Add Watermark to PDF — Text or Logo, Free
Stamp CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or your logo across your pages, check it in a live preview, then download — all inside your browser.
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No image selected yet. A transparent PNG logo works best.
Preview
The watermark is drawn on top of the page content. Keep the opacity low so the text underneath stays readable.
How do I add a watermark to a PDF for free?
To add a watermark to a PDF for free, open the PDFChai Add Watermark tool and drop in your PDF. Choose Text for a word such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or COPY, or Image for a PNG or JPG logo, then set the size, colour, opacity, angle and position while a live preview shows the result on your page. Pick all pages or a range like 2-10 and click Add Watermark & Download. Your own browser writes the watermark into the file, so the PDF is never uploaded and no signup is needed.
PDFChai Add Watermark vs Other Online Tools
| Feature | PDFChai | Typical Online Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, with no usage cap | Free tier with daily or file-size limits, then paid |
| Privacy | Watermark applied in your browser — PDF never uploaded | PDF uploaded to a remote server for processing |
| Signup | Not needed | Account often required for larger files or batches |
| Text and image watermarks | Both, with opacity, rotation and tiling | Usually available; tiling or opacity sometimes limited on free plans |
| Page selection | All pages or a custom range such as 2-5, 8- | Varies; some apply to every page only |
| Extra branding | None — only your watermark is added | Some free plans add their own mark |
Comparison reflects common free online PDF watermark tools as of 2026 & may vary by provider and plan.
What is a PDF Watermark Tool?
A PDF watermark is text or an image laid over the pages of a document to show its status or who it belongs to: a translucent CONFIDENTIAL across a contract, a DRAFT stamp on a report that is not final yet, a SAMPLE or COPY label on a proof, or a company logo in the corner of every page. Anyone who opens, forwards or prints the file can see how it is meant to be treated, while the content underneath stays readable.
PDFChai's Add Watermark tool builds that mark for you in a few clicks. Type your text and choose the font size, colour, opacity and angle, pick a single centred stamp or a tiled pattern that repeats across the page, or upload a PNG or JPG logo and place it in the centre or a corner. A live preview shows the effect on a real page of your document before anything is saved, and you can apply it to every page or only a range such as 2-10.
Everything happens on your own device: pdf.js draws the preview and pdf-lib writes the watermark into the PDF inside your browser, so the document is never uploaded. The original text stays sharp and searchable, the watermark follows each page's size and orientation, and nothing of ours is stamped on the result. One honest note: a watermark is a visible label, not a lock. If you need to control who can open the file, add a password with Protect PDF as well.
⚡ Quick Answer:
- Open debugspot.com/add-watermark
- Drop your PDF in (or click to browse)
- Choose Text or Image and set size, colour, opacity and angle
- Keep all pages or enter a page range, and check the live preview
- Click Add Watermark & Download
100% free · No signup · No watermark · Files stay on your device
Step-by-Step Guide
Everything you need to know — done in under a minute.
Add your PDF
Drag the file onto the drop box, or click it to pick a PDF from your computer, phone, Google Drive or iCloud Files. The document is opened locally and a page appears as a live preview. Nothing is sent over the internet.
Design the watermark
Choose Text and type a word or phrase such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or your company name, then set the font size, colour, opacity and rotation (0°, 45°, 90° or any custom angle) and decide between one centred stamp and a tiled grid. Or choose Image, upload a PNG or JPG logo, and set its size, opacity and position.
Choose the pages
Leave All pages selected, or switch to a range and type something like 1-3, 7 or 2- (page 2 to the end). The preview jumps to the first page of your range so you can see exactly how it will look.
Download the watermarked PDF
Click Add Watermark & Download. The tool writes the watermark into each selected page and saves yourfile-watermarked-pdfchai.pdf to your device. Not quite right? Change a setting and download again, because your original file is never modified.
How Does It Work?
Understanding what happens behind the scenes helps you trust the tool — especially with confidential files.
🖥️ Preview on your device
pdf.js renders the page onto a canvas, and a second transparent canvas on top draws your text or logo with the same size, angle and opacity that will be written into the file. Every slider updates it instantly.
📐 Page-aware placement
Before drawing, the tool reads each page's visible area (its CropBox) and its rotation setting, so a centred or tiled watermark lands in the same visual spot on portrait, landscape, rotated and unusually sized pages.
✍️ Writing with pdf-lib
Text is drawn with the standard Helvetica Bold PDF font plus a transparency setting. An image is embedded once and reused on every page, which keeps the output small. The existing page content is not re-rendered or flattened into a picture.
🔒 Saved locally
The finished PDF is assembled in your browser's memory and handed to you as a download. No copy is kept anywhere, and closing the tab clears it.
Key Features & Advantages
Custom text watermarks
Any phrase, size and colour, from a quiet grey label in the background to a bold red CONFIDENTIAL.
Logo and image watermarks
Upload a PNG (transparent backgrounds are kept) or a JPG and place it in the centre or any corner.
Adjustable opacity
Set transparency from 5% to 100% so the watermark is noticeable without drowning out the text beneath it.
Single or tiled layout
Put one stamp in the middle of the page, or repeat it in a staggered grid for proofs and samples.
All pages or a range
Watermark the whole document or only chosen pages, for example everything except the cover.
Live preview
See the effect on a real page of your PDF before you download, so the result holds no surprises.
Who Uses This Tool?
This is one of the most common document tasks in work, study and everyday life. Here are the people who use it every day.
💼 Businesses & sales teams
Mark quotes, price lists and proposals as CONFIDENTIAL, or add the company logo, before they go out to prospects and partners.
