PaperHeroHow it works
- Choose the PDF that should carry a watermark.
- Choose the watermark type: text or image.
- Type the text, for example "CONFIDENTIAL", or choose your image, a logo for instance.
- Set the opacity and the size.
- Save the watermarked PDF and download it.
Add a watermark to a PDF: "CONFIDENTIAL", "DRAFT" or your own text
A watermark says at a glance how a document is meant to be read - and makes it unappealing to simply pass on. If you want to watermark a PDF, type the text here, set the opacity and the size, and it goes diagonally across every page. Free, no sign-up, and nobody stamps their own logo into the corner. Instead of text, you can just as well use an image watermark - your own logo as a PNG with a transparent background, for example.
Put text over a PDF without uploading it
The text is written into the file right in your browser, nothing is transmitted. Because the size follows the page, the watermark sits as neatly on an A4 letter as on a large plan, and the opacity decides whether it stays discreetly in the background or catches the eye. Either way the text underneath stays readable and selectable.
And where does the finished PDF go?
PaperHero stores it encrypted in Germany, reads the text and finds it again when you need it. 30 days for €1, then €5.99 per month - cancel monthly.
Frequently asked questions
Can the watermark be removed again?
It becomes part of the pages and cannot be switched off with a click. Anyone determined enough will find a way - a watermark is a clear label, not copy protection. So keep the version without it.
Text or image - which one when?
Text is the quickest route for a label like "CONFIDENTIAL" or "DRAFT": it goes diagonally across the whole page. An image suits logos and stamps and is placed upright in the middle of the page, because a logo tilted by 45 degrees simply looks broken. Use a PNG with a transparent background where you can, otherwise an opaque box in the image's background colour sits on the page. The image is embedded once and shown on every page, so the file does not grow with each page.
Can I use accented or special characters in the text?
Accented letters, digits and the usual punctuation work fine. Emoji and characters from other alphabets are outside what the built-in standard font can draw - in that case the tool reports an error instead of saving a broken file.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The watermark is added entirely in your browser. The file never leaves your computer, and once you close the tab nothing of it is left.