How to add your logo as a watermark to a PDF

To add logo watermark to PDF files for free, open our Add Watermark to PDF tool, choose your PDF, switch Watermark type to Image / logo and pick your logo file. Then set its width, opacity, rotation and position, choose the pages and click Add watermark & download. A PNG logo with a transparent background looks best. The work happens in your browser, so neither the PDF nor the logo is uploaded.

This guide covers preparing the logo, the steps, three layouts that work well and how to combine a logo with text.

Prepare your logo first

A good watermark starts with a good logo file.

• Use PNG with a transparent background. The logo then floats over the page. A JPG always brings its white or coloured rectangle with it.
• WebP works too. The tool accepts PNG, JPG and WebP images up to 20 MB.
• Use enough pixels. A logo at 40% of an A4 page is about 84 mm wide. For sharp printing at 300 dpi, that needs a logo about 1,000 pixels wide. For on-screen use, half that is fine.
• Choose the right version. Many brands have a one-colour or light version of their logo. It often makes a calmer watermark than the full-colour one.

If you only have the logo on a white background, ask your designer for a transparent PNG, or export one from the original design file.

How to add logo watermark to PDF, step by step

1. Open Add Watermark to PDF and choose or drop your PDF. If it has a password, type it when asked.
2. Under Watermark type, choose Image / logo.
3. Click Choose watermark image and pick your logo. A small thumbnail shows its name and size in pixels.
4. Set Image width (% of page), from 5% to 100%. The height follows the logo's shape.
5. Set Opacity (5–100%) and Rotation (−90° to 90°).
6. Pick a Position: Centre, Tiled (repeat across page), or top left, top centre, top right, bottom left, bottom centre or bottom right.
7. Under Pages, keep All pages or choose Selected pages and type numbers such as 1 or 2-10.
8. Check the live preview, then click Add watermark & download. The new file ends in "-watermarked.pdf" and your original stays unchanged.

Landscape and rotated pages are handled too: the position is worked out on the page as you see it.

Three layouts that work

Layout	Width	Opacity	Rotation	Position	Good for
Faint centre mark	40–60%	8–15%	0°	Centre	Reports, proposals, price lists
Corner brand	10–15%	70–100%	0°	Bottom right or top right	Invoices, letters, handouts
Tiled pattern	12–20%	8–12%	30–45°	Tiled	Photos, design proofs, samples

Faint centre mark

The most common look. A large logo at low opacity sits behind the content like a paper watermark. Keep it below about 15% on text pages so the words stay easy to read.

Corner brand

A small, solid logo in a corner, like a letterhead. Corner positions keep a small margin from the page edge, so the logo doesn't touch the trim when printed.

Tiled pattern

The logo repeats across the whole page. This is the hardest layout to crop out, which makes it the best choice for proofs and samples you send before payment.

Logo plus text, or a logo in one exact spot

The tool adds one watermark per pass, but you can run it again on the result:

1. Add your logo and download the file.
2. Open the downloaded file in the tool again, choose Text and add a label such as SAMPLE or CONFIDENTIAL.

For more on text labels, see how to mark a PDF as CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT.

If you want the logo at a precise spot on one page, such as above a signature, use PDF Studio instead. In its Edit tab (in Advanced), the Image tool places a picture where you click, and you can drag and resize it freely. That is placement, not a watermark across pages.

Tips for a clean result

• Dark pages: a dark logo disappears on dark backgrounds. Use a white or light version.
• Scanned documents: a faint logo can look like dirt on a grey scan. A corner logo at full opacity often reads better.
• Printing: check one printed page. Light watermarks can look darker on paper than on screen.
• File size: the logo is stored once and reused on each page, so the file grows by roughly the logo's size. If a portal still rejects it, use Compress PDF.
• Password-protected originals: the watermarked copy has no password. Add one again with Protect PDF if needed.

A logo is branding, not protection

A logo shows where a document came from. It does not stop copying: someone with PDF editing software can still remove it. For files that must stay private, add a password with Protect PDF and share the password separately. To remove private details before sharing, use Redact in PDF Studio, which deletes the hidden text from the file. For ID card copies, see how to watermark NID and certificate copies.

Quick checklist

• Transparent PNG logo, at least 1,000 pixels wide for print
• Image / logo type, width set as a % of the page
• Low opacity for a centre mark, full opacity for a corner logo
• Right pages selected and checked in the preview
• Text label added in a second pass if needed
• Password added again if the original had one