Guide
A watermark is not just text on the page. It is usually a visible overlay that should stay readable without overpowering the document underneath.
A watermark is usually better than a header or footer when the message must stay visible across the content area itself. Labels such as Confidential, Draft, Sample, and Internal Use Only are common because they communicate document status at a glance.
If the watermark is too strong, it competes with the original text and makes the page harder to use. If it is too faint, it stops working as a label. A useful watermark tool lets you control opacity so the overlay remains visible without burying the content.
A single centered watermark works well for short strong labels. A repeated or tiled watermark can be better when you want the label to remain visible across more of the page and reduce the chance that a crop or screenshot hides it.
Diagonal watermarks often feel more like a deliberate document status mark, while horizontal ones can feel closer to a heading or page stamp. Large text is more visible, but it should still leave enough room for the underlying page to be read.
If you only need a repeated edge note, open Add PDF Headers & Footers. If you need ordered navigation through the file, use Add PDF Page Numbers. If the label must sit across the page body, use Add PDF Watermark.
Apply a visible overlay with Add PDF Watermark. If you are deciding between repeated text types, read Header, footer, page numbers, and watermark differences. If you need numbering instead of a document status label, continue to How to add page numbers to a PDF.