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How to add paid or unpaid watermarks to Shopify invoices

Invoice Falcon can display a large, semi-transparent PAID or UNPAID watermark across the centre of your invoices. The watermark is based on the order's payment status in Shopify and updates automatically for each invoice. You enable it with a single checkbox in the Visual Editor — no code needed.


Enable the watermark


  1. Open the Invoice Falcon app from your Shopify Admin.
  2. Click Templates in the left navigation menu.
  3. Click the template you want to edit.
  4. In the Visual Editor on the left, expand the Extra information section.
  5. Under Payment verification, check Paid/unpaid watermark.
  6. Click Save.

Tip: Click Preview after saving to see how the watermark looks before sending invoices.


How the watermark works


  • The watermark shows PAID when the order's financial status is "paid." For all other statuses (pending, partially paid, authorized, refunded, etc.), it shows UNPAID.
  • It appears as bold, uppercase text at a diagonal angle across the center of the invoice with low opacity (6%), so it does not block any content.
  • It is embedded in the PDF and appears in emailed, downloaded, and printed invoices.
  • The text is automatically translated to match your invoice language setting (e.g., "PAGADA" in Spanish, "BEZAHLT" in German).

Disable the watermark


  1. Open the Invoice Falcon app and go to Templates.
  2. Click the template that has the watermark enabled.
  3. In the Visual Editor, expand Extra information.
  4. Uncheck Paid/unpaid watermark.
  5. Click Save.


Previously generated invoices are not affected — the change only applies to new invoices.


Known limitations


  • Binary status only — the watermark shows "Paid" or "Unpaid." Intermediate statuses like "Partially Paid" or "Refunded" display as "Unpaid."
  • No custom text — you cannot change the watermark to say "Draft," "Approved," etc. through the Visual Editor. You can do this by editing the template code directly.
  • Off by default — you must enable the watermark on each template individually.
  • Not retroactive — enabling or disabling the watermark does not update previously generated invoice PDFs.
  • Print visibility — the watermark is intentionally faint. If it is too light on your printer, increase the opacity in the Code Editor by changing 0.06 to a higher value.


Troubleshooting


Symptom

Likely Cause

Fix

Watermark does not appear

Checkbox is not enabled

Open the template, expand Extra information, and check Paid/unpaid watermark

Shows "UNPAID" on a paid order

Order financial status is not "paid" in Shopify

Check the order in Shopify Admin and verify the payment status

Watermark is in the wrong language

Invoice language setting does not match your preference

Update the language in your template settings

Watermark is too faint when printed

Default opacity is 6%

Edit the template code and increase the opacity value


FAQs


Q: Is the watermark visible to customers?
A: Yes. It is part of the PDF, so it appears in emailed, downloaded, and printed invoices.


Q: Does the watermark update if payment status changes after the invoice was generated?
A: No. You need to regenerate the invoice to reflect the updated status.


Q: Can I enable the watermark on all templates at once?
A: No. It is a per-template setting. Enable it individually on each template.


Q: Does the watermark work on quotes and packing slips?
A: Yes, but it may not be meaningful since those documents are not typically tied to payment status.


Q: Can I change the watermark color or size?
A: Yes, by editing the template code in the Code Editor. Search for SETTING_show_paid_unpaid_watermark and modify the CSS values.

Updated on: 20/05/2026

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