What should I write on a copy of my Aadhaar or PAN card?

A common practice is to state who the copy is for and why, for example "For KYC with the bank only" or "Submitted for job verification". Add the date if you like. Keep it short so it fits across the page, and leave the photo and number readable so the copy is still accepted.

Can someone remove the watermark?

Yes, with effort. The watermark is text placed on top of each page, and a person with PDF editing software can delete it or re-type the document. It discourages casual misuse and shows where a copy came from, but it is not protection — do not rely on it to secure sensitive information.

Can I write the watermark in Hindi, Arabic or another non-Latin script?

Not with this tool. It can draw English, most European languages and symbols such as ₹, $, £ and €, but not Devanagari, Arabic, Chinese or other such scripts — the page warns you if it finds them and leaves those letters out. Use an English or numeric watermark instead.

Which pages get the watermark?

All pages by default. Choose "Only these pages" and type numbers such as 1, 3-5 to stamp just those pages — for example only the pages carrying your ID or salary details. The preview shows the first page that will be stamped.

Add Watermark to PDF – Free

Why watermark a document before sharing it

Copies of Aadhaar, PAN, passport pages, salary slips and offer letters get emailed and uploaded all the time — to a new employer's HR, a rental broker, a loan agent or a WhatsApp group for a society. A clear watermark shows who the copy was meant for, which makes it harder to reuse quietly for something else and easier to trace if it turns up where it should not.

How to write a useful watermark

Say who and why: "For HR verification only" or "Copy for flat rental agreement".
Keep it to a few words so it fits across the page at a readable size.
Use 20–35% opacity and a grey or blue colour, so your photo, name and ID number stay readable — an unreadable copy is usually rejected.
Choose "Repeated across the page" for ID copies, so the mark cannot simply be cropped off.

Keep the original, unmarked file for yourself, and share only the watermarked copy.

Related tools

Share only the pages that are needed using Split PDF.
Turn phone photos of your documents into a PDF with Images to PDF, or browse all free tools.

Worked example

Marking an ID copy shared with a landlord

What goes in

File: Aadhaar copy PDF, 1 page Text: For rental agreement only, angle: 45° (rising) Opacity: 30%, layout: Repeated across the page

What you get

The text repeats diagonally across the page at 30% opacity, so the name and number underneath stay readable while every part of the copy is clearly marked. Naming the purpose shows what the copy was shared for and discourages anyone from reusing it for something else. The watermark is added in the browser, so the ID never leaves the device. It is a deterrent rather than a lock: someone with editing software could remove it with effort.

Common mistakes

Writing only “Copy” when stating the purpose and recipient, such as “For rental agreement only”, makes misuse elsewhere harder.

Setting opacity so high that the details underneath can no longer be read, which defeats the point of sharing the copy.

Treating a watermark as security; anyone with PDF editing software can remove it with some effort, so share sensitive documents sparingly anyway.

When to use it: Use watermark PDF when sharing an ID or certificate copy for one stated purpose; for confidential files, also limit who receives them in the first place.

Free Watermark PDF