# Add a watermark to a PDF

Source: https://www.mergevanta.com/add-watermark
Updated: 2026-10-22

> Add a watermark to a PDF online free: text or a logo at any angle, tiled or in one spot. No sign-up, no branding of ours — your file never leaves your device.

Stamp text such as CONFIDENTIAL, or your logo, on the pages of a PDF — in one spot or tiled, over the content or behind it. Text in any language works. It all happens in your browser, so your file never leaves your device.

## How do I add a watermark to a PDF for free?

Open Mergevanta's Add watermark tool, choose your PDF and pick Text or Image. Type your words or choose a PNG or JPG logo, set the size, opacity and angle, then pick a spot or Tile across the page. Press Add watermark to download it — free, with no sign-up and no branding of its own.

## Key facts

- **Price:** Free
- **Watermark:** None
- **Sign-up:** Not required
- **Accepts:** .pdf, plus .png or .jpg for logos
- **You get:** A watermarked .pdf
- **Processing:** In your browser — files never leave your device
- **Files stored:** Never
- **Works on:** Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android

## Why use Mergevanta

- **Text in any language:** Latin text is added as real PDF text. Hindi, Arabic, Chinese and emoji are drawn by your browser and added as a sharp image, so every script looks right.
- **Your logo or stamp:** Use a PNG with a transparent background or a JPG, sized as a share of the page width and faded to the opacity you want.
- **Over or behind content:** Put the watermark on top of everything, or underneath the text and pictures so the page stays easy to read.
- **Private by design:** The watermark is added in your browser. Neither the PDF nor your logo is uploaded, and nothing is stored.

## How to use it

1. Press Choose PDF and pick the file you want to watermark.
2. Choose Text and type your words, or choose Image and pick a PNG or JPG.
3. Set the Font, Size, Color, Rotation and Opacity — the preview shows the watermark on your page.
4. Under Placement, tap a Position or turn on Tile across the page, then choose Over the content or Behind the content and which Pages.
5. Press Add watermark, then Download the watermarked PDF.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is my PDF uploaded when I add a watermark?

No. Mergevanta adds the watermark in your browser, so the PDF and your logo never leave your device and nothing is stored. There's no size limit beyond your device's memory, and it works in phone browsers too.

### Can I use a watermark in Hindi, Arabic or Chinese?

Yes. The standard PDF fonts only cover Latin characters, so other scripts and emoji are drawn by your browser — which shapes every script properly — and added as a high-resolution image of the text. It looks like text but can't be selected or searched.

### What's the difference between Over the content and Behind the content?

Over the content draws the watermark on top of everything on the page. Behind the content puts it underneath the text and pictures, which keeps pages easier to read — but a page with a solid white background, such as a scan or many slides, hides it completely.

### Will the watermark be straight on rotated or landscape pages?

Yes. Positions and angles are measured on the page as you see it, so a 45° watermark rises from bottom left to top right on every page, including pages saved sideways.

### Can I watermark only some pages?

Yes. Choose Page range under Pages and type the pages, for example 1-3, 8. The preview tells you when the page shown isn't in your range.

### Can a watermark be removed later?

The watermark becomes part of each page's content, so PDF viewers can't switch it off — keep your original if you need a clean copy. A watermark labels a document but doesn't lock it; use [Protect PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/protect-pdf) to add a password.

### Can I watermark a password-protected PDF?

Yes, if you know its password: the tool asks for it and uses it only in your browser tab. The watermarked copy is saved without a password, so protect it again if it needs one.

## Related tools

- [Protect PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/protect-pdf)
- [Add page numbers](https://www.mergevanta.com/add-page-numbers)
- [Sign PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/sign-pdf)