How to add a watermark to a PDF
Open Watermark, type the words, choose how strong and whether once or repeated, and press Add the watermark.
WatermarkFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Watermark and add one or more PDFs.
- Type the watermark text, such as DRAFT or COPY.
- Choose Light, Medium or Strong.
- Choose Once, across the middle, or Repeated all over.
- Press Add the watermark and save the files.
A watermark on ID copies
When you hand a copy of your Aadhaar, PAN or passport to a bank, landlord or employer, a watermark that says what it is for makes it harder to reuse. Something like FOR HOME LOAN APPLICATION ONLY, repeated all over, is a common habit. Keep it light enough that the details can still be read.
What a watermark does not do
A watermark discourages copying; it does not prevent it, and someone with the right editor could take it off. To stop a file being opened at all, use Add a password. To take a detail out of a document for good, use Remove areas.
Text along the edge instead
For a quieter mark, such as CONFIDENTIAL along the top of every page, use Header and footer. The watermark can be in any language. Repeated all over is harder to crop out than a single mark across the middle.
A worked example
A housing society asks for copies of your PAN and Aadhaar for its records. Put them in one PDF with Merge, or with Images to PDF if they are photos, then open Watermark. Type FOR SOCIETY RECORDS ONLY and the date, choose Light and Repeated all over, and press Add the watermark. Every page now says what it was given for, so a copy used for anything else stands out.
Choosing the words
Say briefly what the copy is for and who it is for: FOR BANK KYC ONLY, SUBMITTED TO ABC HOUSING, COPY FOR VISA FILE. A date helps too. Keep private details, and your own signature, out of the watermark itself. Short words can go large across the middle of the page; a long line works better repeated, where each copy can be smaller and still be read.
A date is especially useful on ID copies: a copy dated last year, presented for something new, is easy to question. Write it in a form nobody can misread, such as 12 OCT 2026 rather than 12/10/26, and keep the whole line short enough to read at a glance.
Common mistakes
Strong over a dense page can make small print unreadable, and an office may refuse a copy it cannot read; Light is usually enough. Watermarking a file and then losing the clean original is another: the mark is part of the new file, so keep the unmarked copy safe for the next time someone asks. And a watermark is not a lock; it only says what the copy is for.
Questions people ask
Is a watermark added to my file by this site?
Only the one you type. This site never stamps its own name or logo on anything.
Can I watermark many files at once?
Yes. Add them all and each gets the same watermark.
Will the watermark hide my text?
Light and Medium let the page show through clearly. Strong is for when the mark matters more than easy reading.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The watermark is added in your browser.
Can I watermark in Malayalam or Hindi?
Yes. Words in those scripts are drawn by your browser and go on as a picture of the words, in the same place a typed watermark would sit, so they cannot be selected.
Can I use a watermark and a password together?
Yes. Add the watermark first, then lock the result with Add a password.
Your file stays on your device. Foolscap does the work inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is nothing for anyone to keep. How you can check