How to use the overlay pdf letterhead
- Choose your document, the PDF that needs the letterhead, and then the letterhead PDF whose page holds your logo and address. Password protected files are refused, and nothing is uploaded.
- Choose whether the letterhead goes behind the page or on top of the page, and which pages get it: every page, the first page only, all except the first, odd pages or even pages.
- If the letterhead file has more than one page, enter which letterhead page to use. If you place it on top, pick how strong it should be.
- Press Create PDF. The new file downloads with the name of your document plus "-letterhead".
A 4 page PDF and a 1 page letterhead
A 4 page PDF with a 1 page letterhead and the setting every page gives a PDF with 4 pages that each carry the letterhead. If you choose all except the first, the first page stays plain, which suits a cover page, and the other three pages carry the letterhead. Odd pages puts it on pages 1 and 3.
Each page keeps its own size, so a landscape page stays landscape. The letterhead is scaled to fit inside the page without being stretched and is centered. A letter size letterhead on an A4 page is made a little smaller to fit, and a smaller one is enlarged to fill the page in one direction.
Behind or on top
Behind the page is the usual choice. The letterhead artwork sits underneath and your document's text stays on top, so it stays selectable and searchable, and white areas of your document do not hide the letterhead unless the page has a solid background of its own. Many documents have a transparent background, so the artwork shows through as expected.
On top of the page puts the letterhead over your content. It covers whatever is under it unless the letterhead file has transparent areas, which is why a strength setting lets the page show through. This is useful for a stamp or a faint overlay, but it is rarely right for a full page letterhead.
What stays the same and what to check
The pages of your document are embedded as they are, so fonts, images and links on the page itself are kept, although links, form fields and bookmarks of the original file are not copied into the new file. If you need those, add the letterhead first in the program that made the file. Page numbers can be added afterward with the add page numbers tool, and a text overlay with the watermark PDF tool.
Check the result before you send it: look at the margins, because a letterhead with a logo near the edge may sit under your own text. A blank page in your document still receives the letterhead. To make a letterhead page in the first place, try the letterhead and memo generator, and use merge PDF to combine files. Files up to 25 MB and 500 pages are accepted and everything happens in your browser.
Assumptions and limits
- Only PDF files are accepted, identified by their first bytes, and password protected files are refused. SVG files and other types are rejected.
- The letterhead is scaled to fit each page and centered, without stretching.
- Bookmarks, links, form fields and tags of the original file are not carried over to the new file.
- A page with no content at all is copied as a blank page and still receives the letterhead. A letterhead page with no content is refused.
Frequently asked questions
How do I put a letterhead on every page of a PDF?
Add your document and the letterhead PDF, choose behind the page and every page, and press Create PDF. The new file has the letterhead on each page.
Will my text still be selectable?
Yes when the letterhead goes behind the page, since the original page is embedded as it is and its text stays real text.
What if my pages are different sizes?
The letterhead is scaled to fit each page separately, keeping its proportions and centering it.
Can I leave the first page without a letterhead?
Yes. Choose all except the first for a document with a cover page, or first page only for the reverse.