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PDF Tools Japan

Watermark PDF – Add Text Like “CONFIDENTIAL” to Every Page

A free tool that adds a text watermark such as “CONFIDENTIAL”, “DO NOT COPY” or “SAMPLE” to every page of a PDF. Type any text, and choose the layout (centered or tiled), angle (diagonal or horizontal), size, color and opacity. A live preview of page 1 shows the result straight away.

Your files are processed in your browser and are never uploaded to a server.

How to watermark a PDF

  1. 1Tap “Select PDF file”, or drag and drop a PDF.
  2. 2Type your watermark text, or tap a button such as “CONFIDENTIAL”.
  3. 3Choose the layout, angle, size, color and opacity, and check the preview.
  4. 4Tap “Add watermark” and download the PDF.

Supported files and limits

Supported files
One PDF file (.pdf), plus a JPG, PNG or WebP image if you use a logo
You get
A PDF with the watermark
File size
Up to 100MB per file
Good to know
  • Password-protected or edit-restricted PDFs can't be processed. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF.

When to add a watermark

  • Mark internal documents “CONFIDENTIAL” so readers handle them with care
  • Label quotes and proposals sent to clients as “SAMPLE” or “FOR REVIEW”
  • Mark work in progress as “DRAFT” to tell it apart from the final version
  • Add “DO NOT COPY” to handouts to make your wishes clear
  • Put your name on portfolio or sample documents

Settings you can choose

Layout

“One in the center” places a large watermark in the middle of each page. “Tiled across the page” repeats a smaller watermark over the whole page, so it’s still visible even if part of the page is cropped.

Angle, size and color

Choose diagonal or horizontal, small, medium or large, and gray, red or blue. Typefaces are sans-serif (Gothic) or serif (Mincho), both with Japanese support.

Opacity

Adjust from 10% to 60%. Around 20–30% keeps the main text easy to read.

Check the preview before saving

Every change updates the page 1 preview immediately, so you can check that the watermark doesn’t overpower the text before saving. After saving, you can preview the whole PDF.

Things to know about watermarks

Text watermarks are added to every page as real (vector) text, so they stay sharp at any zoom. You can also use a logo image. Your original text and images stay as they are, and text can still be selected and searched.

A watermark signals how a document should be handled. It could be removed with PDF editing software, so consider adding a password to important documents as well.

Related tools

It works well together with adding page numbers or compressing the file.

Your PDF is never uploaded

Your PDF isn’t uploaded to a server; the watermark is added in your browser. Confidential documents are never sent anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is it free?

A. Yes. It’s free with no usage limits, and our logo is never added.

Q. Can I use any text?

A. Yes. Up to 40 characters, in Japanese or English.

Q. Is it added to every page?

A. Yes. The watermark goes in the same position on every page.

Q. Can I change the opacity?

A. Yes, from 10% to 60%.

Q. Can I still select the original text?

A. Yes. The watermark sits on top, so the original text can still be selected and searched.

Q. Can a watermark be removed?

A. It could be removed with PDF editing software. For important documents, consider adding a password too.

Q. Can I use an image or logo as a watermark?

A. Yes. Choose “Image (logo)” to use a company logo or other image. A white background can be made transparent.

Q. Does it work on landscape pages?

A. Yes. It follows each page’s orientation.

Q. Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

A. No. It’s processed in your browser.

Q. Do I need to sign up?

A. No. Just open the page and start using it.

Q. Can I watermark a password-protected PDF?

A. No. Password-protected PDFs and PDFs with editing restrictions can’t be watermarked. Unlock them first with Unlock PDF.

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