Can I add a diagonal text watermark like "CONFIDENTIAL"?
Yes. The rotation control lets you set any angle for the watermark text. A 45-degree diagonal watermark is the standard for labels like CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, COPY, and FOR REVIEW ONLY. You can also set it to 0° for horizontal watermarks at the top or bottom of each page, or any custom angle. The watermark is centred on each page by default, but you can adjust the position to place it in a corner or at a specific offset from the centre.
Can I add a logo image as a watermark?
Yes. Upload a PNG (with transparency recommended) or JPEG image as your watermark. PNG images with transparent backgrounds produce the cleanest result, as the document content shows through the non-logo areas of the watermark. The logo is scaled to your chosen size and placed at your specified position and opacity. For best results, use a PNG export of your logo at a resolution of at least 300×300 pixels.
How do I control the watermark opacity?
The opacity slider lets you set any value from 5% (very faint, barely visible) to 100% (fully opaque, covering the document content). For standard watermarks, 15–30% opacity is typically used — visible enough to clearly identify the document status but not so dark as to obscure the content. For watermarks intended primarily as background branding rather than a warning label, 10–15% is usually appropriate.
Is the watermark permanent and removable?
The watermark is embedded as a raster image layer in the PDF output — it is part of the page image rather than a separate object. This means it cannot be removed using standard PDF editing tools. However, it is not cryptographically protected — someone with advanced image editing skills could potentially remove or reduce a watermark given enough effort. For documents requiring tamper-evident watermarking with forensic traceability, a dedicated document security platform would be more appropriate.
Does the watermark appear on every page?
Yes. The watermark is applied to every page of the PDF by default. PurePDF processes each page individually, applying the same watermark settings. This ensures consistent branding or labelling throughout multi-page documents like reports, contracts, and manuals.
Can I watermark just specific pages, not all pages?
Currently PurePDF applies the watermark to all pages in the document. If you need to watermark only specific pages, split the PDF first using PurePDF's Splitter tool, watermark the relevant pages individually, then merge them back together using the Merger tool. This multi-step approach gives you precise control over which pages receive the watermark.
Are my PDF files uploaded to a server during watermarking?
No. All watermark processing happens in your browser. The PDF is rendered using PDF.js, the watermark is drawn onto each canvas, and the new PDF is assembled using pdf-lib — entirely locally. Your document contents never leave your device, making PurePDF safe for watermarking confidential contracts, sensitive reports, and proprietary documents.
Does watermarking affect text selectability in the PDF?
Yes. PurePDF watermarks PDFs by re-rendering each page as a raster image with the watermark drawn on top. The resulting PDF consists of image layers, so text in the watermarked output is no longer natively selectable or searchable. The visual content is preserved exactly as it appears when viewed — only the text selectability is affected. For documents where maintaining selectable text is important, a professional PDF editing tool that can add watermarks as a separate vector layer would be more appropriate.
What text should I use for a watermark?
Common watermark texts for different use cases: CONFIDENTIAL or STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL for sensitive business documents; DRAFT for documents still in review; COPY or SAMPLE to indicate the document is not the original; FOR REVIEW ONLY or NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION to control circulation; your company name or website URL for branded materials; VOID for cancelled or superseded documents. Keep watermark text short — one to three words — so it fits clearly on each page without overwhelming the content.
Can I use a different colour for the watermark text?
Yes. The colour picker lets you choose any colour for text watermarks. Red is traditional for warning labels like CONFIDENTIAL and VOID because it stands out against most document backgrounds. Grey is commonly used for draft markers and company name watermarks where a subtle appearance is preferred. For light-background documents, dark grey or dark blue watermarks are typically more readable than black, and for dark-background documents, a white or light watermark may be more appropriate.