Change a scan's background or take out its watermark
A scanned page is a picture, so its paper cannot be recoloured or its watermark deleted like an object in a PDF. This tool reads the picture itself: it finds the paper and the ink, and changes only the paper.
Background colour gives the paper any shade, a soft blue or cream for a certificate or a white page for a grey photocopy, while the text keeps its own crisp edges. Remove watermark takes out a grey or coloured mark that is lighter than the text, so the page reads cleanly again.
Use it only on documents you own or have permission to change.
Simple, practical guidance
How to use Scan Background & Watermark
Each page is read at print resolution and the paper is measured across it, so shadows and yellowing are evened out first. Then the paper takes the colour you chose, or the light watermark between the text and the paper is turned back into paper.
- 1
Choose the scanned PDF.
- 2
Pick Background colour or Remove watermark.
- 3
Choose the colour and the strength.
- 4
Run it and download the PDF.
Get a better result
The letters keep their own edges, so text stays sharp on the new colour. A stamp or signature in strong colour stays, and only what is lighter than the text is treated as a watermark.
Know how your file is handled
This Pro tool runs on our processing server: the file is uploaded for the job over a secure connection and removed after the retention period.
Check before you share
Made for scanned and photographed pages; every page is saved as a picture, so run OCR PDF afterwards for searchable text. A watermark as dark as the text cannot be separated from it and stays.
Questions people ask
Scan Background & Watermark FAQ
Paper colours, watermarks, stamps and searchable text.
How do I change the background colour of a scanned PDF?
Choose the PDF, pick Background colour and a colour, and run it. The paper takes the new colour and the text stays as it was.
Can it remove a watermark from a scanned document?
Yes, when the watermark is lighter than the text, as most grey or coloured watermarks are. A watermark as dark as the text cannot be told apart from it and stays.
Will stamps and signatures be removed too?
Not when they are in strong ink. Only what is lighter than the text is treated as a watermark.
Is this different from Remove Watermark?
Yes. Remove Watermark takes out watermarks a PDF program added as their own layer. This tool works on scanned pages, where the watermark is part of the picture. Remove Watermark
Is my file uploaded?
Yes, this Pro tool runs on our processing server over a secure connection, and the file is removed after the retention period.
Will the text be searchable?
The repainted pages are pictures. Run OCR PDF on the result to make the text searchable again. OCR PDF
Do I need Pro?
Yes, Scan Background & Watermark is part of Pro and the free trial. Clean Scan, which whitens the paper and removes shadows, is free. Clean Scan
Can I remove someone else's watermark?
Only change documents you own or have permission to change. A watermark often marks who a document belongs to.