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My watermark hides the text and makes it hard to read; why isn't it behind the words?

Because the tool draws the mark after the page content, so it always sits on top, and there is no option to put it underneath. The fix therefore comes from making the mark see-through enough rather than from layer order: lower the opacity to between 15% and 25%, use a light grey, and shrink the size or swap a tiled repeat for a single centred mark, then check the preview.

Published · 3 min read

Why on top and not behind

In a PDF, a page is a list of drawing instructions carried out in order, and whatever is drawn last appears on top. PDF watermark adds the mark's instructions at the end of the page, so it lands over everything. Putting it 'behind' the text would mean inserting it before the original content, and that fails on many pages, especially scans or pages with a painted white background, because the background itself would cover the mark and hide it completely.

That is why drawing on top with low opacity is what guarantees the mark shows on every kind of page. Your job is to set the opacity so the text shows through.

Four settings that bring the text back

  1. Opacity: the most important one. The tool accepts 5% to 100%, with 25% as the default. If the text is hard to read, go down to 15%. Below 10% the mark starts to vanish on some screens and printers.
  2. Colour: the default grey works better than black or dark red, because black text stays distinct on top of it. Never use the same colour as the text.
  3. Size: a very large font blankets whole paragraphs. Try making it smaller so the mark sits between lines instead of covering them.
  4. Placement: tiling multiplies the coverage. On a text-heavy file, one mark in the centre or a corner may be enough.

Testing quickly

You do not need to download each time. Adjust a setting, press Add watermark and look at the preview. Any change to the settings clears the previous result, so you press again and compare. Preview the most text-heavy page in the file, because it is the hardest case: if that one reads well, the rest will too.

A special case: tables and small figures

  • On price lists and tables, a mark covering a single figure is enough to cause a misreading. Use lower opacity or move the mark to a corner.
  • If the mark needs to be seen on paper, print a test page. Some printers render light grey lighter than it looks on screen.
  • Bold is on by default. Turning it off makes the letters thinner so they cover less.

Common questions

Can I remove the mark from my download and redo it lighter?

Easier to go back to your original file, which has not changed, and add the mark again with lighter settings.

Is it any different with an image mark?

No, an image is drawn on top of the content too. Lower the opacity and reduce its width the same way.