| name | pdf-watermark-remover |
| description | Remove watermarks from PDF files. Use when users request watermark removal, cleaning watermarks, or de-watermarking PDF documents. Supports tiling pattern watermarks (repeated image/text tiles) and semi-transparent text overlay watermarks. |
PDF Watermark Remover
Remove watermarks from PDF files using PyMuPDF. Supports tiling pattern watermarks (most common in enterprise document systems) and semi-transparent text overlays.
Prerequisites
Ensure PyMuPDF is installed:
sudo pip3 install pymupdf
Usage
Run the bundled script:
python3 pdf_watermark_remover/cli.py <input.pdf> <output.pdf> [--mode auto|pattern|text|both]
Or if installed via pip:
pdf-watermark-remover <input.pdf> <output.pdf> [--mode auto|pattern|text|both]
Modes
| Mode | Description |
|---|
auto | Detect watermark type automatically and remove (default) |
pattern | Remove only tiling pattern watermarks (repeated tiles covering pages) |
text | Remove only semi-transparent text watermarks |
both | Force remove both types |
Typical Workflow
- Receive PDF file from user
- Run script with
--mode auto (default)
- Verify output by viewing 2-3 pages of the result PDF
- If watermarks remain, retry with
--mode both or investigate manually
- Deliver the cleaned PDF to the user
How It Works
- Pattern watermarks: Detected by
/Pattern CS operators in content streams. Removed by excising q...Q graphics state blocks containing pattern fill operations.
- Text watermarks: Detected by ExtGState objects with fill opacity (
/ca) less than 1.0.
Limitations
- Cannot remove watermarks baked into rasterized images (scanned PDFs)
- Cannot remove watermarks embedded as part of the actual page content (same opacity as normal text)
- For encrypted/password-protected PDFs, decryption must be done first
