How to remove Watermarks display in browser when "show when printing" is selected?

[Paul_Dambek]

I created a pdf using Acrobat PDFMAKER 11 for Word (selected save as pdf using Word 2016).   The document had security and watermarks added with Adobe Acrobat XI PRO.

The document I create is posted on our website with security settings.   The security setting do not allow any printing or edits.

In case anyone cracks the password, I added a watermark.   When I added the watermark, under Appearance Options, I selected "show when printing", then save.

When viewing offline, the document looks perfect (watermark does not display).   However, when the document is uploaded, the watermark is displayed.

How can I fix this?

[Karl Heinz Kremer · Accepted solution]

The watermark does not show up when the file is uploaded, it shows when you download and display the document with a PDF viewer that does not know how to handle layers correctly - your watermark is actually stored as a layer in the PDF.

Some browsers have their own PDF viewer and do not allow you to use Adobe’s viewer ( Chrome, Firefox and MS Edge for example). Chances are you used one of these. With IE or Safari, and Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed, you would see the correct behavior.

[Paul_Dambek]

Thanks for your reply.  I have no control over which browser our users employ.   So, I either have to remove the watermark or live with it?  

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

You can recommend that your users download the document and then open it in Adobe Acrobat or Reader.

[Bernd Alheit]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/paul+dambek  wrote

...

In case anyone cracks the password, I added a watermark.   When I added the watermark, under Appearance Options, I selected "show when printing", then save.

...

It is possible to crack the password and to remove the watermark.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

What it comes down to is that you are dealing with two groups of people: Honest people and people who don't care about the limitations you put on your file and will do whatever it takes to get around these limitations. If somebody cracks your password, the watermark will not be a big speed bump either. My advise is to put a password on the file and then just hope that you will encounter more honest people than crooks.