Why tiling matters for this phrase
A single centered line is easy to crop away. Review copies of exam papers, photo lookbooks, and unpublished chapters get screenshotted in pieces. A grid of DO NOT COPY at ~20% opacity survives that. Increase spacing if the page becomes too busy; decrease it for image-heavy pages.
Copy protection vs a watermark
PDF permissions (no-print, no-copy) are hints that many readers ignore. A visual mark is honest: you are asking people not to redistribute, and you have labeled the file. Use both if you control the reader; use the watermark when you cannot.
Frequently asked questions
Will this stop someone from copying text?
No. Text remains selectable by design. Use this as a deterrent and labeling tool, not DRM.
Can I use COPYRIGHT or a year line instead?
Yes. Switch to custom text, for example “© 2026 Acme — DO NOT COPY”.
Tile DO NOT COPY on review PDFs before they leave your folder. For client previews, SAMPLE is usually the clearer label.
Stamp DO NOT COPYRelated pages
Add a sample watermark to a PDF
Add a SAMPLE watermark to a PDF online. Free, no account, no file upload. Label client previews, exam copies, and portfolio pages on every page.
Add a confidential watermark to a PDF
Add a CONFIDENTIAL watermark to a PDF online. Free, no account, no upload. Red diagonal text on every page. Built for contracts and internal files.
Free watermark templates (transparent SVG)
Free PDF watermark templates: download transparent CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, SAMPLE, and DO NOT COPY SVGs. Use them in PDFs, slides, or print. No account.
Add a watermark to a PDF
Add a watermark to a PDF online. Free, no account, no file upload. Vector text on every page. Files stay in your browser. Download in seconds.