How Do You Add a Watermark to a PDF?
You add a watermark to a PDF by opening it in QuickCatPDF's watermark tool, typing your text (such as CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT) or choosing a logo image, adjusting the look in the live preview, and clicking Add watermark. The watermark is added to every page or the pages you choose, in your browser, without uploading the document.
How to Watermark a PDF With QuickCatPDF
Adding a watermark takes four steps.
- Click Select PDF file or drop your PDF on the page.
- Choose Text or Image. For text, type it and pick a colour and font size; for an image, choose a PNG or JPG logo.
- Set the Opacity, Angle, Position and Layer, and limit Pages if needed. The preview updates as you change settings.
- Click Add watermark, then Download PDF.
Why Use QuickCatPDF to Watermark PDFs?
QuickCatPDF shows a live preview before you save, so you can see exactly how the watermark sits on the page. The default is a diagonal watermark at 25% opacity, sized automatically to fit the page, which is readable without hiding the content.
It works in any language. Latin-alphabet text is added as real PDF text; text in other scripts, such as Urdu, Hindi, Arabic or Chinese, is drawn as a sharp image so it always displays correctly. In our tests, a CONFIDENTIAL watermark was added to all 12 pages of a document in under a second, and an Urdu watermark displayed correctly.
When you add watermark to PDF files here, your documents stay on your device, which matters because the files people watermark are usually confidential.
The honest limit: a watermark discourages copying but isn't protection. Anyone with a PDF editor can remove it.
Which Watermark Settings Should You Use?
For drafts and confidential documents, use Centre at 45° with 20–30% opacity: clearly visible but easy to read through. For proofs and samples, Tiled repeats the text across the page, which is harder to crop out.
| Goal | Position | Opacity | Layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark a draft or confidential file | Centre, 45° | 20–30% | Over content |
| Protect a sample or proof | Tiled | 15–25% | Over content |
| Brand pages with a logo | Bottom right or top right | 40–70% | Over content |
| Subtle background mark | Centre | 10–20% | Behind content |
Behind content puts the watermark under the page's text and images. On scanned pages the scan covers the whole page, so use Over content there.
Before stamping, you can organize PDF pages into the right order, and to protect a final copy for archiving, use PDF to PDF/A.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free PDF watermark tool online?
Yes, QuickCatPDF adds watermarks free, with no sign-up and no watermark of its own.
Can I add a logo as a watermark?
Yes, choose Image and select a PNG or JPG. PNG logos with transparent backgrounds look best.
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes, type the pages in Pages, such as "1-3" or "1, 5", and only those pages get the watermark.
Can I add a watermark in Urdu or Hindi?
Yes, type the text in any language; it's drawn as a sharp image so it displays correctly on every device.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No, the watermark is added in your browser. To check the result page by page, open it in the PDF Viewer; other page tools are on PDF Tools, and Merge PDF combines files before watermarking.
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