If you want to facilitate consistent branding or make your documents less prone to plagiarism, you can apply watermarks to your PDFs. A watermark is a superimposed feature that appears on a document while preserving the original content. Learn how to add watermarks to PDFs to make your documents look more professional.
In this article, we will share straightforward instructions for three methods for adding a watermark to a PDF using Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word.
What exactly is a watermark?
A watermark is a text or picture element that appears on a document (such as a PDF) in front of or after text and images. This overlay element is normally semi-transparent, allowing the document's content to be seen. On branded documents and confidential communications, watermarks are common.
Why include a watermark in a PDF?
There are numerous reasons why businesses or people add watermarks to PDFs:
Many organisations place "confidential" or "classified" watermarks on their documents to ensure confidentiality. This can alert readers to the fact that the information is sensitive and prevent them from sharing it with unauthorised personnel.
Branding: Many businesses utilise logos or their company name on company paperwork. This can provide aesthetic interest as well as serve as a kind of marketing for the organisation.
Authentication: Watermarks can be used to demonstrate the authenticity of documents in specific instances. To convey their permission to document readers, companies or government bodies may use logos or other symbols.
How to Include a Watermark in a PDF
Consider the following approaches for incorporating a watermark into a PDF file:
In Adobe Acrobat, how do you apply a text watermark to a PDF?
To apply a text watermark to a PDF with Adobe Acrobat, follow these steps:
Launch the Adobe Acrobat reader.
Select your PDF file from the dialogue window by clicking "File" in the upper left corner, then "Open" in the ribbon.
In the toolbar at the top of the window, select the "Tools" tab.
On the right, click the "Edit PDF" button.
Select "Watermark" and then "Add."
Click on "Page Range Options" in the upper right corner to apply the watermark selectively.
How to Include a Watermark in a PDF
Consider the following approaches for incorporating a watermark into a PDF file:
In Adobe Acrobat, how do you apply a text watermark to a PDF?
To apply a text watermark to a PDF with Adobe Acrobat, follow these steps:
Launch the Adobe Acrobat reader.
Select your PDF file from the dialogue window by clicking "File" in the upper left corner, then "Open" in the ribbon.
In the toolbar at the top of the window, select the "Tools" tab.
On the right, click the "Edit PDF" button.
Select "Watermark" and then "Add."
Click on "Page Range Options" in the upper right corner to apply the watermark selectively.
Alternatively, rotate the watermark 45 degrees or select a custom rotation by inserting the degree of rotation you want into the box next to "Custom."
Locate "Opacity" in the dialogue box and slide the toggle to adjust the transparency of the watermark.
To change the colour of your text, look for the colour box beneath the text box at the top of the page. Select a colour from the menu by clicking on the box.
Change the font and size of the sitext by accessing the "Font" and "Size" boxes beneath the text box. Select a font size or font from the drop-down choices by clicking the down arrows.
Look for the "Scale relative to target page" option, check the box to the left, and then adjust the scale percentage in the box to the right.
Choose whether the watermark shows in front of or behind the document contents by going to "Location" and clicking on "Appear behind page" or "Appear on top of page."
Adjust the location of the watermark on the page by navigating to the "Position" section at the bottom of the dialogue box and selecting how to position your watermark horizontally and vertically.
Examine the watermark's look in the preview window to the right of the dialogue box, then click "OK" to save your changes.
How to Add a Watermark to an Image in Adobe Acrobat
To add an image watermark to a PDF with Adobe Acrobat, follow these steps:
Steps one through eight should be repeated.
Look for the "Source" area at the top of the watermark dialogue box and pick "File."
Click "Browse" and choose an image from your computer to use as a watermark.
Close the menu by clicking "Open" to enter the image as a watermark.
Change the size of the siwatermark by selecting "Absolute Scale" and clicking the up or down arrows to make the image larger or smaller. You can also type a scale into the text box.
Locate the "Rotation" section and select "-45°," "45°," or "Custom" to rotate the image. If you select custom, you can rotate the image by using the up and down arrows or by typing a number into the text box.
To change the opacity of the image, navigate to the "Opacity" section and slide the toggle to make the image more or less transparent.
To make the image show behind the page contents, go to the "Location" section and select "Appear behind page."
If you want the watermark to display above the page contents, select "Appear on top of page."
Locate the "Position" section to change the location of the watermark. Adjust the distance between the image and the page's centre or edge.
Examine the appearance of the apwatermark in the preview box on the right side of the dialogue box.
After you've finished altering your image, click "OK" to exit the watermark dialogue box and save your changes.
In Microsoft Word, how do you put a watermark on a PDF?
To apply a watermark to a PDF in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:
Launch the Microsoft Word application on your PC.
Locate and click on the "File" tab in the upper left corner.
When the drop-down selection displays, select "Open".
Select your PDF in the dialogue box and click "Open" to open the document and shut the window.
Click on "Design" in the toolbar in the upper left corner of the screen.
When the menu displays, navigate to the right side of the screen and select "Watermark." You will then be presented with a list of predefined watermarks from which to choose.
If you wish to add a custom watermark, click on "Watermark" once more. Then, at the bottom of the drop-down menu, locate and select the "Custom Watermark" option.
Select "Picture Watermark" in the dialogue box to insert an image as a watermark. Then, press the "Select Picture" button.
When the select photo dialogue box appears, you can select an image from a file or from a web search.
After you've chosen your image, click "Insert" to choose it and exit the dialogue box.
Return to the custom watermark box and press "OK" to apply your watermark and exit the window.
To add a custom text watermark, go to "Watermark" and then "Custom Watermark."
Select "Text Watermark" from the dialogue box that appears. Then, in the text field, enter your personalised text.
Change the font by selecting it from the drop-down menu next to "Font."
Change the font size by selecting one from the drop-down menu next to "Size."
Select a colour from the drop-down menu next to the "Colour" option.
To change the text's orientation, click "Diagonal" or "Horizontal" at the bottom of the dialogue box.
After that, click "OK" to insert your unique text watermark and exit the window.