Can you watermark a PDF in Canva?

Yes. You upload the PDF to Canva and use the Watermark Maker app to add text or a logo, then download it again.

Is it safe to upload my passport to Canva?

Canva states it holds security certifications such as ISO 27001. Still, your passport would be stored in your account under Canva's privacy policy, which allows backups and AI training unless you opt out. A tool that works on your device, like Cachety, avoids storing it online at all.

Does Canva use my uploads to train AI?

Canva's privacy policy says it may use your content to train its AI, and that you can manage this in your privacy settings.

Cachety vs Canva: watermarking an ID document

Updated 11 October 2026

Canva is a design platform, and with its Watermark Maker app you can add a text or logo watermark to a PDF. To do that, you upload your document to Canva. Cachety is built for one thing: protecting the documents you share, without uploading them.

In short

For branded content, such as photos, marketing material or anything with a logo, Canva is the more creative tool. For a passport, payslip or bank statement, Cachety avoids putting a copy of your ID into an online design account, and adds masking and one copy per recipient.

Side by side

Criterion	Cachety	Canva
Where your file goes	CachetyNowhere. It is processed in your browser, on your device.Advantage Cachety	CanvaUploaded to Canva, a cloud design platform.
How long the file is kept	CachetyNever stored anywhere except on your device.Advantage Cachety	CanvaIts privacy policy says content is kept for a commercially reasonable time and as long as there is a valid purpose, including backups.
Account	CachetyNone.Advantage Cachety	CanvaYou sign up for a Canva account.
Use of your content for AI	CachetyNone: your files are never received.Advantage Cachety	CanvaIts privacy policy says content may be used to train its AI, with an opt-out in privacy settings.
Advertising	CachetyNo ads or trackers today.Advantage Cachety	CanvaIts privacy policy names advertising partners such as Facebook, Google, LiveRamp, Outbrain and Taboola.
Type of watermark	CachetyText only, repeated diagonally across the page.	CanvaText or logo, with opacity and layout options, through the Watermark Maker app.Advantage Canva
Blacking out details	CachetyBuilt in: the hidden content is really removed.Advantage Cachety	CanvaNo dedicated redaction tool found.
Password on the PDF	CachetyOptional AES-256 password.	CanvaNot documented.
Design features	CachetyNone beyond the watermark.	CanvaA full design platform with templates, images and fonts.Advantage Canva

Your ID in a design account

To watermark a PDF in Canva, you upload it, open the Watermark Maker app, add your text or logo and download the result. It works well. But your passport then sits in your Canva account, under Canva's privacy policy, which says content is kept for as long as there is a valid purpose, including for backups. The policy also says content may be used to train AI, unless you opt out.

Cachety never receives your document. It is watermarked inside your browser and saved straight to your device.

Try it in aeroplane mode: load cachety.com, go offline, and watermark your document. It still works, which shows nothing is being sent.

Where Canva is better

Canva is made for design. If you want a logo watermark on your photos, a branded layout or matching social media posts, it is far more capable. Cachety only adds text, and it is not a design tool.

Where Cachety is better for ID documents

No upload and no account, so no copy of your ID is stored online.
Masking, a password and hidden data removal are built in.
The watermark is blended into the page image, so it cannot simply be deleted by editing the PDF.
One named copy per recipient, up to 20 at a time.

How to do it with Cachety

1Open cachety.com.
2Add your passport, licence or statement.
3Type the purpose, recipient and date, or pick a ready-made template.
4Download the watermarked copy.

When Canva is the better choice

You want a logo or image watermark, for example on photos you sell or share.
You are designing branded material and the watermark is just one part of it.
You already keep your work in Canva and want everything in one place.

When Cachety is the better choice

You are watermarking an ID document, payslip or bank statement and do not want it stored online.
You do not want to create an account just to add a watermark.
You need to black out details or add a password.

Frequently asked questions

Can you watermark a PDF in Canva?: Yes. You upload the PDF to Canva and use the Watermark Maker app to add text or a logo, then download it again.
Is it safe to upload my passport to Canva?: Canva states it holds security certifications such as ISO 27001. Still, your passport would be stored in your account under Canva's privacy policy, which allows backups and AI training unless you opt out. A tool that works on your device, like Cachety, avoids storing it online at all.
Does Canva use my uploads to train AI?: Canva's privacy policy says it may use your content to train its AI, and that you can manage this in your privacy settings.

Sources

Facts checked on 11 October 2026 on each publisher's public pages. Services change: if something here is out of date, tell us on GitHub and we will fix it.

Written by the author of Cachety. We aim to be factual and fair: every claim about another tool links to its source.