All tools PDF Watermark ● Live PDF Tools How this tool works

PDF Watermark

PDF Watermark uses pdf-lib to draw a text overlay on every page of a PDF. Configure the watermark text, font size (12–72pt), opacity (10–100%), rotation angle, and color. A live preview shows how the watermark will look before you apply it and download the result.

PDF Watermark Runs locally

PDF file

Watermark settings

Preview

CONFIDENTIAL
📄
PDF preview
Step by step

How to use it

  1. Upload a PDF file using the upload area or drag and drop.

  2. Enter the watermark text.

  3. Adjust font size, opacity, rotation angle, and color.

  4. Check the live preview to see how the watermark will look.

  5. Click Apply, then download the watermarked PDF.

When to use it

Use cases

  • Mark draft documents with a 'DRAFT' watermark before sharing for review.

  • Add a 'CONFIDENTIAL' stamp across sensitive documents.

  • Add a copyright or attribution notice across pages of a shared document.

  • Mark sample or preview PDFs with a 'SAMPLE' watermark before selling the full version.

  • Add a company name or project code across internal documents.

Limits & privacy

What this tool does and does not do

Private by design

Watermarking happens locally using pdf-lib. Your PDF is never uploaded to a server.

  • Text watermarks only — no image or logo watermarks.

  • The same watermark is applied to every page; no per-page customization.

  • Some encrypted PDFs may not load correctly depending on the encryption type.

Background

A watermark is drawn content, not protection

The watermark is drawn onto each page as ordinary page content. That makes it durable in the sense that it prints, flattens, and survives conversion — it is part of the page, not an overlay toggled by the viewer.

It is not a security measure, and it is worth being blunt about that. Anything drawn on a page can be removed by anyone with a PDF editor, and text drawn over an image does not stop the image underneath from being extracted. Treat a watermark as a statement of provenance for honest readers, not as a control over dishonest ones.

For the same reason a watermark does not redact. If you need something in the document to be unreadable, covering it does not work — the content is still there underneath and comes straight out with any text extractor.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can I add an image watermark?

The current version supports text watermarks only — image or logo watermark support is planned for a future update.

Does it work on password-protected PDFs?

The tool attempts to load PDFs with ignoreEncryption enabled, but some encrypted PDFs may not load correctly depending on the encryption type used.

Can I control where the watermark appears on the page?

The watermark is drawn across each page based on the rotation angle and font size you set, typically diagonally across the page — there isn't a separate position picker for placing it in a specific corner.

Will the watermark be applied to every page?

Yes, the current version applies the same watermark text and styling to every page of the PDF.

Can I make the watermark subtle/transparent?

Yes. The opacity slider ranges from 10% to 100%, so you can make the watermark very faint (e.g. 'DRAFT' in light gray) or fully opaque.

What's a common use for PDF watermarks?

Marking documents as 'DRAFT', 'CONFIDENTIAL', or 'SAMPLE', or adding a copyright notice across pages before sharing a document publicly.

Can I remove a watermark added by this tool?

Not directly — the watermark becomes part of the page content. To remove it, you'd need to start from the original (unwatermarked) PDF again.