How to stamp a draft watermark on a pdf
- Step 1Finish the current draft and export to PDF — Produce the PDF as usual from your authoring tool. Keep the source file — you'll generate the clean final from it later, since the watermark can't be toggled off.
- Step 2
- Step 3Change the text to DRAFT — The text field defaults to
CONFIDENTIAL; replace it withDRAFT(or a stage label likeDRAFT v2orDRAFT — NOT FINAL). Longer labels auto-scale to fit. - Step 4Set opacity for visible-but-readable — Use 0.15–0.20 so the DRAFT marking is obvious but the content under review stays comfortable to read and annotate. The field accepts 0.05–1.0 in 0.05 steps.
- Step 5Apply to the whole document — Run the tool. DRAFT is drawn diagonally and centred on every page — there's no per-page choice, which is what you want for a review copy.
- Step 6Circulate the marked copy, archive the clean source — Send reviewers the watermarked PDF and keep the un-watermarked original. When the document is approved, export a fresh clean PDF from the source — that's your 'final' with no DRAFT marking.
The three controls (and what's fixed)
Exactly three inputs are exposed. Colour, angle, font, and page coverage are fixed. Verified against the implementation.
| Setting | Control | Range / value | For a DRAFT marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text | Text input | Any string (default CONFIDENTIAL) | Set to DRAFT or a stage label |
| Opacity | Number input | 0.05 – 1.0, step 0.05 (default 0.15) | 0.15–0.20 keeps content readable |
| Font size | Number input | 12 – 200 pt (default 60) | Default 60 fills a standard page well |
| Colour | Fixed | Mid-grey | No red option — grey only |
| Angle | Fixed | -45° diagonal | Classic draft-stamp diagonal |
| Pages | Fixed | All pages | Every review page is marked |
Draft-stage labelling suggestions
The watermark text is free-form, so it can carry the review stage. These are conventions, not built-in presets.
| Review stage | Suggested watermark text | Opacity |
|---|---|---|
| Early internal pass | DRAFT | 0.15 |
| Numbers not final | DRAFT — FIGURES TBC | 0.18 |
| Second iteration | DRAFT v2 | 0.15 |
| Restricted circulation | DRAFT — DO NOT CIRCULATE | 0.20 |
| Pre-legal review | DRAFT — SUBJECT TO REVIEW | 0.18 |
Input limits by tier
One file per run. Limits apply to the input PDF's size and page count. Real configuration values.
| Tier | Max file size | Max pages |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 2 MB | 50 |
| Pro | 50 MB | 500 |
| Pro + Media | 500 MB | 2,000 |
| Developer | 2 GB | 10,000 |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Cookbook
Draft-marking setups for common review situations. Each lists the three inputs and the resulting marking.
Plain DRAFT for a review round
The everyday case — circulate a working document clearly flagged as not-final.
text: DRAFT opacity: 0.15 fontSize: 60 → mid-grey 'DRAFT' diagonal on every page; body text stays readable for reviewer comments.
Versioned draft so reviewers know the iteration
When several rounds are in flight, put the version in the watermark so an old PDF isn't mistaken for the current one.
text: DRAFT v3 opacity: 0.15 fontSize: 60 → each circulated round is self-identifying; a stale 'DRAFT v2' file is obvious at a glance.
Draft with a circulation warning
For sensitive drafts (board papers, unreleased results) add the restriction to the same marking.
text: DRAFT — DO NOT CIRCULATE opacity: 0.20 fontSize: 54 → longer text auto-shrinks to fit; raised opacity makes the restriction stand out.
Light DRAFT for a heavily-annotated PDF
If reviewers mark up the PDF directly, a lower opacity keeps their annotations the focus.
text: DRAFT opacity: 0.10 fontSize: 60 → faint marking that won't compete with highlights and sticky-note comments.
Produce the final clean copy (no watermark)
There's no 'remove watermark' button — the final comes from your archived source, not the marked file.
Approved? → re-export a fresh PDF from the ORIGINAL source document (the un-watermarked file you kept) → clean final, no DRAFT marking. Do NOT try to strip the watermark out of the circulated copy.
Edge cases and what actually happens
You expect DRAFT to be red
Grey onlyThe watermark colour is fixed mid-grey — there's no red option. For a red DRAFT stamp, create a one-page red DRAFT graphic and overlay it with pdf-stamp instead, which composites any single-page PDF onto every page.
You want to 'remove' the watermark when the document is final
Not removableThe watermark is drawn into the page content, so there's no toggle to take it back off. The intended workflow is to keep the original un-watermarked source and export a fresh clean PDF from it once approved. Don't rely on editing the marking out of the circulated copy.
