

This is the method of classifying documents by adding a watermark to them that displays how the document should be treated. Using watermarks to display classification This might include text such as ‘It is illegal to copy content from this document’, and/or by using dynamic watermarks to display user information so that users are discouraged from giving copies to others.
Watermark in adobe acrobat osx pdf#
But PDF watermarking is significantly better than doing nothing.) Using watermarks as a copying deterrent There are still fake banknotes doing the rounds and one pound coin in 36 is a fake. It doesn’t mean documents can’t be faked. (This is how you know a 20 dollar bill or a ten pound note are genuine. This use of PDF watermarking can be very important where official documents have to be printed/printable and must be demonstrated to be authentic.


If you try to make a fake it can be made very difficult to exactly copy the PDF watermark, so anyone seeing the document will also see that it is a fake. When using watermarks to resist falsification, PDF watermarking is used in exactly the same way as watermarks on banknotes or cheques. to link the document with a specific authorised user.to specify the document is not an original.PDF watermarks can be used in several ways: One way to improve the security of your PDF documents is to add a watermark to them – see also Using Document Watermarks as a copying deterrent. What is the point of watermarked PDF files – why add watermarks to a PDF? So applying PDF watermarking takes a certain amount of discipline and artistic judgement, it is not necessarily a mechanical process of having a ‘bog standard’ graphic and/or text and applying it to every document that goes out. This can help the PDF watermark to be less visually distracting – unless, of course, you want it to be very much in your face. In this way PDF watermarking is able to ‘blend’ with the content so that it has a more seamless presentation. Also the PDF watermark can be set to be lighter or darker than the content. The content sits in the middle, and the PDF watermarking can be over, or under the content, or both. Think of the information being printed as if it were in layers, rather like a sandwich. You can get something similar with PDF watermarks. If you think of a banknote, some watermarks seem inside the paper whilst others are on top. PDF watermarking may use many of the subtleties of the physical world. Watermarks are added as a layer to the PDF document (which is why they are easy to add) and can be made to appear on top of or behind existing document content. Text watermarks may be static (always remain the same) for example “This document is the property of ABC Corp.”, or dynamic (changes depending on who opens the document, the date/time and device) for example “This document was viewed by Joe Bloggs on ”.

a user has taken a photograph of a viewed document or a scanned in and distributed a printed one).Ī watermarked PDF is a PDF document that has a text and/or image watermark added to it which is displayed when the document is viewed and/or printed. However, the main use of watermarks is the ability to identify a user if a document is being distributed unlawfully (e.g.
