Add a Text Watermark to a PDF
Add a text watermark such as CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT to every page of a PDF, with your choice of size, opacity, angle, colour and position.
Drop your PDF file here
Choose a PDF to add a text watermark
Max 1 file, up to 50.0 MB each
About the PDF Watermark
This tool writes a line of text, such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, COPY or your company name, across every page of a PDF. You set the font size (20–120 pt), opacity (5–100%), angle (−90° to 90°), colour and position (top, centre or bottom). The text is centred horizontally, and the angle turns it around its own middle, so a diagonal watermark sits squarely in the middle of the page. Positions are measured on the page as you see it, so pages that are stored rotated (for example landscape scans) get the watermark the right way up too.
The watermark is added with pdf-lib as real text drawn on top of the existing page content, using the Helvetica font at the opacity you choose. Your pages are not re-rendered, so the original text stays selectable and images keep their quality. Because the watermark is part of the page content rather than a removable comment, it cannot be switched off in a PDF viewer. It is not a security feature, though: anyone with PDF editing software can still edit page content, and the watermark text itself appears when someone searches or copies text from the page.
A typical use: before sending a draft proposal to a client for review, add DRAFT at 30% opacity and −45° in grey, so nobody mistakes it for the final version. For sensitive files, combine a CONFIDENTIAL watermark with an open password from the PDF Password tool. To add a logo image instead of text, place it with the PDF Editor and use Copy to All Pages.
How to use the PDF Watermark
- 1
Add your PDF
Drop a PDF on the drop area or click Browse Files (up to 50 MB).
- 2
Type the watermark text
Enter up to 50 characters, for example CONFIDENTIAL. Latin letters (including accented ones such as é), digits and common punctuation work.
- 3
Adjust the style
Set font size, opacity, rotation, colour and position. The preview shows the text style and angle (scaled down), not your page.
- 4
Add the watermark and download
Click Add Watermark, then Download Watermarked PDF. The file name ends in -watermarked.pdf.
What it can do
Full control over the look
Font size from 20 to 120 pt, opacity from 5 to 100%, any angle between −90° and 90°, any colour, and top, centre or bottom placement.
Every page, correctly placed
The text is centred on each page and turned around its middle, and page sizes and rotations are taken into account page by page.
No loss of quality
Pages are not converted to images; the watermark is added on top of the existing content.
Limitations
- Text watermarks only; image or logo watermarks are not supported.
- The built-in Helvetica font covers Western European (Latin) characters only, so symbols such as ₹, emoji and non-Latin scripts cannot be used.
- The watermark goes on every page; you cannot pick individual pages or tile it in a repeating pattern.
- Long text at a large size can run off the edges of the page; lower the font size if that happens.
- Password-protected PDFs, and PDFs with usage restrictions, must be unlocked first with the PDF Password tool.
Privacy
Your PDF is read and watermarked by JavaScript in your browser; nothing is uploaded to FlexyPdf’s servers.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone remove the watermark?
Not by switching it off in a PDF viewer, because it is drawn into each page rather than added as a comment. Someone with PDF editing software can still delete page content, so treat a watermark as a clear label, not as protection.
Will the watermark cover my text?
It is drawn on top of the page. At the default 30% opacity the content underneath stays readable; at higher opacity it can hide what is underneath, so keep it low for documents people need to read.
Does the angle in the preview match the PDF?
Yes. A negative angle tilts the text up to the right in both the preview and the PDF, and positive angles tilt it down. The preview caps the text size at 40 pixels, so it shows style and angle rather than the exact size on your page.
Why can’t I use my language or the ₹ sign in the watermark?
The watermark uses Helvetica, one of the standard fonts built into every PDF reader, which only covers Western European characters. Using other scripts would require embedding a font, which this tool does not do.
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