How to Add Watermarks: Text, Image or Barcode Watermark

Print Conductor allows you to add various types of watermarks to document pages when printing:

• Text watermark
• Image watermark
• Barcode watermark

You can add a single watermark to all or selected document pages. Or use multiple watermarks at once. Learn more about each watermark type below. 

To add a new watermark, open Print Conductor Settings, switch to the Watermarks tab, click Add new and select the desired type of watermark.

Text watermark

Text watermark lets you add text to printed pages. You can create a text watermark using:

• Plain text
• Macros
• Plain text + macros

The program has built-in macros (use the Macro button) that allow you to add various data from original source files such as filename, page number, date/time, or copies.

Read all macros' descriptions

You can combine macros to create a complex text watermark. For example:
"Invoice: {srcfilename}.{srcfileext}".

Most macros take data from the source file metadata. If some data is missing in the file – the macro will be omitted.

Text watermark parameters

You can customize watermarks your way – adjust font, offset, margins, background, rotation, and more. These are available parameters:

Setting or interface element	Functionality
Font	Set stylistic attributes of a font: font type, color, size
Watermark text	Type any text or use macros. {srcfilepageno}, set by default, stands for source file page number
Alignment	X-axis alignment: Left, Center, RightY-axis alignment: Top, Center, Bottom
Margins	X and Y-axis margins: set any value in points equal to 0.01 inch
Rotation	Adjust the angle of watermark rotation to a certain degree
Background	Select color behind the text
ZOrder	Set watermark Z-axis position: In the foreground or In the background
Ignore hard margins on page	Ignore the printable area applied by default by some printers and use the dimensions of the paper sheet only

Add page numbers

You can automatically paginate documents. To add page numbers when printing PDF or other document types, use the default macro: {srcfilepageno}

Place custom watermark on page center

Using the Text watermark feature, you can insert not only page numbers but add any other text in the center of printed pages. To do it, set Alignment to Center; Center.

Add filename to header or footer

You can add your watermark in the bottom right corner – to place it, for example, in the footer. To do it, set Alignment to Right and Bottom. The green indicator on the preview panel will show the approximate position of the watermark.

Set colored background

You can change the background color of a watermark. The selected background color will fill a rectangle behind the text.

Use item's index number as a text watermark

With the macro Item # in list, you can add each item's index number (#) in the List of Documents as a watermark. This macro will add numbers, so you'll see the sequence of all documents after printing them.

Insert multi-line text watermark

You can create a complex watermark consisting of multiple lines (both plain text and macros can be used).

Add sequence numbers to PDF pages

With some special macros, Text watermark can be used for special page numbering.

For example, we created a macro (by request) to enumerate sets of printed documents with 5 digits at the bottom of each page:

The text watermark template is:
58{SetNo(D3)}

Such tasks may need additional development, so please contact us for a custom solution with your requirements.

Add number of document's copies to each printed page

The Text watermark feature allows you to add the current copy number to pages. For instance, if you want to display the current document's copy number at the bottom corner of each output page, use the {copy} macro. To indicate the total number of copies, use the {copies} macro. For a complex watermark, you could use the following watermark: {copy} out of {copies}. Learn more →

Description of all Text watermark macros

Macro name	Macro	Description
Filename
Source file name	{srcfilename}	File name (without extension).Example: Document_A
Source file extension	{srcfileext}	File extension.Example: docx
Source file folder	{srcfilefolder}	Folder path where the file is located.Example: C:\Work\Folder_A\Subolder_A
Source file folder name	{srcfilefoldername}	File directory name (file location name).Example: Subfolder_A
Source file path	{srcfilefullpath}	Full path to the source file, including the filename.Example: C:\Work\Folder_A\Subfolder_A\Document_A.docx
Source file path, 1-st part	{srcfilefullpath(1)}	The first part of the file path (not including the drive letter)Example: Work
Source file path, 2-nd part	{srcfilefullpath(2)}	The second part of the file pathExample: Folder_A
Source file path, 3-rd part	{srcfilefullpath(3)}	The third part of the file pathExample: Subfolder_A
Source file type	{srcfiletype}	File type.For example: Microsoft Office Word
Container name	{containername}	Name of an email message file, an archive (RAR, ZIP, 7ZIP), or a PDF Portfolio file.
File attributes
Source file date	{date}	Date of file processing by Print Conductor
Source file time	{time}	Time of file processing by Print Conductor
Source file author	{author}	Name of the user who created the file
Source file creator	{creator}	Software with which the file was created
Source file custom text	{customtext}	User-specified text which can be added to any list item using Item settings… (Custom text field) Note: if you have several columns, use {customtext}, {customtext(2)}, {customtext(3)}, etc.
Source file pages	{srcfilepages}	The total number of pages
Source file page number	{srcfilepageno}	The number of a page that is being printed
User name	{user}	User account name in Windows
Computer name	{computer}	Computer name in Windows
Date/Time	{date}, {date(dd.MM.yyyy)}, {date(yyyy)}, {date(MM)}, {date(dd)}, and more	Several macros that insert date and time (in various formats). They include Date, Date (DD.MM.YYYY), Year, Month, Day, Time, Time (HH:MM:SS), Hour, Minute, Second, Millisecond
Copies	{copies}	File's total number of copies
Copy	{copy}	Current copy number. Please note that this macro works properly only when Single print job mode is on
Item # in list	{listitemno}	Item's index number (#) in the List of Documents

Image watermark

If you want to insert a watermark from an image file, you should choose a file, and then customize its size, position, transparency, etc. (if needed). By default, it is added to the right-bottom corner of a page/image. You can also specify the pages where the watermark must appear.

Image watermark parameters

Setting or interface element	Functionality
File selection	Browse for the file to be used as a watermark. Popular formats, such as JPG, PNG, HTML, PDF are supported
Alignment	X-axis alignment: Left, Center, RightY-axis alignment: Top, Center, Bottom
Offset	Set X and Y offset as a percentage of the document height/width. You can enter positive or negative values to "move" the watermark
Rotation	Adjust the angle of watermark rotation to a certain degree
ZOrder	Set watermark Z-axis position: In the foreground or In the background
Set opacity	Change opacity to make watermark semi-transparent
Embed image	Enabling this option will save the image in the Print Conductor local folder. It can be used for loading presets
Watermark size	Select the original size (As is) or set the watermark size as a percentage of the document's page size
Page range	Select all pages or specify individual pages or a range of pages

Barcode watermark

You can create and customize a barcode to be printed. Barcode watermark operation allows you to insert a barcode to document pages, e.g., a QR-code. Various barcode types are available, including Code 128, EAN, UPC, QR-CODE, and many more.

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To add any type of watermark:

1. Go to Print Conductor Settings > Watermarks;
2. Select the necessary type of watermark: Text watermark, Image watermark, Barcode watermark;
3. Adjust the required parameters;
4. Change watermark's vertical position (Z-axis) using Move up and Move down buttons;
5. Click OK;
6. Add more watermarks if necessary;
7. Add documents to the List of Documents and print them.