About watermarking PDFs
A watermark makes the status or ownership of a document obvious at a glance: DRAFT on a version under review, CONFIDENTIAL on a board paper, SAMPLE on a design proof, or your company name on a price list. The default is the word CONFIDENTIAL in grey at 30% opacity, set at 45 degrees across the centre of each page, which is visible without hiding the text underneath. For text you can choose a sans serif, serif or typewriter font, bold or italic, any colour and a size, or leave the size empty to fit the text to the page. For an image, such as a logo or a stamp, choose a PNG or JPG and how wide it should be; PNG keeps transparent areas clear. Opacity runs from very faint to solid; between 20% and 40% usually works well for text documents. Rotation can be any angle from 0 to 360 degrees, with 0 for a straight line and 90 for text running up the page. Nine positions cover the corners, the middle of each edge and the centre; the corners and edges suit short labels such as a reference number. Mosaic repeats the watermark across the whole page, which makes it much harder to crop out of a screenshot. Over places the watermark on top of the page content; Under places it behind the text and drawings, which keeps text crisp, but scanned pages are pictures that cover it, so use Over for scans. Text in any language works: words in scripts the standard PDF fonts do not include, such as Arabic, Hindi, Chinese or Cyrillic, are added as a picture of the text made on your device. The watermark is added to the page itself, so it prints and shows in every reader. Bear in mind that a determined person with editing software could still remove a watermark; it discourages reuse but is not a security measure. To stop copying or editing, combine it with Protect PDF.
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How to use the PDF tools: Step-by-step help with every tool, limits and your files.
Watermark PDF: frequently asked questions
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Enter a page range such as 2-10 or 1, 3, 5. Leave it empty to mark every page.
Will the watermark hide my text?
Not at a low opacity. The default of 30% leaves text easy to read; lower it if the watermark feels too strong.
Can someone remove the watermark?
It is part of the page, but a person with PDF editing software could remove it. Use Protect PDF to restrict editing as well.
Can I make the watermark horizontal?
Yes. Set the rotation to 0 for straight text, or 90 for text running up the page.
Can I use my logo as a watermark?
Yes. Choose Image, pick a PNG or JPG and set its width, position and opacity. A PNG with a transparent background looks best.