.

Does it work on a scanned PDF?

Yes. The watermark is drawn on top of the page, so a scan works exactly like a text document.

Can I watermark only some pages?

Not in this tool - every page is marked. If you need a subset, split the document first, watermark the part you need, then merge it back.

Will the watermark make the file much bigger?

No. It is real text drawn with a standard font, so it adds a few hundred bytes rather than a heavy image.

Can I use a long phrase or a date?

Yes, up to about 60 characters works well. Very long text is scaled to fit the layout you choose.