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Question

Adding a TRANSPARENT image (like png) watermark to PDF

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
September 15, 2024
3 replies
4105 views

Hello.

I am a content creator and need to protect my Adobe document from piracy. I want to add a watermark, but unfortunately the only formats accepted are JPEG, PDF, and some other non-transparent supporting type.

Therefore, my watermark looks very bad with the white background.

Is there any way at all to add a transparent image background? Is there a reason PDF doesn't accept any transparent-image compatible file type when adding a watermark?
Thank you.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

The solution is simple... Take your image with transparency and save as PDF. It is it a PNG, use Photoshop. If you only have a JPEG, you will have to remove the unwanted background in Photoshop and save as PDF. (Don't save with Photoshop compatibility.)

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

I

ivan5E64Author

Participating Frequently

I have a normal JPG image, making it it PDF in photoshop or any app doesn't make it transparent background. Only time I'm ever able to make a transparent background in an image is when I save it as PNG.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

You didn't read my post completely:

If you only have a JPEG, you will have to remove the unwanted background in Photoshop and save as PDF.

JPEGs don't support transparency so you have to do some extra work.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

try67

Community Expert

- PDF files can be transparent.

- Is this the online version of Acrobat? Because in the desktop version you can certainly use PNGs...

- Adding a watermark does not prevent your file from being pirated. Just makes it a bit more risky to do so, unless you know how to remove it (which is not too difficult)...

I

ivan5E64Author

Participating Frequently

- Adding a watermark helps against piracy as it's harder to pirate yes. That is why I am doing this. Beyond the point though...

- This is the Adobe app, I installed it via Creative Cloud...

- If you can make an image PDF transparent, happy to hear you share the process lol.

derekwatson

Community Expert

Did you create the image you are trying to use as watermark? If it's an illustrator master export as png or pdf and check background is set to transparent.
if it's in photoshop, check background is transparent or if not and image is flattened, mask background and export as png

Derek Watson

derekwatson

Community Expert

Can't you use a PDF or PNG as both support transparency? What file type are you trying to use?

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/add-watermarks-pdfs.html

Derek Watson

I

ivan5E64Author

Participating Frequently

Not that I know of, wasn't able to make those versions give me a transparent background.

derekwatson

Community Expert

Both support transparency if you export without a background, check export settings in case background is set to white.

Derek Watson

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