watermarks on pdfs that don't show up except while working in acrobat

[Soapstone10]

I have tried everything and can't get my watermark to show except when I'm working on the PDF in acrobat. Once it's been created, the watermark does not appear. I have checked the boxes that say: "show while viewing" and "show while printing". This is my first time. I've watched several videos, gone over and over each item in the diaglogue box. Help!

[Mark Tezak]

Are you saying that the Watermark is visible in ACROBAT, but elsewhere - which is where, exactly? - you are not seeing it.

How large is the file, ie, how many pages?  And which version and OS platform are you using?`

[Soapstone10]

Thanks so much for answering! Yes, I am saying that the watermark is visible in Acrobat, but not on the pdf viewed outside Acrobat. The PDF file is 737 KB, 192 pages. I'm using Mac OS 10.6.8.

I finally figured out that I could go into InDesign (the PDF had been exported from InDesign) and do the equivalent of a watermark on a master page and then make the PDF. Which is what I did.

But I'd love to know what I'm doing wrong to add a watermark to an existing PDF.

Do you think it's the size of the PDF? I should try it on one page.

Many thanks for helping me sort this out!

[Mark Tezak]

Hi, sorry for not getting back earlier, seems I must have turned off my Forum notifications (somehow), and was not aware you had answered.

When you say "outside of Acrobat", what does that mean exactly, ie, which PDF viewers are you using to open and view PDF's?  Is it in a Browser, Apple Preview, Adobe Reader, 3rd party PDF viewer, placed PDF in InDesign or Illustrator, etc?

In the ADD WATERMARK dialog, there is a page range feature as well, and defaults to THIS PAGE ONLY.  One must change that setting to apply to ALL pages.  Is it possible that only one page in the 192pp has a watermark?  That number of pages is no problem for the feature or the ap, we regularly test with files containing tens of thousands of pages (yes, some users do it).

[Soapstone10]

Thanks so much for answering. I checked the page range feature over and over and it always said "all pages".

This question of what I am using to view PDFs is a good one. I just assumed it was Adobe Reader but I see that I don't have Adobe Reader installed. Just Acrobat. So I just checked and it is Apple Preview. I noticed before that it was opening in preview but I assumed that Adobe Reader was somehow involved. I didn't realize you could open it in anything other than Adobe Reader or Acrobat.

Many thanks!

Ruth

Ruth Gundle

624 SE 29th Avenue

Portland, OR 97214

503.233.3936

ruth@eighthmountain.com

[Mark Tezak]

Hi Ruth,

well I am kind of stumped, since there are a great many things that Preview does not support when creating PDF from Acrobat, but Watermarks are not one of them.

Would it be possible - short of you being asked to share your actual file, which you are probably not too excited to do - to provide a list of steps.  I'll start out here, and you correct it as your process dictates:

1. start with single page PDF In Acrobat Pro 11.x. (or is it an earlier version?)

2. go to TOOLS/Pages/Edit Page Design/Watermarks/Add Watermark...

3. in the SOURCE panel, add some text, eg, TEST

4. the deafult font is ARIAL, select Arial Black and 144pt

5. in the Appearance panel, select "-45" (the word TEST should now rotate CW 45 degrees)

6. select 50% on the OPACITY slider (or some value around 50%)

7. select nothing else, leave all default settings checked, exit the dialog with OK

8. save file as 'Test', quit Acrobat

9. right-click the file 'Test" and do OPEN WITH... and select PREVIEW

10. the Watermark should be visible there  - IS IT?

Now try the same thing with your 192 file - maybe make a copy of it, so we can try things out - and apply the Watermark

(I was mistaken about there being a Page Range, there isn't, sorry)

[Soapstone10]

I really appreciate this help.

I'm using Acrobat X. And on mine, there IS a page range option--it's in the upper righthand corner of the dialogue box, in mine, it's red and underlined. You can choose all pages or select a page range. I selected all pages each time.

Now I'm really stumped. I went through your steps doing exactly what you said, first one one page and then on my 192-page doc (a copy of it), and it has worked perfectly on both!

I SWEAR I did exactly this before and the watermark did not show up in Apple preview, only in Acrobat Pro. I wonder what I was doing wrong? Possibly the "save as"? I don't know.

In any event, you are an angel. I will keep these instructions and follow them. I am really scratching my head as I read everything I could find about how to do it, the point was well made that you had to save it. I think I tried just saving it and also "save as"....but this has definitely worked and I am VERY VERY grateful to you.

Many many many thanks!!

Ruth

Ruth Gundle

624 SE 29th Avenue

Portland, OR 97214

503.233.3936

ruth@eighthmountain.com

[Mark Tezak]

Hi Ruth

I must have missed seeing the Page Range option in A11, but now I see the link you describe.

There is another link below the 'Location" option called 'appearance options', and it is possible to place a watermark here, but then it will be invisible to a PDF Viewer.  But it is also invisible in Acrobat, so that can't be your problem.

In any case, no, most definitely NOT an angel, but glad to help.  And yes, you always need to save the PDF when changes are made (unless of course, you don't want to).

Mark

[aida2010]

Hi Mark, I am doing the exact same steps you laid out earlier and it is STILL not saving my watermark when I open it. I am using a PDF original and just want to add the watermark to the PDF and save and send as a PDF. I'm stumped!

[Guest]

Hi there.

I had the same experience, but I solved it using a different watermark format.

In my case, I was trying a PNG image (wich didn't work), then I saved the image as JPG , and It worked instantly.

Hope you get the same result.

Take care.

Fernando

[jaimi646]

I am trying to convert a Word document which has company logo as watermark.

When I save that document as PDF the watermarks are not visible.

Can you please help.

I am also using a jpg file for Logo.

[try67]

How are you converting the file to PDF? What exact command are you using,

and with what settings?

You can simply re-apply the watermarks in Acrobat using the Tools - Pages -

Add Watermark tool...