How to Add a CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT Watermark to a PDF

A watermark tells readers how to treat a document at a glance: DRAFT means it may change, CONFIDENTIAL means do not share, SAMPLE means it is not the final product. It also discourages people from passing your work off as their own.

How to watermark a PDF

1. Open Add Watermark to PDF.
2. Select your document.
3. Type your watermark text.
4. Choose the size, colour, opacity and angle.
5. Download the watermarked PDF.

Try it now: Add Watermark to PDF is free, works in your browser and needs no signup.

Watermark ideas

• DRAFT for documents still under review.
• CONFIDENTIAL for internal reports and HR files.
• SAMPLE or PREVIEW for designs and templates you sell.
• COPY for copies of ID documents you submit, plus the purpose and date, for example “Copy for bank account opening, Oct 2026”.

Getting the look right

• A diagonal angle of around 45° is classic and hard to crop out.
• An opacity of 20–40% keeps the text underneath readable.
• Light grey or red works well on most documents.

A note on security

A visible watermark deters casual copying but is not encryption. For truly sensitive files, also limit who you share them with.

Processing happens in your browser; your document is not uploaded. Want to watermark photos instead? Use Add Watermark to Image.

Try it now: Add Watermark to PDF is free, works in your browser and needs no signup.