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Watermark glossary

A short glossary of the words used around PDF watermarking, each defined in one or two sentences before any detail: what a watermark is, the difference between text and image marks, what diagonal, background, tiled and confidential mean, and why a dynamic watermark is not the same as a fixed one. Every term links back to the page that shows it in use.

Terms defined here

  • Watermark - the general term, and what counts as one
  • Text watermark and image watermark - words versus pictures
  • Diagonal watermark - the default status mark
  • Background watermark - a mark behind the content
  • Tiled watermark - a repeating pattern across the page
  • Confidential watermark - the wording and what it signals
  • Dynamic watermark - a mark that changes per copy
  • Document branding - using marks to identify a source

How to use the glossary

Each entry answers the question in its first sentence, so you can stop there if that is all you needed. If you want the reasoning - when the term applies, what it is not good for, how it relates to the other terms - the rest of the entry covers that, and links to the guide or style page where the concept is demonstrated.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a watermark and a stamp?

In everyday use they overlap: both are marks added to a document to say something about it. A stamp usually implies a fixed, authoritative mark such as PAID or a signature block, while a watermark is usually a semi-transparent mark applied across the page content.

Are these official PDF terms?

No. None of these words come from the PDF specification - they describe what people do with documents. They are used consistently across this site so that a term always means the same thing here as it does in the rest of the industry.

Keep reading

glossary What is a watermark? A watermark is a visible mark placed on a document to show who owns it, what status it has, or where it came from. On a PDF the mark is usually a word such as CONFIDENTIAL or a company logo, blended into the page so it travels with the file. Watermarks are used to deter copying, announce a draft and keep branding attached to a document. glossary Text watermark A text watermark is a watermark whose mark is a word or short phrase, such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or SAMPLE, set as live type rather than as a picture. Because it is text, it stays crisp at any size, is quick to change, and stays legible even in low-resolution print. It is the default choice when the meaning lives in the words rather than in a logo. glossary Image watermark An image watermark is a watermark made from a picture rather than words, typically a company logo, a seal or a signature. It is used when the mark is a brand asset the reader should recognise rather than a status word they should read. The result depends heavily on transparency and on using an image with enough resolution. glossary Diagonal watermark A diagonal watermark is a single mark, usually a word, rotated across the page at an angle, most often rising from the bottom-left corner to the top-right. It is the most recognisable watermark layout and is chosen when the mark has to be impossible to miss, as with CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT. Its trade-off is that it sits over the content and competes with it. glossary Background watermark A background watermark is a watermark drawn behind the page content rather than over it, so the document's own text stays fully readable and the mark shows through the spaces. The term describes layering, not the kind of mark: a background watermark can be a word or a logo. It is the right choice for branding, and a poor one for a security label the reader must not miss. glossary Confidential watermark A confidential watermark is a watermark whose message marks a document as restricted, most often the single word CONFIDENTIAL. What defines it is the message rather than the layout, so it can be applied as a diagonal mark, a tiled pattern or a footer line. It tells honest readers that a file is sensitive, but it does not technically prevent copying or forwarding.