What Add Watermark does
PDFGrover's Add Watermark tool stamps a text phrase or a logo image onto every page of a PDF. Use it to mark documents CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT, brand contracts and exports with a company logo, or deter casual copying before sharing externally.
When to add a watermark
- Marking status — DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, DO NOT COPY, FOR REVIEW.
- Branding — a logo on proposals, quotes, or deliverables.
- Attribution / deterrence — discouraging reuse of shared documents.
- Versioning — stamping a date or version label across a circulated file.
How to add a watermark
- Upload a PDF (up to 200 MB) — the first 20 pages render in a live preview.
- Choose text or a logo, then set position, opacity, and rotation — the preview updates as you tweak.
- Click Add Watermark and download. Every page in the file is stamped, not just the preview.
Text watermarks
Words like CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, DO NOT COPY, or your company name. Built-in font; four sizes (Small/Medium/Large/X-Large); three colours (Gray, Red, Blue).
Image (logo) watermarks
Upload a PNG (recommended) or JPG. A transparent-background PNG gives the cleanest result because page content stays visible around the logo. Four sizes (50–200 px).
Position, opacity, rotation
- Position — 9 points (top/center/bottom × left/center/right); centre is default.
- Opacity — 10% / 20% (default) / 30% / 50% / 80%.
- Rotation — 0° (flat), -45° (the classic diagonal DRAFT look), -90° (sideways).
Input limits
- Single file per request
- Up to 200 MB per PDF
Text watermarks
Typical use: words like CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, DO NOT COPY, [Your Company Name].
- Font — built-in; not user-selectable.
- Size — Small (30 px), Medium (50 px, default), Large (80 px), X-Large (120 px).
- Colour — Gray (default), Red, Blue.
Image (logo) watermarks
For a branded overlay, upload a PNG (recommended) or JPG of your logo. PNGs with transparent backgrounds produce the cleanest result because the page content behind the logo stays visible around the edges.
- Size — Small (50 px), Medium (100 px, default), Large (150 px), X-Large (200 px).
Position, opacity, rotation
All three controls apply equally to text and image watermarks.
- Position — pick one of 9 points on the page: top-left, top-center, top-right, center-left, center, center-right, bottom-left, bottom-center, bottom-right. Center is the default.
- Opacity — 10% / 20% (default) / 30% / 50% / 80%. Lower values let the page content show through; higher values make the watermark more visible.
- Rotation — 0° (flat), -45° (diagonal, the classic DRAFT look), -90° (rotated sideways, reads top-to-bottom on portrait pages).
Preview vs actual apply
The live preview renders the first 20 pages — enough to verify placement and style without making a long document sluggish. When you click Add Watermark, every page in the file gets the watermark, not just the previewed ones.
Tips
- Diagonal -45° + low opacity is the classic "DRAFT / CONFIDENTIAL" look that stays readable over the content.
- Use a transparent-background PNG for a logo so page content shows cleanly around it.
- Stamping page numbers instead? Use Add Page Numbers. Want it un-editable after? Flatten PDF. Stop removal/copying? Protect PDF.
Troubleshooting
- Watermark hides the text — lower the opacity or move it off centre.
- Logo looks boxed — use a PNG with a transparent background.
- Only previewed pages look stamped — the preview caps at 20 pages; the saved file has it on every page.
Privacy and file handling
Your PDF is uploaded over HTTPS, the watermark is composited on our secure server, and the result is streamed back to you. The uploaded source and intermediate files are deleted as soon as your download is ready. Close the tab mid-apply and the job is cancelled and temporary files cleared automatically. No sign-up, and no watermark beyond the one you chose.