ScoutMyTool

Add Watermark to PDF

Mark a document as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL or anything you type, or stamp your logo — diagonally across the page, as a header or footer, or in a corner. Watermark several PDFs at once. Runs in your browser.

By the ScoutMyTool team · Last reviewed 14 November 2026 · How we build our tools

How do I add a watermark to a PDF?

Choose your PDF (or several), then type the watermark text, pick a ready-made one like CONFIDENTIAL, or choose a PNG or JPG logo. Set the position and opacity and select Add watermark. Several files come back together in a ZIP; nothing is uploaded.

or drag and drop them here

Runs in your browser — your file is not uploaded anywhere.

You can include {date}, {time}, {datetime} or {filename} — they are filled in when you apply.

When chosen, this replaces the text above.

Text: the font size (40–100 is typical). Image: the logo’s height on the page (72 points = 1 inch).

Drag to set watermark opacity; the first-page preview updates live. 3-8% = faint page-fill background (use with Background fill); 20-30% = subtle; 40-60% = dominant; 100% = solid overlay.

More options

Font for the text watermark — the standard PDF fonts (no embedding, smallest file). The preview updates as you choose.

Appends the date (or date+time) at the moment you run the tool to the watermark text — e.g. "CONFIDENTIAL — 22/05/2026". Leave the text blank to stamp only the timestamp.

Fills the text with a left-to-right blend of two colours.

Finer-grained placement than the position preset above. When set to any 5x5 cell, that cell's anchor point (col 1=left margin, col 5=right margin, intermediate at quarter widths; row 1=top margin, row 5=bottom margin) replaces the position preset. Use the preset for diagonal / corner-ribbon / tiled / random patterns — those don't have a single anchor point. (lane-b 6d3fa223)

Controls how far apart the repeated watermarks sit when Position is Tiled or Background fill. 100% = default; lower = denser, higher = more spread out. Ignored by the single-placement positions.

Alternates the watermark left⇄right page-by-page so it sits on the outer (or inner) margin like a printed book. Best with a corner/side position; full-page Tiled/Background modes are unaffected by mirroring.

Slide to rotate the watermark; the preview updates live. 0 = upright, 45 = diagonal, 90 = vertical. The Diagonal/Tiled position presets apply their own rotation in addition to this value.

Quick presets for common exclude patterns. Resolved to page numbers based on the actual document length; merged into the Exclude field below as an additive filter.

Pages listed here are NOT watermarked. Works as a subtractive filter on the Apply to set above.

How to use Add Watermark to PDF

  1. Choose or drop one or more PDFs.
  2. Pick text, an image (logo or stamp) or both, then choose the position and opacity.
  3. Select Add watermark and download the result.

Position and look

Place the watermark diagonally across the centre, horizontally, along the top or bottom edge, or in a corner. Adjust the size, opacity and rotation, add today’s date, or use a two-colour gradient. You can watermark all pages, the first or last page, or pages you list, and leave out pages such as a cover.

For a logo, a PNG with a transparent background looks best — only the logo itself is stamped. With an image, the size setting is the height of the logo on the page in points (72 points = 1 inch). Choose “Both” to stamp the logo with text on top.

A watermark is added on top of the page. It discourages copying but can be removed by someone with PDF editing software, so it is not a substitute for password protection.

Frequently asked questions

Can I watermark several PDFs at once?

Yes. Choose them all; they come back together in a ZIP file.

Can I use a logo as a watermark?

Yes. Set Watermark type to Image and choose a PNG or JPG (up to 5 MB). A PNG with a transparent background gives the cleanest result.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. Watermarks are added in your browser — your PDF and your logo stay on your device.

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