Add a Watermark to a PDF or Image
Add a label like “For rental application only” and the date, repeated diagonally across your ID, pay stub, or PDF. If it's stolen, the document becomes very hard to reuse.
- Image or PDF
- Repeated diagonally
- Automatic date
- 100% private
100% private — Everything is processed directly in your browser: your files, voice, and image are never sent to Chatzam's servers.
How to put a watermark on a document?
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Add the document
A photo or scan of an ID card, a passport, or a pay stub, or a PDF file.
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Write your label
Type your text or start from a suggestion; today's date is added automatically. Adjust the layout, opacity, size, color, and angle while watching the preview.
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Download
Get the watermarked image or PDF, ready to send to the agency, landlord, or organization that asked for it.
A watermark designed to prevent identity theft
Repeated across the page
The text is repeated diagonally over the whole document, which makes it hard to erase or crop out. You can also show a single large text instead.
Adjustable, with a preview
Opacity, size, color, and angle are fully adjustable, and the live preview helps you keep the document readable.
Secure or light mode
By default, the watermark is burned into the image of each page. For a PDF, light mode adds it on top while keeping the original quality, but it's less resistant.
Documents never uploaded
The watermark is added in your browser: your ID and pay stubs never go through a server.
Why put a watermark on a copy of your ID?
With a copy of an ID card, a passport, a pay stub, or a tax return, a fraudster can open an account, take out a loan or a subscription, or even rent a home in your name. Fake rental listings are sometimes posted just to collect these documents. A watermark stating the recipient, the purpose, and the date makes the copy very hard to reuse: a bank that receives a document marked “For Agency X rental application only”, dated several months earlier, will understand it has been misused.
Rental application: what should the watermark say?
ID, recent pay stubs, tax return, employment contract: a rental application gathers almost everything needed to steal an identity. On each document, state the recipient, the purpose, and the date, for example “For [agency or landlord name] rental application only — [date]”. It's a simple precaution, widely recommended against identity fraud. Adjust the opacity so the label is clearly visible while the name, photo, and amounts stay readable: an unreadable document may be rejected.
Watermarking a PDF: secure or light mode?
In secure mode, enabled by default, the watermark is burned into the image of each page: there's no layer or text left to delete, which makes it the safest choice for an ID or a pay stub. Light mode, for PDFs only, adds the text on top of the original document, whose quality stays intact, but it's easier to remove with PDF editing software: it's better suited to a “Draft” or “Confidential” label. For a complete application, scan your papers with “Document Scanner”, add the watermark, then combine the files with “Merge PDF”.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I write in a watermark on my ID?
State the recipient, the purpose, and the date, for example “For Agency X rental application only — [date]”. A stolen copy bearing this label is very hard to reuse for anything else.
Is it legal to watermark a copy of my ID?
Yes. The watermark is added to a copy, not to the original document: it's a recommended precaution to reduce the risk of identity theft. Just make sure the information stays readable.
Can a watermark be removed?
No watermark is impossible to edit out, but in secure mode, the text is burned into the image of each page and can be repeated over the whole surface: removing it cleanly becomes very difficult. Light mode, which stays more faithful to the original PDF, is less resistant.
Can I watermark a PDF with several pages?
Yes, the watermark is applied to every page. Choose secure mode to burn it into the page images, or light mode to keep the PDF's original quality.
Are my documents sent over the internet?
No. The watermark is added in your browser: your ID or pay stub stays on your device and is never sent or stored. The tool is free, with no sign-up.