EasyPDFLoad

Add a Watermark to a PDF

Stamp a text watermark across every page of a PDF.

Select PDF file

or drop a PDF here

  • Stays on your device
  • No sign-up
  • No watermark

How to watermark a PDF in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Select PDF file

    Click the button or drop the file. It is not uploaded.

  2. 2

    Set your text

    It runs in this tab, on your device.

  3. 3

    Download

    Save the new file. Your original stays as it was.

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About this tool

Stamp a custom text watermark — like "CONFIDENTIAL", "DRAFT", or your company name — across every page of your PDF, with full control over opacity, size, rotation, and position.

Limits and edge cases
  • The watermark is a single item near the center of each page. It does not tile or repeat.
  • Text uses the six standard PDF fonts, which cover Western European characters. Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic or Chinese text cannot be encoded and ends in the generic error message.
  • Text does not wrap. A long phrase at a large size can run past the page edge, so shorten it or lower the size (10 to 120).
  • Every page gets the same mark and settings. Different wording per page needs separate runs.
  • A password-protected PDF cannot be opened for stamping. Remove the password first.
  • The mark sits above the content as ordinary page content, so an editor may be able to remove it. Treat it as a label, not protection.
Watermark a PDF: picking settings for the job you have

The same controls produce very different results depending on the purpose. These are starting points built from the real ranges in the tool, so adjust them against the preview.

  • Draft or confidential label. Keep the default gray, Helvetica Bold, 30% opacity and a 45 degree angle. Short capital words fit the page width at the default size of 48.
  • Company logo. Use Image mode with a PNG that has a transparent background, around 20% to 40% width, and drag it into a corner. Lower the rotation to 0 so it sits level.
  • Scanned pages or photos. Busy backgrounds hide pale marks, so raise opacity to 50% or more, or choose a dark or red color instead of gray.
  • Long phrase. Text never wraps, so cut the size well below 48 or use two runs with shorter wording rather than letting it leave the page.

After stamping, a large file can be shrunk with Compress PDF, and numbering the pages is done with Add Page Numbers. If the document also needs a password, run Protect PDF last, because a protected file cannot be stamped afterwards.

Compared with tools that upload your file

iLovePDF, Smallpdf and PDF24 all offer this kind of job, and the online ones upload your file to their servers to do it. Here the work happens in this tab instead. Read the honest comparisons with iLovePDF, Smallpdf and PDF24, including where they are the better choice, or how to check that a tool does not upload.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use an image or logo as a watermark instead of text?+
Yes. Switch from Text to Image and upload a PNG or JPG. You can set its width from 5% to 100% of the page width, change opacity and rotation, and drag it to a new position in the preview before saving.
Will the watermark appear on every page?+
Yes. The same watermark is drawn on every page in one pass, and there is no page range option. To leave some pages clean, split those pages out first, then watermark the rest.
Why did I get an error when adding my watermark?+
Usual causes are a password-protected or damaged PDF, or text with characters outside the standard fonts, such as Cyrillic or Chinese. Unlock the file, use Latin characters, or switch to an image watermark.
Can I remove a watermark I added by mistake?+
The mark is written into the new PDF, and there is no undo for a saved file. Your original is never modified, so keep it and run the tool again on that copy with different settings.
Does the watermark stop people copying or editing my PDF?+
No. It is a visible label only. To restrict printing, copying or editing, apply a password with Protect PDF after stamping. A determined person with editing software may still remove a watermark.
Is my document uploaded when I add a watermark?+
No. The file is read and stamped in your browser tab and the result downloads directly. You can confirm this in the Network tab of your developer tools, where no request should contain your PDF.

Related guides

Ready to start?

Free, no sign-up, nothing uploaded.