Need to add watermark to PDF for free — without Adobe Acrobat or any software? Zappy's free pdf watermark adder lets you add custom text or image watermarks to any PDF instantly. Mark documents as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or add your logo. No signup, works on any device.
Protect your work
Mark proposals, reports and portfolios as CONFIDENTIAL before sharing.
Mark drafts
Add a DRAFT stamp so recipients know the document is not final.
Brand your PDFs
Add your company logo or name as a watermark on every page.
Prevent misuse
Watermark certificates, invoices and legal documents before distributing.
Sample documents
Add a SAMPLE stamp to templates before sending to clients.
Proof of ownership
Embed your name or website URL in research papers and designs.
Before you add watermark pdf, decide which type suits your use case. Zappy supports both — here's the difference:
Best for status marking. Type any custom text — set font size, colour, opacity and angle. A diagonal text watermark is the most professional look for how to watermark pdf files.
Best for branding. Upload your logo as PNG or JPG, adjust size and opacity. Ideal for branded reports, certificates and client deliverables.
This is the fastest way to watermark pdf online free — no Adobe, no software, no account needed.
Open Zappy Watermark PDF
Go to zappy.tools/watermark-pdf/ — works on Android, iPhone and desktop. No app or signup needed.
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop or browse to select your PDF. Any number of pages, any file size.
Choose text or image watermark
Type your watermark text — CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, your name — or upload a logo image. Set position, angle and opacity so the watermark is visible without hiding the content underneath.
Apply and download
Click Apply Watermark. Zappy embeds it on every page of your PDF. Download instantly — the watermark is permanently part of the file.
Add your watermark now — free
Text · Image · Custom position · All pages · No signup
To add text watermark to pdf, use the text input in Zappy's tool. Here are settings for the most common use cases:
DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL stamp
Type "DRAFT" or "CONFIDENTIAL". Set angle to 45°, opacity to 30–40%, colour to grey or red. This creates the standard diagonal stamp used on professional documents — the most common way to how to stamp pdf online.
Your name or company name
Type your name or website URL. Set opacity lower (15–25%) so it's subtle. Centre position gives full-page coverage. Ideal for research papers, photography portfolios and client proposals.
DO NOT COPY or SAMPLE
Use higher opacity (50–60%) with a bold font. Creates a clear, hard-to-ignore watermark for sample documents you want to protect from being used as final versions.
To add image watermark to pdf — your company logo, a stamp or signature — follow these steps for a clean professional result:
Prepare your image
Use a PNG with a transparent background for the cleanest result. A logo on a white background will show a white box on your PDF. Resize to roughly 300×300px before uploading.
Upload logo in Zappy
In the Zappy Watermark PDF tool, select image watermark and upload your PNG or JPG logo. A live preview shows you how it will look before applying.
Set position and opacity
20–30% opacity centre-page = subtle branding watermark. Higher opacity corner placement = visible logo stamp for invoices and certificates.
Problem
Watermark is too dark — content underneath is unreadable. Fix: Reduce opacity to 25–35%. The watermark should be noticeable but not obscure the document content.
Problem
Logo watermark shows a white box around it. Fix: Use a PNG file with transparent background. JPG images always carry a solid background that appears in the PDF.
Problem
File size increased after watermarking. Fix: Use Zappy Compress PDF after adding the watermark. The watermark stays embedded — compression only reduces image resolution slightly.
Pro Tip
Keep the original unwatermarked PDF. Once you add a watermark and save, the original stays unchanged on your device. Always keep a clean version — you can re-watermark with different settings any time.
Use Zappy Watermark PDF — upload your PDF, type your text or upload a logo, set position and opacity, download. Completely free — the perfect way to watermark pdf without adobe, directly in your browser.
Yes. Type any text — CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, SAMPLE, DO NOT COPY or custom text. Set angle to 45°, opacity to 30–40% and colour to grey or red for the standard diagonal stamp look used on professional documents.
In Zappy, select image watermark and upload your PNG or JPG logo. Use PNG with transparent background for the cleanest result. Adjust size and opacity, then download. Works for logos, signatures and custom stamps.
Open zappy.tools/watermark-pdf/ in your phone browser — works on Android and iPhone. Upload your PDF, set your watermark and download. No app installation needed.
Yes — Zappy applies the watermark to every page automatically. You don't set it page by page. Scroll through the downloaded PDF to verify it appears consistently throughout.
Yes. Zappy's pdf watermark adder works for invoices, proposals, reports, certificates and any business document. Free for individual files — no account, no watermark on your output, instant download.
Free, instant, no signup. Text or image watermark on any device.