A review copy often needs a document-wide DRAFT label and page-specific comments. Use PDF Watermark & Page Numbers to stamp every page, then open the downloaded result in PDF Annotator to add notes, highlights and drawings. Keep the untouched original separately so you can return to it after the review.

This workflow adds visible page content. It does not securely redact information, prevent editing or create a certificate-based digital signature. If the original PDF is digitally signed, editing it can invalidate the existing signature.

Prepare a short review document

Begin with an unencrypted PDF whose page count and appearance you know. For our checked example, the source was a three-page report containing the heading “Quarterly report” and one line of review content on each page. The third page had a 90-degree rotation. A short file makes it easier to check placement before applying the workflow to a larger report.

PDF Watermark accepts an unencrypted PDF up to 30 MiB and 500 pages. PDF Annotator accepts up to 30 MiB and 200 pages. Because the stamped output is the input to the next step, the combined workflow needs to fit the annotator’s smaller page limit and its 30 MiB input limit. Confirm the downloaded watermark file’s size before opening it there.

If the review needs only some source pages, PDF Organizer can prepare a separate PDF first. Review that tool’s selection and ordering controls before making the copy. This watermark page does not offer a page-range selector.

Add DRAFT and page numbers to every page

Open PDF Watermark, choose the PDF and set:

Watermark text: DRAFT
Placement: center
Opacity: 0.25
Text size: 48 pt
Page numbers: Yes

Apply the watermark and download the result. The chosen stamp is applied to every page. With page numbering enabled, the labels appear at the bottom center as current page / total pages.

What the checked export preserved

The checked export kept all three pages, their original page sizes and rotations. Extracted text included DRAFT on every page and the labels 1 / 3, 2 / 3 and 3 / 3. The original report text remained extractable. This confirms that the watermark adds content rather than removing the existing text.

Open the output and inspect each page. A center stamp can overlap dense tables or large pictures. Use another placement, smaller text or lower opacity when needed. The text can be reduced to fit the available page area, so the chosen font size does not guarantee the same visible size on every page geometry.

Add page-specific notes and highlights

Open the downloaded watermarked PDF in PDF Annotator. Page previews and editing happen locally; export sends the PDF and annotation instructions to the server.

For a small review example:

1. On page one, choose Text and add the note “Check total.”
2. Choose Highlight and drag a yellow rectangle over the area to review.
3. On page two, choose Draw / signature and add a short blue mark.
4. Use Select / move or Undo to correct the marks.
5. Review all pages, export, and download the combined PDF.

Our checked example added these three marks after stamping. The final PDF retained all three pages and their rotations. “Check total” and the original text were extractable, a pixel inside the highlight showed a translucent yellow result, and the drawing was blue at the checked stroke position. No new editable PDF comment objects were created: the exported marks were page content.

A highlight is an area, not text selection

Highlight draws a translucent rectangle where you drag. It does not select words, recognize their meaning or perform OCR. For an image-only scan, you can still mark an area, but the overlay does not make the underlying page searchable.

Do not draw an opaque box as a way to redact confidential text. The original content can remain underneath and extractable. Neither of these tools performs secure redaction.

Check the final PDF before sharing

Compare the source, stamped copy and final annotated copy. Check the page count, orientation, placement, readable text and every mark. Open the result in the viewer that your recipient will use, especially when the original contains forms or existing PDF comments. Those objects are not edited by this workflow and may appear differently in other viewers.

The annotation tool supports basic Latin text up to 300 characters per note and 10,000 total. It allows at most 500 annotations and 20,000 drawing points in total, with 2,000 points per stroke. A note that extends beyond the visible page needs to be moved inward or made smaller. Keep the tab open until export; annotation edits are not saved between visits.

Troubleshoot placement and workflow limits

A stamp obscures content

Return to the untouched original, lower opacity or choose a corner placement, then export again. Applying a second stamp over the first copy does not remove the first stamp. For a logo alone, clear the text and choose a PNG/JPG logo; for page numbers alone, clear the text and omit the logo.

Only some pages need comments

Add annotations on those pages in PDF Annotator. The watermark still applies to every page in its input document. If selected pages need a separate stamped copy, prepare that separate file first rather than expecting a watermark page-range control.

The second step cannot accept the file

Check the watermarked output against the annotator’s 200-page and 30 MiB input limits. Each tool has its own limits; success in the first step does not guarantee admission to the next. Use a smaller review copy or fewer selected pages when appropriate.

Download both temporary results promptly and retain your source file. The stamped and annotated copies are separate files; choose the final copy deliberately before sharing it.