Overlay PDF and Add Letterhead to a PDF
Put one PDF on top of or behind another. Add a letterhead, a form template or a stamp to every page, odd or even pages, or the pages you pick.
Select two PDF filesor drop them anywhere on this page, or paste
Opens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Overlay PDF and Add Letterhead to a PDF, free and private
Overlay a PDF on another PDF to add a letterhead, a form template or a stamp to the pages of a document. Add your document and a second PDF that holds the design. Each page of the design is drawn onto the pages you pick, on top of the content or behind it.
The overlay stays vector. Text in a letterhead stays sharp at any zoom and can still be selected, and logos keep their edges. Both files are combined in your browser, so your documents are never uploaded.
How to overlay a PDF on another PDF
- 1
Add the document and the overlay PDF
Press Select two PDF files or drop both files onto the page. The first file is the document that gets the overlay. The second file is the letterhead, template or stamp. Use the arrow buttons on the file cards to swap them.
- 2
Choose on top or behind
On top draws the overlay over the page, like a rubber stamp. Behind the content draws it under the page, like printing a letter on headed paper. The preview shows your document with the overlay as it will be drawn. Use the arrows under it to check each page.
- 3
Pick which overlay pages to use
Page 1 on every page repeats one letterhead or stamp. First page only marks just the first selected page. Page 1, then page 2 puts a first sheet on the first page and a continuation sheet on the rest. Page by page pairs overlay page 1 with the first selected page, page 2 with the second, and so on. Cycle repeats the overlay pages in order.
- 4
Select the pages and the size
Apply the overlay to all pages, odd pages, even pages, the first page or pages you choose. To choose, click the page thumbnails or type a range such as 1-3, 5. Then pick Fit to page or Original size, and set the opacity between 10% and 100%.
- 5
Apply the overlay and download
Press Apply overlay. The result screen shows how many pages got the overlay and how many selected pages got none. Download the new file, which ends in -overlay.pdf. Both original files stay as they were.
Why use PDFToolz for this
Add letterhead to a PDF without printing
Save your letterhead as a one-page PDF, then put it behind every page of a letter or invoice. If your letterhead has a different design for page 2, the Page 1, then page 2 option puts the right sheet on each page.
Vector overlay, stored once
Each overlay page is embedded once as a reusable drawing and placed on every page that needs it. A 200-page report with a one-page template grows by about the size of that one page. Nothing is turned into an image.
Correct on rotated and mixed pages
The overlay is placed on each page as your viewer shows it. Pages turned sideways with a rotation setting still get the overlay upright. Overlay pages that are rotated themselves are turned back upright too. On a page of a different size, Fit to page scales the overlay to that page.
Everything in the document is kept
The document keeps its text, links, bookmarks, form fields and comments. Only drawing is added. The page count and page order do not change.
How to merge a PDF on top of another PDF
Merging usually means putting files one after another. Overlaying puts one file on the page of another, so two layers print as one sheet. Use Merge PDF to join files end to end. Use this tool when two designs need to share the same page.
On top suits stamps, signatures saved as PDF, approval marks and form templates with empty boxes. Behind the content suits letterheads, background artwork, ruled paper and watermarks that should sit under the text. Set the opacity between 20% and 40% when an overlay on top covers text you still need to read.
Overlay page options explained
The page options decide which overlay page lands on which page of your document. They count only the pages you selected, so with the range 3-5 and Page by page, document page 3 gets overlay page 1.
- Page 1 on every page. The usual choice for a letterhead, a draft stamp or a background pattern.
- First page only. A cover stamp, a received mark or a letterhead that belongs on the first sheet alone.
- Page 1, then page 2. Business stationery with a full letterhead on page 1 and a simpler continuation sheet after it. If the overlay has one page, that page is used throughout.
- Page by page. A filled template where each overlay page belongs to one document page. Pages past the end of the overlay are left as they are.
- Cycle. A two-page overlay repeats as 1, 2, 1, 2, which suits front and back designs for double-sided printing.
Fit to page or original size
Both options centre the overlay on the page. Fit to page scales it up or down until it fits inside the page without stretching. An A4 letterhead on a US Letter page shrinks to 94% and leaves thin margins at the left and right.
Original size keeps the overlay at 100%. Use it when both files share a paper size, or when a stamp must keep its exact size. An overlay larger than the page is trimmed at the edges, so an A4 letterhead on a Letter page loses about 25 points at the top and bottom.
When the overlay does not show
Most problems come from the page itself:
- Behind the content shows nothing on a scan. A scanned page is one solid picture, and many Word exports paint a white box behind the text. Both hide anything behind them. Use On top with an opacity around 30% instead.
- Form fields and comments stay above the overlay. Viewers draw them over the page content. Flatten PDF turns them into page content first if the overlay must cover them.
- Links, comments and form fields in the overlay file are not copied. Only the drawn page is used. Flatten the overlay first to keep filled fields.
- A blank overlay page is skipped, and the result counts the pages that got no overlay.
- A file that needs a password to open must go through Unlock PDF first. Files that only block printing or copying work as they are.
Frequently asked questions
Save your letterhead as a PDF, then add your document first and the letterhead second. Pick Behind the content and Page 1 on every page, and press Apply overlay. It is free, needs no account and adds no branding.
Yes. This tool runs in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android. Nothing is installed and neither file is uploaded.
Open this page in Safari or Chrome and add both PDFs. On an iPhone or iPad, the files must be saved in the Files app or iCloud Drive so the file picker can reach them. The new PDF downloads to the same place as other downloads.
An overlay is drawn on top of the page and covers what is under it. An underlay is drawn behind the page content, so it only shows where the page is empty. Letterheads usually go behind. Stamps usually go on top.
Yes. Choose Page by page to pair overlay page 1 with the first selected page, page 2 with the second, and so on. Choose Cycle to repeat a short overlay in order through a long document.
No. The overlay pages are copied as vector content, not as pictures. Each overlay page is stored once, however many pages use it.
Yes. Under Apply to, pick Odd pages or Even pages. Pick Choose pages for a list such as 2, 5-7, or First page for the cover alone.
Not directly. Convert the image to a one-page PDF with JPG / PNG to PDF first, then use that PDF as the overlay. For a text label such as DRAFT, Watermark PDF is quicker.
