A diagonal CONFIDENTIAL stamp across every page signals draft status and discourages forwarding, while keeping the text readable underneath.
In practice: (1) Choose opacity 20–30% for reading, 50%+ for visible deterrence. (2) Place it diagonally or as a small footer depending on policy. (3) Works on scans too — the watermark is drawn on top.
Frequently asked questions
Can the watermark be removed?
A light overlay can be removed by a determined editor, so use it as a deterrent for drafts, not as DRM.
Does it increase file size?
Barely — the overlay is a small amount of vector text.
Do it in the full tool
Open Watermark PDF for all options, or jump straight to another step below.