How to Add a Watermark to a PDF: Text or Logo, Free

A faint "CONFIDENTIAL" across a page changes how people treat it. So does "DRAFT" on a contract that isn't final, "SAMPLE" on a portfolio piece, or your logo on a price list. A watermark does all of that without changing the content underneath.

Step by step

1. Open the tool. Go to pdfmerger.io/add-watermark. A preview of your first page appears once the file is added.
2. Add your PDF.
3. Type your text, or switch to Image and choose a PNG or JPG logo.
4. Adjust the look. Set opacity, size and angle, and pick one of nine positions, or tick Tile to repeat it across the page.
5. Click "Add watermark". Every page is stamped and the file downloads.

Text or image?

• Text works in any language your browser can show, including Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese, in five colors, regular or bold.
• Image is best for logos and stamps. A PNG with a transparent background looks cleanest, because the transparency is kept.

Making it hard to remove

A single watermark in a corner can be cropped off in seconds. If the point is to discourage reuse, tick Tile: the mark repeats in a staggered grid over the whole page, so there is no clean area left to crop. A diagonal angle and an opacity around 20 to 30 percent keeps the page readable.

Be realistic about what a watermark does. It is a visible label and a deterrent, not access control. To stop people opening a file at all, add a password with Protect PDF.

Good uses for a watermark

• Marking contracts and proposals as DRAFT until they are signed.
• Labelling HR, legal and financial documents CONFIDENTIAL.
• Branding price lists, catalogues and reports with your logo.
• Stamping SAMPLE or COPY on documents you share for reference only.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work on landscape pages?

Yes. Landscape and rotated pages get the watermark exactly where the preview shows it.

Will the original text still be selectable?

Yes. The watermark is added on top; the rest of the page is untouched.