Watermark PDF Guide

Develop your own solution to add image or text watermarks to PDF files by integrating with iLovePDF’s REST API.

Remember that in order to use our Tool Guides, you need to have previous knowledge about the basics to processing a PDF with our REST API. We strongly recommend that you read the Processing a PDF guide before starting this one.

Basic add a watermark

You can add a watermark to your PDF files as shown in this code:

Basic add watermarks

// Create a new task
$myTaskWatermark = $ilovepdf->newTask('watermark');
// Add files to task for upload
$file1 = $myTaskWatermark->addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('myWatermarkText');
// Execute the task
$myTaskWatermark->execute();
// Download the package files
$myTaskWatermark->download();

// Create a new task
var taskWatermark = api.CreateTask<WaterMarkTask>();
// Add files to task for upload
var file = taskWatermark.AddFile("path/to/file/file1_name.pdf");
// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("myWatermarkText"))
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);
// Download the package files
taskWatermark.DownloadFile();

# Create a new task
my_task_watermark = ilovepdf.new_task :watermark
# Add files to task for upload
file1 = my_task_watermark.add_file 'path/to/file1_name.pdf'
# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark = my_task_watermark.set_text 'myWatermarkText'
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute
# Download the package files
my_task_watermark.download

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText' });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

The Watermark tool is composed of 2 different modes that can be configured throught the property mode: text mode adds text watermarks and image mode adds image-based watermarks. The image mode is limited to PNG and JPG format files no bigger than 1Mb.

There is a list of default settings which can be customized, as you will see later:

The watermark will be stamped onto all pages
The transparency of the watermark is set by default at 100, which is zero transparency, full opacity
The watermark will be stamped over the PDF content
Its vertical position will be in the middle of the page and its horizontal position will be centered
The default font used for numbers will be Arial Unicode with a 14px size
Their color will be #000000, Black

These settings and more can be customized as we explain in the next sections.

Advanced add watermarks

Pages for adding a watermark

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('iLovePDF');
$myTaskWatermark->pages('1,6,9');
// Execute the task
$myTaskWatermark->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("watermark text"))
            {
                Pages = "1,6,9"
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.text = 'iLovePDF'
my_task_watermark.pages '1,6,9'
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText', pages: '1,6,9' });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

pages has plenty of options to set which pages have to be stamped by a watermark. See these parameters below:

all stamps with the watermark. This is the default value.
3-end stamps the third page to the last page will be stamped.
1-3,4-9 stamps pages 1 to 3 and pages 4 to 9 will be stamped with the watermark.
-2-end stamps the last 2 pages will be stamped with the watermark.
3-234 stamps pages 3 to 234 will be stamped with the watermark.

Setting watermark opacity

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('iLovePDF');
$myTaskWatermark->setOpacity(50);
// Execute the task
$myTaskWatermark->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("watermark text"))
            {
                Transparency = 50
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.transparency = 50
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute();

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText', transparency: 50 });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

With transparency you can set the opacity intensity of a watermark for both the text (as shown on the code example) and image files.

Setting watermark layer depth

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText(‘iLovePDF’);
$myTaskWatermark->setLayer('below');
// Execute the task
$myTaskWatermark->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("iLovePDF"))
            {
                Layer = Layer.below
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.text  = 'iLovePDF'
my_task_watermark.layer = 'below'
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText', layer: 'above' });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

With layer will place your watermark below or above the PDF content. It is set to above by default.

Vertical position of watermark

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('iLovePDF');
$myTaskWatermark->setVerticalPosition('bottom');
// Execute the task
$myTaskPageNumbers->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("iLovePDF"))
            {
                VerticalPosition = WatermarkVerticalPositions.bottom
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.text = 'iLovePDF'
my_task_watermark.vertical_position = 'bottom'
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText', vertical_position: 'bottom' });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

vertical_position let you set the vertical position of your watermark at the following places:

bottom places the watermark at the bottom end of the page with a default margin.
top places the watermark at the top end of the page with a default margin.
middle places the watermark at the middle of the page.

Horizontal position of watermark

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('iLovePDF');
$myTaskWatermark->setHorizontalPosition('left');
// Execute the task
$myTaskPageNumbers->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("iLovePDF"))
            {
                HorizontalPosition = WatermarkHorizontalPositions.left
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.text = 'iLovePDF'
my_task_watermark.horizontal_position = 'left'
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText', horizontal_position: 'left' });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

horizontal_position let you set the horizontal position of your watermark at the following places:

left places the watermark on the left side of the page with a default margin.
right places the watermark on the right side of the page with a default margin.
center places the watermark in the center of the page.

Watermark mosaic

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('iLovePDF');
$myTaskWatermark->setMosaic(true);
// Execute the task
$myTaskWatermark->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("iLovePDF"))
            {
                Mosaic = true
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.text = 'iLovePDF'
my_task_watermark.mosaic = true
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText', mosaic: true });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

If mosaic is set to true, will stamp a 3x3 matrix mosaic of your watermark.

Watermark rotation

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('iLovePDF');
$myTaskWatermark->setRotation(30);
// Execute the task
$myTaskWatermark->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("iLovePDF"))
            {
                Rotation = 30
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.text = 'iLovePDF'
my_task_watermark.rotate = 30
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({ text: 'myWatermarkText', rotation: 30 });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

rotation will stamp your watermark rotated by the specified degrees amount.

Set a watermark font format

Note that this function only works with the text based watermarks. Trying to customize a font with an image will give an error.

Set a watermark font format

// Select watermark parameters
$myTaskWatermark->setText('iLovePDF');
$myTaskWatermark->setFontFamily('courier');
$myTaskWatermark->setFontSize(18);
$myTaskWatermark->setFontColor('#ffffff');
// Execute the task
$myTaskPageNumbers->execute();

// Select watermark parameters
var parameters = new WatermarkParams(
                new WatermarkModeText("iLovePDF"))
            {
                FontFamily = "Arial",
                FontStyle = FontStyles.Italic,
                FontSize = 12,
                FontColor = "#ff0000",
            };
// Execute the task
taskWatermark.Process(parameters);

# Select watermark parameters
my_task_watermark.text = 'iLovePDF'
my_task_watermark.font_family = 'courier'
my_task_watermark.font_size = 18
my_task_watermark.font_color = '#ffffff'
# Execute the task
my_task_watermark.execute

const task = ilovepdf.newTask('watermark') as WatermarkTask;

task.start()
.then(() => {
    return task.addFile('path/to/file1_name.pdf');
})
.then(() => {
    return task.process({
        font_family: 'Verdana',
        font_style: 'Bold',
        font_size: 20,
        font_color: '#FFFFFF',
    });
})
.then(() => {
    return task.download();
})
.then((data) => {
    fs.writeFileSync('path/to/local/file_name.pdf', data);
});

font_family, font_style, font_size and font_color are properties to customize text font format. The font_family property changes which font will be used, the font_style property changes the text style such as bold or italic, the font_size property changes the font size, and the font_color property changes the color of the watermark text.