Only the executive summary should be marked
Not supportedThere is no page-range control — DRAFT goes on every page. To mark a subset, extract those pages with pdf-extract-pages, watermark them, and reassemble using pdf-merge. For a review copy, marking all pages is usually the safer default anyway.
Reviewer's PDF already has form fields or annotations
PreservedThe watermark is drawn onto each page on top of existing content; it doesn't strip form fields or prior annotations. If you specifically need to bake annotations down before sending, flatten the file first with pdf-flatten, then watermark.
Long stage label like 'DRAFT — SUBJECT TO LEGAL REVIEW'
PreservedLong text is auto-scaled: the tool caps the watermark width at about 72% of the page diagonal and shrinks the font (to a 16 pt floor) so the whole phrase fits, centred, on every page.
You re-run the tool to update the version number
StacksRe-watermarking the already-marked file adds a second marking over the first — you'll see both DRAFT v2 and DRAFT v3. Always watermark the clean source for each round, not the previously-marked output.
Free-tier draft over 2 MB or 50 pages
RejectedFree tier caps input at 2 MB and 50 pages. Long drafts with embedded images may exceed this — upgrade to Pro (50 MB / 500 pages) or compress images first with pdf-compress-lossy.
The draft PDF is encrypted/restricted
SupportedThe tool opens PDFs with encryption ignored, so it can typically watermark a restricted file. The saved output is un-encrypted; re-apply any needed restriction afterwards with pdf-permission-setter.
Pages are landscape and portrait mixed
ExpectedEach page is sized independently, so the DRAFT marking is scaled and centred correctly on landscape and portrait pages alike — no fixed-size stamp that looks wrong on one orientation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove the DRAFT watermark when the document is final?
You don't remove it from the marked file — the watermark is part of the page content and there's no un-watermark step. Instead, keep the original un-watermarked source and export a fresh clean PDF from it once the document is approved. That clean export is your final version.
Can the watermark be red instead of grey?
No. The watermark colour is fixed mid-grey; the tool has no colour picker. If a red DRAFT stamp is essential, make a single-page red DRAFT graphic and overlay it on every page with pdf-stamp, which composites a stamp PDF onto the base document.
Can I use a longer label like 'DRAFT — DO NOT DISTRIBUTE'?
Yes — the text field is free-form. Longer phrases are auto-scaled so they fit within the page (capped at roughly 72% of the page diagonal, with a 16 pt minimum font), so they render smaller but stay centred and fully on-page.
Can I watermark only some pages of the draft?
Not directly — DRAFT is applied to every page and there's no page-range option. For a subset, split with pdf-extract-pages, watermark that part, then merge back with pdf-merge. For most review copies, marking all pages is the safer choice.
What opacity should a DRAFT marking use?
0.15 (default) to 0.20. That's prominent enough that no reviewer misses the status, while keeping the document readable and easy to annotate. The field accepts 0.05–1.0 in 0.05 steps; drop to 0.10 if reviewers are marking up the PDF heavily.
Will watermarking break the reviewer's ability to comment or fill fields?
No. The watermark is drawn on top of each page and doesn't strip form fields, annotations, or text. Reviewers can still highlight, comment, and fill forms. If you want to lock the content down before sending, flatten it first with pdf-flatten.
Can I batch-watermark a folder of drafts?
The tool handles one PDF per run — it's not a batch tool. Run each draft individually. Because processing is local and fast, marking a handful of files in sequence is quick.
Is the angle adjustable — can I make it horizontal?
No. The watermark is always diagonal at -45° and centred. That fixed diagonal is the conventional draft-stamp look and keeps every page consistent.
Does the draft PDF get uploaded?
No. The whole operation runs in your browser; the draft is loaded, marked, and saved locally and never reaches a server. That keeps unreleased drafts — proposals, papers, financials — on your own machine.
Can I add the reviewer's name to the watermark?
Yes, via the text field — e.g. DRAFT — for J. Smith. There's no automated per-recipient merge, so run the tool once per recipient with their name in the text if you want a distinct marked copy each.
How big a draft can I watermark on the free tier?
Up to 2 MB and 50 pages on Free. Pro raises that to 50 MB / 500 pages, Pro + Media to 500 MB / 2,000 pages, and Developer to 2 GB / 10,000 pages. Enterprise is unlimited.
What happens if I leave the text field empty?
If the text is blank, the tool falls back to its default CONFIDENTIAL, not DRAFT. For a draft marking, make sure you've typed DRAFT into the field before running.
Privacy first
All PDF processing runs locally in your browser using PDF-lib and pdf.js. No file is ever uploaded — only metadata counters are saved for signed-in dashboard stats.