Add a watermark to a PDF
Makes a new PDF with a text watermark, such as "Confidential" or "Sample", on its pages. Any script works, Japanese too. The file is processed only on this device.
- Free
- No upload
- No sign-up
- Works offline
How to use
Press "Choose a PDF" and pick one PDF.
Write the text of the watermark, choose its size, strength, direction, color, layout and pages, and check the preview.
Press "Add watermark and save" to save the PDF with the watermark (watermarked.pdf).
Questions
Is my PDF sent anywhere?
No. Reading the PDF and adding the watermark both happen on your device. Nothing is sent out after you choose a file.
Can the watermark be removed?
Yes, it can be. The watermark is laid over the pages as a picture, so others may remove it with an app that edits PDFs. A watermark tells readers that a document is a sample or confidential; it does not stop changes.
Can the text of the watermark be searched or copied?
No. The text is put in as a picture drawn with the fonts of this device. The text that the pages already had can still be searched as before.
Can I use Japanese or other scripts?
Yes. The letters are drawn with the device's own font (sans-serif). Emoji and anything else that the device can draw work too.
Does the watermark print sharply?
Yes. The picture is made at 300 dpi or more for the page where the watermark is largest (on very large paper it can be coarser). The PDF holds the picture once and every page uses it, so the file does not grow much.
Are the author and similar details kept?
No. The new PDF has no author, title, dates or similar details. Attachments and the structure for screen readers (tags) are not kept either. Bookmarks stay, and still go to their pages (those that open web pages, email or phone numbers, or give the PDF reader a command such as next page or print, too; those that would open another file or app, or run a script, do nothing). Comments on the pages and their replies stay as they are, with the names of the people who wrote them and their dates. Comments that are never shown, and replies to them, are left out.
What is the saved file called?
watermarked.pdf. The original file name is not used.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. It needs a recent browser (an older one shows a message that it cannot run the tool). Inside apps such as LINE, saving may not work. If so, open the page again in Safari or Chrome.
Limits
- PDFs with a password or other protection cannot be used.
- The watermark is laid over the pages as a picture. Others may be able to remove it, and its text cannot be searched.
- The letters are drawn with the fonts of this device (they look a little different on other devices).
- Bookmarks are kept and go to their pages (up to 50,000; bookmarks that open web pages (http, https), email or phone numbers, or give the PDF reader a command such as next page or print, stay too; bookmarks that would open another file or app, or run a script, keep their name but do nothing). Links are kept only when they go to pages of the PDF, web pages (http, https), email or phone numbers, or give the PDF reader a command such as next page or print (links that would open another file or app, or run a script, are removed). The page names that PDF readers show (i, ii, 1 and so on), the language of the document and how it opens are kept too. Attachments, the author and similar details, the structure for screen readers (tags) and the color settings for printing (output intents) are not kept.
- Comments on the pages and their replies stay as they are, with the names of the people who wrote them and their dates. Comments that are never shown, and replies to them, are left out.
- Form fields are copied onto the pages as they look, and cannot be filled in again in the new PDF (digital signatures are not valid in the new PDF).
- One PDF can have up to 200 MB and 2,000 pages.
- We cannot protect against things in your own environment, such as browser extensions.