Watermark & Page Numbers
Add a text watermark or page numbers to every page of your PDF.
How to Add a Watermark to a PDF — Stamp Text on Every Page Free
A watermark is text stamped across every page of a PDF — diagonally, at the centre, or along a corner. LovelyPDF lets you set the text, font size, colour, opacity, angle, and position entirely in your browser using pdf-lib. The watermark is written directly into the PDF's content stream so it travels with the document wherever it goes. No upload, no account required.
Watermarking is common in professional and legal workflows in India. Chartered accountants mark draft Balance Sheets and P&L statements with DRAFT — FOR REVIEW ONLY before sharing with clients for approval, then remove the watermark on the final signed version. Law firms stamp client agreements with CONFIDENTIAL or their firm name when sharing by email or WhatsApp to prevent unauthorised redistribution. Architects and engineers watermark DPR and drawing PDFs with PRELIMINARY — NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. Teachers and coaching institutes stamp study material with their institute name before distributing to students, reducing the chance of it being resold.
How to Add a Watermark to Your PDF
- Upload your PDF — drag it onto the tool or click to browse
- Type your watermark text (e.g. CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, your company name)
- Adjust opacity (20–40% works well for diagonal stamps), font size, angle, and position
- Click Apply Watermark, preview the result, then download
Opacity and Angle Tips
For diagonal DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL stamps, a 45° angle and 25% opacity is the standard look — visible enough to notice but not so dark it obscures the content. For a company name in the footer or corner, use 0° angle, 60–80% opacity, and a smaller font. The live preview in LovelyPDF shows exactly how the watermark will look before you commit to downloading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watermark only certain pages and not the whole document?
The watermark applies to all pages. To watermark specific pages only, use Split PDF to separate those pages, watermark them, then Merge PDF to reassemble the document.
Can someone remove the watermark from my PDF?
The watermark is embedded in the PDF content stream. It cannot be removed with a standard PDF viewer. Specialist editing software can attempt to remove it, but doing so is obvious from the damaged content underneath. For sensitive documents, also consider password-protecting the PDF.
What is a good opacity setting for a DRAFT watermark?
20–30% opacity at 45° is the industry standard for DRAFT stamps. It's clearly visible without making the document hard to read. Use 50–70% if you want the watermark to be the dominant visual — for example, on cover pages only.
Can I use Hindi or regional language text as a watermark?
LovelyPDF uses the Helvetica font embedded in pdf-lib, which supports Latin characters. Hindi and Devanagari text may not render correctly. For regional language watermarks, use a full PDF editor that supports Unicode fonts.
Related tools: Edit & Redact PDF · Header & Footer · Protect PDF