Add Watermark
Add a text or image watermark to a PDF, such as DRAFT or a logo. Set opacity, angle, tiling and which pages to mark. Runs in your browser, with no upload.
Upload PDF File
Read the full guide: How to Add a Watermark to a PDF Free in Your Browser
About This Tool
Add Watermark stamps text or an image across the pages of a PDF. Type wording such as DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL, or choose a PNG or JPG logo, set the opacity and angle, choose the pages, check the preview and click Add Watermark. You download a watermarked copy; the original is left unchanged.
Text starts as CONFIDENTIAL in mid grey at 72 points, 30% opacity and -45°. Font size runs from 10 to 200, opacity from 10% to 100% and the angle from -90° to 90°. Images are converted to PNG and placed at half their pixel size, so resize a logo beforehand to change how big it appears. A single watermark sits in the centre of each page; switch on tiling to repeat it in a grid, with spacing from 20 to 600 points and an optional staggered layout. You can mark all pages, odd pages, even pages or a custom range such as 1, 3, 5-10.
The marking is written into the page content, so a reader cannot switch it off, but PDF editing software can still change or remove it. It is a label, not protection: to control who can open a file, use Encrypt PDF. Text made only of plain ASCII characters uses Helvetica Bold. Any other character, even an accented letter or a curly quote, makes the tool download a CJK font from a public font repository the first time and embed it in full, which noticeably increases the file size.
The PDF and any image you add are processed in your browser tab and are not uploaded. For SOPs and batch records, follow the status-marking rules in your document management procedures; GMP Stamp offers preset status stamps for PDF copies.
Step-by-step instructions and common mistakes: How to Add a Watermark to a PDF Free in Your Browser.
How to Use
Add your PDF
Drop one PDF on the upload area or click to browse.
Choose text or image
Under Watermark Options pick Text Watermark or Image Watermark, then type your wording or choose a PNG or JPG file.
Adjust the look and the pages
Set font size, colour, opacity and angle, switch on Tile watermark across the entire page for a repeating pattern, and choose the pages under Page Range.
Check and apply
Look at the preview, which shows one page, then click Add Watermark and download the copy ending in _watermarked.pdf.
Use Cases
Mark review drafts
Put DRAFT FOR COMMENT across every page of a document sent out for review so nobody mistakes it for the approved version.
Brand outgoing reports
Place a faint company logo in the centre of each page of a report that goes to clients or partners.
Show where a copy went
Tile wording such as COPY FOR SUPPLIER REVIEW across the pages, so a forwarded or printed copy shows its purpose.
Label training material
Mark example records and exercise sheets TRAINING USE ONLY so they cannot be confused with live documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a watermark stop people copying or printing the PDF?
No. Anyone with the file can still read, copy and print it, and editing software can remove the marking. Use Encrypt PDF if the file needs a password.
Why is my watermarked file much larger?
If your text contains any character outside plain ASCII, such as an accented letter, a curly apostrophe or a long dash, the tool embeds a complete CJK font so it can draw it. Stick to plain letters, digits and straight punctuation to keep the file small. A large image watermark also adds size.
Can I put the watermark in a corner?
No. A single watermark is always centred on the page, and tiling repeats it across the whole page. For text in a margin, the Header & Footer tool is a better fit.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Under Page Range choose Odd Pages, Even Pages or Custom Range and enter pages such as 1, 3, 5-10. Numbers beyond the last page are ignored, so open the result and check it.
How do I change the size of an image watermark?
There is no size slider. The image is placed at half its pixel dimensions, so resize the image before adding it. A PNG with a transparent background avoids a white box around a logo.
Does the preview show the whole document?
No, it shows one page: the first page in your selection. It refreshes shortly after each change, and the full document is only processed when you click Add Watermark.