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Add a watermark to a PDF

Lay text such as DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL across every page, at the angle, size and opacity you choose. The original content stays readable underneath.

15

Low values keep the page underneath readable.

No upload

This tool does not upload your files

The conversion runs entirely in your browser. Your files stay on your device from start to finish, there is no server copy, and nothing is stored once you leave the page. That is true for every tool on FileFlip.

About this tool

A watermark says something about the status of a document without changing what it says. DRAFT across a proposal, CONFIDENTIAL on a report, a company name on a sample. This tool lays your text over every page at the size, angle and opacity you choose, keeping the content underneath readable.

How to watermark PDF

  1. 01

    Add the PDF

    One document at a time.

  2. 02

    Type the text

    Short words work best. A long phrase has to be shrunk to fit across the page, and a small watermark stops reading as a watermark.

  3. 03

    Choose the placement

    Diagonal is the classic look and covers the most page. Centred horizontal is calmer. Along the bottom is closer to a footer than a stamp.

  4. 04

    Set the opacity

    Around 15 percent is visible without fighting the text. Push it higher only when the point is that the document should be hard to reuse.

What to watch for

Long text is shrunk to fit

If the words would run off the page they are reduced until they fit inside the width, or inside the diagonal for the diagonal placement, so nothing is ever clipped.

A watermark is not protection

It sits in the page content and can be removed by anyone with the right tools. It marks a document, it does not secure one.

It goes on top

The stamp is drawn over the existing content rather than behind it. Low opacity is what keeps the page readable, so start there.

Frequently asked

Are my documents uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside your browser using code that was downloaded to your device. Your file is never sent to us or to anyone else, so there is no copy to store or leak.
Can I use an image as the watermark?
Not currently. The tool stamps text, which keeps the file small and needs nothing embedded.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Put page numbers or ranges in the page list, for example 1 or 2-5. Leave it empty to stamp every page.
Why did my text come out smaller than I asked for?
Because it would not have fitted. The size you set is a maximum, and long text on a narrow page is reduced until it fits inside the page.