Watermark modules: Text and Image

HtkPDF offers two complementary modules for applying a watermark to a document's pages: Watermark (text) and Image Watermark (logo, scanned signature, photo, and so on). Both modules share a very close logic: real-time preview, precise choice of the target pages, positioning through a 3×3 grid, control of opacity and rotation, and a reusable presets system. They are available from the Editing category of the Dashboard.

Text watermark

The Watermark module applies a translucent text over the pages.

Choosing the text

Type your watermark in the Text area. The default text offered is CONFIDENTIAL.

Two quick buttons let you insert dynamic variables into the text:

Page adds the {page} marker; it will be replaced on each page by its actual number;
Total adds {total}; it will be replaced by the total number of pages.

You can combine them freely: for example Page {page} / {total} will produce Page 3 / 12 on page 3 of a 12-page document.

Positioning the watermark

The Style section includes a 3×3 grid representing the nine possible positions (Top-Left, Top, Top-Right, Left, Center, Right, Bottom-Left, Bottom, Bottom-Right). Click a cell to anchor the watermark to that position. The Center position (default) remains the most frequent for a protection watermark.

Setting the appearance

Four sliders and a color picker complete the style:

Size: font size, expressed in points;
Opacity: from 0% (invisible) to 100% (opaque). For a "watermark" effect, values from 20 to 40% are generally suitable;
Rotation: angle in degrees, in increments of 5°. The classic value is 45° for a diagonal;
Color: a macOS color picker opens when you click the colored square.

Selecting the target pages

The Target pages section determines which pages the watermark will be applied to:

All pages (default): a switch groups the nine positions across every page;
Custom selection: turn the switch off. A text area "E.g. 2, 5-7, 12" appears, along with an Apply range button. You can also use the four quick buttons All / None / Even / Odd, or tick pages individually in the list that follows.

The preview on the left is updated at each change (with a slight delay to avoid overloading the preview while typing).

Image watermark

The Image Watermark module applies an image (logo, signature, seal) instead of text. Its configuration logic is identical to the text watermark, except for the content and a few options.

Choosing the image

The Image section offers an import button that opens the macOS file picker; any image format the system can read is accepted — PNG, JPEG, TIFF, HEIC… Favour PNG images with a transparent background for a clean result.

Setting the appearance

Scale: the resizing factor applied to the image (1.0 = original size). Useful so a logo keeps its original look on smaller pages;
Opacity: from 0% to 100%;
Rotation: angle in degrees;
Position: the same 3×3 grid as for the text watermark.

Selecting the target pages is identical to the text watermark.

Presets

Both modules have a presets system: you can save a complete configuration (text, size, opacity, rotation, position, color — or image, scale, opacity, rotation, position) to reuse it later on another document.

Saving a preset

Configure the watermark to your needs (the preview panel reflects the changes immediately);
In the Presets section, type a name in the Preset name field;
Click Save. The preset becomes available in the drop-down list at the top of the section.

Applying or managing a preset

The drop-down list shows every preset saved for this module:

Selecting a preset: immediately applies its parameters to the current controls and to the document;
Update: rewrites the currently selected preset with the current values;
Delete: permanently removes the preset from the list.

The last preset applied is remembered from one session to the next — the next time you open the module, it will be offered by default.

Note: presets are specific to each module. Text and image watermarks have separate lists.

Applying and history

When you are happy with the preview:

Click Apply to confirm the watermark. The operation creates a checkpoint in the History and moves the document into pending changes;
Click Cancel or Back to leave without confirming. The preview was a working copy: the original document has not been modified.

To make the watermark permanent (in particular to prevent its removal by a third-party PDF editor), then use the Flatten module: it merges the watermark with the page content, leaving no editable annotation layer.

Note: as long as the document has not been flattened, the watermark technically remains a separate PDF annotation; it can therefore be deleted by a user with a PDF editor. For official documents, always combine a watermark and flattening before distribution.

Screenshots

2 screenshots — click to enlarge