Local processing · no upload
Add a PDF Watermark Locally in Your Browser
A watermark is a visible status label, not a lock. PDF North draws your text onto a chosen range of pages in this browser and saves a new copy, leaving the original file untouched. Use it for DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, SAMPLE, a client name or a project reference.
How to do this in PDF North
- Finish the page order with merge, delete or reorder first, because the watermark is drawn onto the pages as they are.
- Enter the exact watermark text and set the first and last pages, position, font size, opacity, colour and angle.
- Add the watermark, then open several pages of the download, including a light page and a dark one, before you replace the source.
The settings and their defaults
The text box starts with CONFIDENTIAL and accepts up to 120 characters on one line. Position offers centre, top left, top centre, top right, bottom left, bottom centre and bottom right. Font size runs from 12 to 96 and starts at 42. If the text would be wider than the page at that size, it is reduced to fit, so a long label on a narrow page comes out smaller than the number you set. Opacity runs from 10 to 100 and starts at 25. Colour starts at a dark red, and you can pick any colour. Angle runs from −90° to 90° and starts at −35°, which gives the familiar diagonal stamp. The mark uses a bold sans-serif font. Stick to plain letters, numbers and common punctuation: characters the font cannot draw, such as emoji, stop the job with an error rather than producing a broken mark.
Choose a mark people can still read through
Large diagonal centre text suits status labels such as DRAFT. A smaller corner mark, for example bottom right at size 14 and 0°, suits a company name or reference. Opacity around 20–30% is a useful starting point: high enough to notice, low enough to keep the underlying text readable. Grey or a muted colour is easier on dense text pages than bright red. The mark is drawn on top of the page content, not behind it, so at 100% opacity it will hide whatever is underneath. Always check both a light page and a dark or photo-heavy page.
Mark only the pages that need it
Set the first and last PDF pages to mark. Every page in that range gets the same mark, and pages outside it are left as they were. A cover can stay clean by starting on page 2. The range is continuous, so to label pages 1-10 DRAFT and pages 11-14 SAMPLE, run the tool once for the first range, then run the downloaded copy again for the second. Use the PDF page numbers from your reader, not the numbers printed in the footer. If the page order is wrong, fix it first with Reorder PDF Pages.
A watermark is not encryption
Anyone can still copy, print or screenshot a watermarked PDF. The mark is ordinary page content, and someone with a PDF editor can select it and delete it. PDF North does not add passwords or permissions. Use the label to communicate handling rules, then use specialist security software when access must actually be restricted. A watermark also does not remove hidden document properties. Run Remove PDF Metadata on the watermarked copy if the file will leave your organisation.
Where watermarking fits in the order of edits
Merge, delete and reorder first. Then watermark. Add numbers with Add PDF Page Numbers after the watermark, or before it if you prefer, but check that a bottom-centre mark and bottom-centre numbers do not overlap. Add a visible signature with Sign PDF after the watermark so the status label does not sit on top of the signature. Clean metadata last. The selected PDF is read into browser memory and edited locally, so proofs and client files never enter an upload queue. Each file can be up to 60 MB and 250 pages, and password-protected PDFs are not supported.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watermark only some pages?
Yes. Set the first and last PDF pages so a cover can stay clean or an appendix can carry a different status. For two separate ranges, run the tool twice on the downloaded copy.
Why is my watermark smaller than the font size I chose?
Text that would run wider than the page at that size is scaled down to fit inside the page margins. Shorten the text or choose a corner position with a smaller size if you want an exact size.
Will the watermark cover the text underneath?
It is drawn on top of the page. At the default 25% opacity text stays readable. At 100% the mark is solid and hides what is under it.
Can I use non-Latin text or emoji in the watermark?
Plain letters, numbers and common punctuation work. Characters the built-in font cannot draw, such as emoji, stop the job with an error instead of producing a broken mark.
Does a watermark prevent copying?
No. It is visible page content. It does not encrypt the file, block printing, or stop someone deleting it in a PDF editor.
Is the document uploaded to add the watermark?
No. Text is drawn in this browser and the download comes from a temporary local link. Close or reload the tab to release it.
Related PDF tools
Start with Add Watermark to PDF. Also see Add PDF Page Numbers, Remove PDF Metadata, Sign PDF. Browse all PDF guides.