📸 Photographers & designers
Tile a name or studio logo across portfolio and proof PDFs so clients can review the work without reusing it as final artwork.
⚖️ Lawyers & paralegals
Label drafts, privileged material and review copies so everyone knows exactly which version of a document they are reading.
🏫 Teachers & trainers
Brand worksheets, handouts and course notes with the school or course name before sharing them on a class portal.
🏠 HR & property teams
Stamp sample offer letters, payslip templates or tenancy documents with SAMPLE or COPY when an original is not being sent.
✒️ Authors & publishers
Watermark manuscripts and advance review copies with a line such as "Review copy - not for resale" before sending them out.
Common Use Cases
The everyday situations that bring people to this tool.
📝 Marking drafts
Add DRAFT to a report, policy or design brief so nobody mistakes an early version for the approved one.
🔐 Flagging confidential files
A visible CONFIDENTIAL or INTERNAL ONLY mark reminds readers not to forward the document outside the team.
🏷️ Branding documents
Place your logo in a corner of every page of a brochure, catalogue, report or invoice pack.
🧪 Sharing samples
Tile SAMPLE across templates, product sheets or design proofs that are shared before approval or payment.
🪪 Labelling ID copies
Mark a scanned passport, licence or certificate with its purpose, e.g. "Copy for rental application only", to discourage misuse.
⏳ Recording status
Stamp APPROVED, PAID, VOID or SUPERSEDED on documents so their current state is obvious at a glance.
How to Use It on Any Device
Works on every platform, right in the browser. Here are instructions for the most common devices.
🪟 How to watermark a PDF on Windows
Open Chrome, Edge or Firefox, go to debugspot.com/add-watermark and drop in your PDF. Windows has no built-in way to watermark a PDF, so this saves installing desktop software.
Works on: Windows 10, 11 · Chrome, Edge, Firefox
🍎 How to watermark a PDF on Mac
Preview on macOS can add text boxes but has no real watermark option. Open Safari or Chrome, use this tool, and the centred or tiled watermark is written into the pages themselves.
Works on: All recent macOS versions · Safari, Chrome, Firefox
🤖 How to watermark a PDF on Android
Open Chrome, visit the tool and pick a PDF from Files, Downloads or Drive. Use the sliders to set size and opacity, then save the watermarked copy to your phone.
Works on: Android 8+ · Chrome, Samsung Internet
📱 How to watermark a PDF on iPhone / iPad
Open Safari, choose the PDF from the Files app or iCloud Drive, set your text or logo and save the result back to Files.
Works on: iOS / iPadOS 15+ · Safari, Chrome
💻 How to watermark a PDF on Chromebook
Open Chrome, add the PDF from Downloads or Google Drive and apply the watermark without installing an extension or app.
Works on: All Chromebooks · Chrome
Tips & Best Practices
✅ Keep opacity between 15% and 40%
That range is usually visible on screen and in print while leaving the words underneath easy to read. Save higher values for small labels in a corner.
✅ Use a transparent PNG for logos
A PNG with a transparent background blends into the page; a JPG always carries a solid rectangle around the logo.
✅ Skip the cover page with a range
Type 2- as the page range to watermark from page 2 to the end and leave the cover clean.
✅ Stick to Latin characters in text
The built-in Helvetica font covers English and most Western European letters. For Hindi, Arabic, Chinese or other scripts, save your text as a PNG and use the image option.
✅ Watermark before any digital signature
Changing a file after it has been digitally signed breaks that signature, so add the watermark first and apply a certificate-based signature last.
✅ Remember a watermark is not protection
Determined users can sometimes remove a watermark with editing software. To restrict who can open the file, also add a password with Protect PDF.
Full List of Benefits
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is adding a watermark to a PDF free?
Yes. The tool is free to use as often as you like, with no signup. Only the watermark you design is added to the file.
Do you see or store my document?
No. The preview and the watermarking both run in your browser using pdf.js and pdf-lib, so the PDF stays on your device and is never sent to us.
Can I use my company logo as a watermark?
Yes. Choose Image, upload a PNG or JPG, then set its size, opacity and position. Transparent PNGs keep their transparency.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Switch Pages to a range and enter something like 1-3, 6, or 4- for page 4 to the end.
Will the watermark hide my text?
It is drawn on top of the page content, so keep the opacity fairly low (around 20–35%) and the text underneath stays readable.
Does it work with scanned PDFs?
Yes. A scanned page is an image inside the PDF, and the watermark is simply drawn over it like on any other page.
Can I write the watermark in Hindi, Arabic or Chinese?
Not with the text option, because it uses the standard Helvetica PDF font, which only covers Latin characters. Create your text as a PNG image and use the image option instead.
Does it look right on landscape or rotated pages?
Yes. The tool reads every page's size, crop area and rotation and positions the watermark so it appears the same way on each page.
Can someone remove the watermark?
A watermark is a deterrent rather than encryption. A person with PDF editing software may be able to remove it, so combine it with a password for sensitive files.
Will the PDF get much bigger?
Usually only slightly. Text adds a few kilobytes, and an image is embedded once and reused on every page. If you need a smaller file afterwards, try Compress PDF.
What about a password-protected PDF?
Encrypted PDFs cannot be changed until they are unlocked. Use Unlock PDF with the password first, then add the watermark to the unlocked copy.
Can I undo a watermark later?
The tool never changes your original file; it saves a new copy called yourfile-watermarked-pdfchai.pdf. Keep the original if you might need a clean version later.