Watermark
Stamp CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, or any text across hundreds of PDFs
Diagonal or edge placement, tunable opacity 0-1, hex color, font size in points, page-range targeting. Configure once, apply to every file in the set, originals preserved by default.
Download Complimentary TrialThe batch problem
Why a "stamp this on every page" tool needs to be a batch tool
Watermarking one PDF in a viewer takes thirty seconds. Watermarking 500 of them takes most of a workday — and produces inconsistent results, because the human running the job will set opacity slightly differently on file 47 than on file 426. The whole reason to watermark a document set is to enforce visible consistency: every page that goes out under a DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL claim should look the same.
PDF Batch Editor's watermark configures the stamp once — text, placement, opacity, color, page range — then applies it identically to every page of every file in the queue. The same diagonal CONFIDENTIAL appears on file 1 and file 500. The same opacity. The same color. Per-file results report the page count stamped vs. total pages, so you can verify the run as a whole.
Placement
Four placements, four different visual claims
Across (diagonal)
Diagonal text centered on each page, sized to span the page geometry. The classic CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT look. Hard to crop out, hard to ignore, hard to obscure with a printer footer. Use for the strongest visible claims — protective-order designations, draft markers on circulated work product.
Top banner
Horizontal text centered along the top edge of the page. Discreet but clearly present in any reading flow. Right for matter numbers, classification headers, and standing notices that should be visible without competing with body content.
Bottom banner
Horizontal text centered along the bottom edge. The least intrusive placement — readers see it on every page but it doesn't disrupt the reading flow. Right for footers, version stamps, and recipient identifiers that should follow the document around.
Center horizontal
Horizontal text centered on the page (not diagonal). The middle ground between Across (loud) and Bottom (quiet) — visible without dominating, useful for SAMPLE or SPECIMEN claims where you want the message present but the underlying content readable.
Appearance
Opacity, color, and font size as the visual levers
Three numerical knobs control how the watermark reads on the page:
Font size Points (e.g. 48 for diagonal, 12 for footer banners)
Opacity 0.0 invisible → 1.0 opaque
Color Hex (#CCCCCC light gray, #FF0000 red, etc.)
Working ranges:
Subtle DRAFT mark, doesn't compete with content opacity 0.2-0.3, light gray
Clearly visible CONFIDENTIAL stamp opacity 0.5-0.7, mid gray or red
Hard claim, watermark must dominate opacity 0.9-1.0, saturated redThe watermark is rendered using a built-in standard PDF font (Helvetica). No font embedding is required, every PDF reader renders the watermark identically, and file sizes stay portable. The placement engine sizes the watermark to fit the page geometry for diagonal Across; horizontal placements use the configured point size directly.
Targeting and trade-offs
Page-range targeting, signed PDFs, and pipeline ordering
Page-range targeting
The Page range field accepts 1-3, 5, 8-10 syntax. Pages outside the range are written through unchanged. Right for skipping cover pages, indexes, or signature pages where the watermark would conflict with existing content. Leave the field blank to watermark every page.
Signed PDFs
Adding a watermark modifies the page content, which invalidates digital signatures attached to those pages. If the documents are already signed and the signatures must remain verifiable, the watermark must come before the signature in the workflow — not after.
Pipeline ordering
In a multi-step Batch Pipeline, watermark sits naturally between content edits and final-output stages. A typical compliance pipeline: Redact → Watermark → Bates Numbering → Encrypt. Watermark applies the visible claim; encryption then locks the file's downstream permissions.
Originals preserved
Default output mode writes watermarked copies to a separate folder (Save to folder) or alongside originals with a filename suffix. Originals are only modified if you explicitly select Overwrite. Per-file results report pages stamped vs. total pages so you can verify the run.
Use Cases
Every batch, stamped the same way, every time
Review Drafts
A paralegal stamps DRAFT — FOR REVIEW ONLY across 500 contract drafts before circulating to the team. Across placement, opacity 0.3, light gray — readable but not distracting.
Confidential Production
A litigation team marks CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT across 1,200 internal memos in one run. Across placement, opacity 0.25, red, every page of every file consistently.
Specimen & Sample Copies
A training team marks SAMPLE — NOT FOR EXECUTION on agreements shared with students. Page range 4-end skips the cover and index, leaving headers clean while the body carries the claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Across, Top, Bottom, and Center placement?
Across is diagonal text centered on each page — the classic CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT look that's hard to crop out. Top and Bottom are horizontal banners along the respective page edges. Center is horizontal text centered on the page. Across is the strongest visual claim; Top and Bottom are the most discreet; Center is the middle ground.
How is opacity actually controlled?
Opacity is a number between 0 (fully transparent — invisible) and 1 (fully opaque — solid). Useful working values: 0.2-0.3 for a subtle DRAFT mark that doesn't compete with the underlying content, 0.5-0.7 for a clearly visible but readable stamp, 0.9-1.0 for a hard claim where the watermark must dominate.
Can I watermark only certain pages of each file?
Yes. The Page range field accepts 1-3, 5, 8-10 syntax. Pages outside the range are written through unchanged. Useful for skipping cover pages, indexes, or signature pages where the watermark would conflict with existing content.
Will the watermark invalidate existing digital signatures?
Adding a watermark modifies the page content, which invalidates signatures attached to those pages. If the documents are signed and you need to keep the signatures verifiable, watermark before signing — chain it earlier in a Batch Pipeline so signing is the final step.
What font is used for the watermark?
A standard built-in PDF font (Helvetica) by default — no font embedding required, files stay portable, every viewer renders the watermark identically. Font size is configurable in points; the placement engine sizes the watermark to fit the page geometry for diagonal Across placement.
Are originals preserved?
By default, yes. The output mode is Save to folder (write watermarked copies to a separate location) or Add suffix (write watermarked copies alongside originals with a filename suffix). Originals are only modified if you explicitly select Overwrite.
Batch watermarking in one click
Diagonal or edge placement, tunable opacity and color, page-range targeting. Complimentary 14-day trial.
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