Add Text / Watermark to PDF
Overlay custom text, watermarks, page numbers or labels on any PDF page. Runs entirely in your browser — no upload required.
What You Can Add to a PDF
The Edit Text tool is an overlay system — it adds new content on top of existing pages without modifying the underlying PDF structure. You can use it to add:
- Watermarks — Diagonal semi-transparent text like "CONFIDENTIAL", "DRAFT" or "APPROVED" stamped across every page.
- Page numbers — Custom page numbering at the bottom or top of each page, useful when the original PDF was created without page numbers.
- Dates and signatures — Add a date stamp or a typed signature field overlay on a specific page for informal document signing.
- Annotations and labels — Add reference numbers, department codes or document IDs to the header or footer area.
- "Intentionally left blank" notices — After inserting blank pages with the Add Blank Pages tool, add centred text to those blank pages.
Text Positioning Options
You can position the text overlay at any coordinate on the page. The full PDFForge app offers both preset positions (top-left, top-center, top-right, center, bottom-left, bottom-center, bottom-right) and custom X/Y coordinate input in millimetres from the bottom-left corner of the page. The diagonal watermark mode centres the text across the entire page at a 45-degree angle, which is the most common watermark style in professional documents.
Styling the Text Overlay
The text overlay supports the following style options:
- Font size — Choose from small (for footers and headers) to very large (for watermarks).
- Color — Any RGB colour; light grey at 30% opacity is standard for watermarks.
- Opacity — From 10% (barely visible) to 100% (fully opaque). Watermarks typically use 20–40% opacity so the underlying content remains readable.
- Rotation — Rotate the text to any angle. 45 degrees is traditional for diagonal watermarks.
Adding Watermarks for Document Security
Watermarking PDFs before sharing them is a simple way to deter unauthorised reproduction and to trace the source of any leak. For example, you can watermark each copy of a confidential document with a unique recipient identifier — "Copy for [Name]" — so that if the document appears somewhere it should not, you can identify its origin. This technique is widely used in publishing, legal, financial and government sectors. Because PDFForge runs in your browser, the watermarking process is completely private — no one else sees your documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove the text overlay after adding it?
Once saved, the text is embedded in the PDF as a new content layer. It cannot be removed with a standard PDF viewer. To remove it, you would need to re-process the original document. Always keep a backup of the original PDF before adding overlays.
Can I add text to only specific pages?
Yes. The full PDFForge app lets you specify which pages to apply the overlay to — all pages, odd pages, even pages, or a specific range like 1–5.
What fonts are available for the text overlay?
PDFForge uses PDF standard fonts (Helvetica, Times-Roman, Courier) which are guaranteed to be available in every PDF viewer without font embedding. This keeps file sizes small and ensures the text displays correctly on all devices.
Can I add multiple different text overlays?
Yes. Run the tool multiple times — once for each overlay. For example, add a page number footer first, then add a "CONFIDENTIAL" watermark in a second pass. Each step creates a new output PDF that you use as input for the next step.