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ID Copy Watermark & Redact

Hide the parts of an ID or document copy the recipient does not need and add a watermark with purpose and date. Works on images and PDFs in your browser.

Free to use No sign-up required Nothing is uploaded

When someone asks for a copy of your ID card, passport or another document, you often send more than they need and the file can be reused later. Two precautions help: hide what the recipient does not need, and write on the copy who it is for and when. This tool does both, in your browser, on an image or a PDF.

A watermark discourages misuse, it does not prevent it. The page says so, and also tells you to keep whatever the recipient legitimately needs visible.

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Overview

About ID Copy Watermark & Redact

Hiding. Drag boxes over the parts to hide (for example a document number, a photo, a signature or a machine-readable zone that the recipient does not need). Each box is filled with solid black (the default), pixelated or blurred, directly in the pixels of the page. For a PDF, every page is converted to an image at about 150 dpi and rebuilt as a new PDF, so the text underneath a hidden area is gone rather than covered by a box that could be lifted off. Camera and location data of a photo are not copied into the saved file.

The watermark. The text is the purpose or recipient you enter followed by the date (for example "Rental application, Example Landlord · 2026-10-06"). It can be repeated diagonally across the page, placed once across the centre or along the bottom, and its opacity is adjustable. Without a purpose it reads "Copy for identification only" plus the date.

What a watermark does and does not do. It makes it harder to reuse the copy for another purpose and shows where it came from. It can be cropped, covered or retouched by someone determined, so it does not make the copy safe. Send copies only where needed, through a secure channel, and ask what the recipient will do with them.

Keep required information visible. Before you hide something, check what the recipient needs and is allowed to ask for; hiding too much can make a copy useless, and the rules on ID copies differ between countries and between sectors. This is not legal advice.

Compatibility

Supported Formats

JPEG, PNG and WebP images up to 30 MB, or PDF files up to 50 MB and 20 pages. Image output is JPEG; PDF output is a PDF made of page images. Encrypted PDFs are not opened.

Guide

How to Use ID Copy Watermark & Redact

  1. Drop in a photo or PDF of the document (up to 20 pages).
  2. Drag boxes over what the recipient does not need. For a PDF, use the page menu for each page.
  3. Enter who the copy is for and why, check the date, and choose the watermark position and opacity.
  4. Press Apply and download, then open the file and check it.

Highlights

Features

  • Permanent hiding Pixels are changed, and PDF pages are rebuilt from images, so covered text cannot be lifted out.
  • Purpose and date on the copy A watermark that says who the copy is for, repeated, centred or along the bottom.
  • Images and PDFs Photos of documents or multi-page PDF scans, one page at a time.
  • No upload, no metadata Everything runs locally and the saved file carries no EXIF or location data.

Applications

Use Cases

  • Sending an ID copy to a landlord, a bank or an employer with only the necessary parts visible
  • Adding "for this purpose only" and a date to a scan of a passport page
  • Hiding a card number or a signature in a photo of a document
  • Preparing a multi-page PDF of supporting documents for a one-off use
  • Making an unmistakable copy of a document that cannot pass for the original

Good to Know

Limitations

Redaction here changes pixels, so it is permanent in the saved file, and PDFs lose their text layer, bookmarks and attachments. A watermark can be removed by editing; it does not secure the document. The tool does not recognise document types or fields: you choose what to cover.

It does not know what a recipient may lawfully request, and a copy with parts hidden may not be accepted by some recipients. It cannot make a copy suitable for identity verification; some processes require the original or an approved procedure.

This tool runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded to our servers. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Support

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my ID uploaded?

No. The image or PDF pages are drawn in your browser and the new file is made there. Nothing is sent to the server or to analytics.

Does a watermark make my ID copy secure?

No. It discourages reuse and records the purpose, but it can be cropped or edited away. Treat the copy as sensitive and share it carefully.

Is the hidden information really gone?

In the file you download, yes: the pixels are changed, and for PDFs each page is rebuilt from an image. The original file on your device is untouched.

What should I leave visible?

What the recipient legitimately needs, which depends on the purpose and the rules that apply. Ask them what they require, and check the local rules on ID copies.

Why is my PDF no longer searchable?

Every page is converted to an image so that nothing hidden can be recovered. That also removes the text layer.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is a tool for a technical task. The rules on copying and sending identity documents differ by country.

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