Watermark eBook PDFs with Review Copy or Distribution Stamps Before Sending
eBook creators and digital publishers sharing advance review copies, ARCs, or purchased PDF editions need a reliable way to mark each copy before it goes out. An unmarked PDF review copy is indistinguishable from a final retail version — and it can end up on piracy sites within hours of distribution. Deliteful's PDF Watermark tool lets you apply a visible stamp to every page of your eBook in seconds.
Advance review copy (ARC) piracy is a documented problem for independent authors and small publishers: an unprotected PDF sent to a book blogger or reviewer appears on file-sharing sites before the book's release date, cannibalizing sales and reviews. A visible REVIEW COPY — NOT FOR RESALE watermark on every page doesn't prevent all sharing, but it discourages casual piracy and makes unauthorized copies visually identifiable. For paid PDF editions, a LICENSED TO [BUYER NAME] watermark on the first page creates a paper trail for infringement follow-up.
Deliteful's batch processing makes it practical to watermark every ARC in a distribution list without doing each file individually. Upload all your eBook PDFs, upload your REVIEW COPY watermark PDF last, and download a watermarked copy for every base file. Because the watermark is a PDF overlay, the reading experience is unaffected — text flows, links work, and the document remains reflowable in PDF viewers that support it.
How it works
- 1
Create your watermark PDF
Design a single-page PDF with your REVIEW COPY, ARC — NOT FOR RESALE, or distribution watermark — a diagonal text stamp works well for eBooks.
- 2
Upload your eBook PDFs first
Add all the eBook copies you need to mark before uploading the watermark file.
- 3
Upload the watermark PDF last
Deliteful automatically uses the last uploaded PDF as the watermark source.
- 4
Choose page scope
All-pages watermarking is recommended for piracy deterrence; first-page-only works for simple distribution stamps on cover pages.
- 5
Download and send to reviewers
Each eBook is returned as a watermarked PDF file, ready to attach to your ARC distribution emails.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I watermark each reviewer's copy with a personalized name?
- Deliteful applies one watermark PDF to all base documents in a batch. For personalized per-reviewer watermarks, you would need to create a separate watermark PDF for each recipient and run individual sessions — one session per reviewer watermark.
- Will the watermark affect the readability of my eBook for reviewers?
- Watermark visibility depends on your watermark PDF design. A semi-transparent diagonal stamp is widely used because it marks the document without obscuring body text. The watermark is a fixed overlay — it doesn't adjust for text reflow, so test your watermark PDF against a sample page before batch processing.
- How do I watermark only the cover page of my eBook rather than every page?
- Disable the 'Apply watermark to all pages' toggle in Deliteful before processing. The watermark will then appear only on the first page of each base PDF.
- Can I use Deliteful to watermark a PDF eBook I'm selling on Gumroad or Payhip?
- Yes. Download your eBook PDF, watermark it with a LICENSED COPY stamp using Deliteful, then re-upload the watermarked version to your storefront. This adds a deterrent layer to your digital product without requiring DRM software.
Sign up free with Google and watermark your next eBook ARC batch before sending to reviewers — no desktop software needed.