How to add a watermark and password to a PDF

A password controls who can open a PDF. A visible watermark communicates status or identifies the intended copy after it is opened. The two controls serve different purposes and can be used together.

Choose useful watermark text

Keep the wording short and purposeful. A client name, employee reference, DRAFT, CLIENT COPY or CONFIDENTIAL is usually clearer than a long warning.

Set placement and appearance

  1. Enter the watermark text.
  2. Choose a position that does not cover important content.
  3. Adjust size, opacity and rotation.
  4. Preview the placement.
  5. Apply password protection and process the PDF.

Check pages with different layouts because a position that works on the first page may cover content elsewhere.

Review the output

Open the resulting PDF with its password and inspect representative pages. A watermark should be visible without making the underlying document difficult to read.