A watermark is a semi-transparent label laid over every page — "DRAFT", "CONFIDENTIAL", a company name, or a logo. It signals status and discourages unauthorised reuse without obscuring the content underneath.
How to add a watermark in PDFelly
- Open the Watermark tool and add your PDF.
- Enter watermark text or upload a logo image.
- Set opacity, size, rotation and position.
- Apply and download the watermarked file.
Design tips
- Keep it subtle. 15–30% opacity is usually enough to be visible without ruining readability.
- Diagonal text at roughly 45° is the classic, hard-to-crop placement.
- Tile or centre? A single centred mark suits status labels; repeated tiling suits anti-copying.
Watermark is not security
A watermark deters casual misuse but does not prevent it — a determined person can crop or cover it. For actual access control, combine it with a password. If you later need a clean copy, you would have to re-create it from the original, so keep the un-watermarked source.
Make it permanent
To stop anyone from simply deleting the watermark layer, flatten the PDF after applying it. This merges the watermark into the page content.
Choosing text, opacity and placement
A watermark should be readable without overpowering the page. Around 15–30% opacity keeps it visible yet lets the content show through. A diagonal angle of roughly 45° across the centre is the classic choice because it is hard to crop out and reads clearly. For status labels like DRAFT, a single centred mark is enough; for discouraging copying, repeated tiling across the page works better.
Text marks versus logo images
Text watermarks are crisp at any size and easy to edit, making them ideal for words like CONFIDENTIAL or a recipient's name. Image watermarks suit brand logos, but use a transparent PNG so the logo's background does not block the page. Whichever you choose, preview a content-heavy page, not a blank one, to judge readability.
Making the watermark stick
By default a watermark is a layer that a determined recipient could remove. If the mark needs to be permanent — for example on a document you are distributing externally — flatten the PDF afterwards so the watermark merges into the page content and cannot simply be deleted. Always keep an unmarked original for your own records.
Frequently asked questions
What opacity should a watermark be?
Around 15–30% is usually ideal: visible enough to register, faint enough to keep the page readable.
Can I use my logo as a watermark?
Yes. Upload a transparent PNG so the logo's background does not obscure the page content.
Can the watermark be removed by the recipient?
By default it is a layer that could be removed. Flatten the PDF afterwards to merge it permanently into the page.
Does watermarking upload my file?
No. It is applied in your browser; the document is never sent to a server.
Choosing the right watermark for the job
Different goals call for different marks. To signal status, a single large word across the centre — DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, SAMPLE — reads instantly and is the clearest choice. To assert ownership of a document you are distributing, a repeated tile of your company name or a faint logo across every page is harder to crop away than a single mark. To trace leaks, including the recipient's name in the watermark discourages onward sharing because any copy points back to its source. To brand a polished deliverable, a small, tasteful logo in a corner is less intrusive than a full overlay. Whatever the goal, test the design on your busiest page rather than a blank one, keep opacity low enough that the content stays readable, and flatten the file afterwards if the mark must be permanent. And always retain a clean, unmarked master so you can produce differently-marked versions later.