How to overlay a PDF letterhead on pages
Layer one PDF over another, repeat a letterhead on selected pages and check opacity. Learn why an overlay differs from merging PDFs.
Use Overlay PDF to place one PDF over another on the same pages. Add the base document first and the foreground PDF second. The result is one PDF containing the base pages with the overlay applied where you choose.
Overlay versus merge
An ordinary PDF merge appends the second file after the first. An overlay shares the page area. A one-page letterhead can therefore appear across a report without adding a new page for every copy of the template.
Prepare the two source PDFs
Use exactly two valid, unencrypted PDFs within 50 MB combined. The second PDF must contain one page or match the base document's page count. Use upright pages and matching page proportions where possible: the overlay scales to the base page area, so a differently proportioned template can be distorted.
This tool places the overlay in the foreground. A white rectangle in the template can cover text underneath; lowering opacity makes the entire foreground fainter, not just its white area. Start with a template whose empty areas are transparent when the original text must remain visible.
Example: keep the cover and overlay pages 2–3
- Choose a three-page base report, then a one-page PDF letterhead. Confirm their order in the file list.
- Enter
2-3under Pages. This refers to positions in the base PDF. Leave the range blank when every base page should receive the overlay. - Choose Overlay opacity. For example,
0.25makes a faint foreground; inspect whether the header and body text remain readable. - Select Apply overlay, preview and download the result.
The example should still have three pages. Its cover stays without the overlay, while the same letterhead repeats on pages 2 and 3. With a multi-page overlay, source page positions are matched; the second overlay page is used for the second base page.
Check coverage before sharing
Review the first and last affected pages, page edges, existing footers and any smaller pages. If the template covers content, revise it or use another method rather than accepting unreadable text. The preview is useful, but open the downloaded PDF in the reader your recipient uses too.
Choose the right related task
For a simple text stamp such as Draft, use Watermark PDF. For numbering, use Page numbers. If the overlay starts as a JPG or PNG, convert it with Images to PDF first and check the resulting page size and background.
Overlaying does not securely redact underlying information. Layout changes can also lose document-level navigation or invalidate signatures. Retain the originals and review forms, links and important content in the final copy.
Prepared by PDF Tools Club · Updated October 18, 2026. Instructions reflect this release’s controls and limits.