Each overlay page is stretched to the base page size. If the overlay has fewer pages, they repeat.
Files never leave your device.How it works
How to overlay PDFs
- 1Add your base PDF (the document).
- 2Add the overlay PDF (the layer drawn on top).
- 3Click Overlay, then download the combined PDF.
Frequently asked questions
- What if the overlay has fewer pages?
- Its pages repeat across the document — so a single-page letterhead is applied to every page of the base.
- Does my file get uploaded?
- No. Both PDFs are combined entirely in your browser — nothing leaves your device.
- Will the overlay cover my content?
- The overlay is drawn on top at the base page size. Use a transparent overlay (e.g. a letterhead with a clear middle) so your content stays visible.
Layer one document over another
Overlay PDF places the pages of one file on top of another — a letterhead over plain text, a decorative border around every page, a watermark-style stamp, or a signature layer. It composites the two entirely in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
How pages line up
Each overlay page is stretched to the matching base page's size and drawn on top. If the overlay has fewer pages than the base, it repeats cyclically — so a one-page template applies across the whole document. For best results, use an overlay with transparent areas so the underlying content shows through.
Notes and limits
Both files stay on your device. For a simple text or image watermark you don't need a second PDF — use Watermark instead.
How the composite is built
For each page of the base document, HivePDF takes the matching page from the overlay file, scales it to exactly the base page's dimensions, and draws it directly on top as a new layer — the base content stays where it was, with the overlay's content painted over it. This happens page by page through the whole document, not just once, which is what makes a single-page overlay usable as a repeating template.
Edge cases worth knowing
- If the base page is rotated, the overlay is stretched to its visible, rotated, dimensions, so orientation still lines up.
- An overlay with a solid white or colored background will completely hide the base page underneath it — only overlays with genuine transparency let the original content show through.
- Overlay and base pages don't need to be the same size going in; the overlay is always resized to fit, which can distort a differently-proportioned overlay.
Where this is different from merging
Merge and Add Blank Page add pages side by side, one after another. Overlay never adds a page — it always composites two pages into one, which makes it the right tool for a preprinted-style letterhead, a consistent border or footer graphic, or a translucent "DRAFT" stamp applied uniformly across a whole document, rather than for combining separate documents into a longer one.