Edit PDF Online - Add Text & Images to PDF Free

A PDF edit tool in overlay mode lets you place new content on top of existing pages without changing the original text objects inside the file. When you need a date stamp, a "DRAFT" label, a signature image, or a short note on one page, overlay editing is the fastest path - especially when you do not have the Word or InDesign source file anymore. This page uses pdf-lib in your browser: drawText for text and embedPng for PNG images. Processing never uploads your document to a server.

This is not in-place text editing. Tools that claim to "edit PDF text like Word" either rebuild the layout from scratch or rely on fragile heuristics to find editable text runs. pdf-lib cannot open an existing paragraph and change one word while keeping fonts and line breaks intact. What it does well is append a new layer - visually on top, structurally additive. Underlying content remains in the PDF; your overlay may cover it visually but does not delete it from the file structure. For redaction or true content removal, use PDF redact with its visual-only limits or desktop certified tooling.

PDF page structure separates content streams (the original text and graphics) from annotations and form widgets. Overlay editing adds new drawing operators to the content stream without rewriting existing ones. That is why a misplaced stamp can be fixed by generating again from your original upload - the source paragraphs were never mutated. Search indexing in viewers still sees underlying text unless your overlay physically covers every glyph on screen.

Choose a target page, enter optional text, attach an optional PNG, and pick a vertical preset: top, center, or bottom. Content is centered horizontally on the page. Queue multiple overlays on different pages, then generate one output file. The 50 MB cap matches other DevOkk PDF tools and keeps pdfDoc.save() responsive in typical browsers. PDF.js loads on upload to confirm page count before you queue overlays.

Overlay editing complements rather than replaces desktop suites. Acrobat and similar products can modify form fields, run certified redaction, and sometimes reflow text. This page intentionally narrows scope to fast, private annotation: stamps, short notes, and PNG signatures. For black bars over sensitive regions, use PDF redact with its visual-only limits. For locking fillable forms after signing, use PDF flatten.

Simple stamp jobs take under two minutes. Complex multi-page queues with several PNG logos may take longer - all processing stays in your browser with pdf-lib. Queue order matters when two overlays target the same page: later items draw above earlier ones in the list, so place background logos before foreground text labels when both share a page.

1. Upload your PDF - Drag and drop or click Choose PDF File. validatePdfUpload checks type and the 50 MB size limit before pdf-lib loads.
2. Configure each overlay - Set page number, text (optional), font size, vertical position (top, center, bottom), and optional PNG. Click Add Overlay to Queue for each addition you want in the final file.
3. Review the queue - Remove mistakes with the trash icon. Overlays apply in list order on the same page if you add several to one page - later items may draw above earlier ones.
4. Apply & Generate PDF - pdf-lib writes overlays with drawText and embedPng, then saves a new file. Processing completes locally in seconds for typical office documents.
5. Download the edited PDF - Save with a distinct filename. Your original upload on disk is untouched.

Overlay editing shines when the PDF is already final except for one missing stamp. The example below adds a signing date and logo without touching contract body text - a five-minute fix that would take longer if you hunted for the original Word file.

Workflow: upload the contract, set target page 1, enter text "Signed 2026-03-15" with font size 14 at bottom position, click Add Overlay to Queue. Attach logo.png, keep page 1 and top position, queue again. Review both items in the list, click Apply & Generate PDF, Download. Open in Chrome - date appears above the footer margin, logo sits centered at top. Underlying signature blocks and body paragraphs are unchanged in the file structure. If counsel later needs true content removal rather than overlay stamps, that requires redaction or the source Word file.

After emailing the stamped PDF, HR may flatten the copy on PDF flatten if any fillable fields remain - overlay mode does not lock widgets automatically.

Stamping and locking are different jobs. Pick the sibling tool that matches.

Use PDF edit for one-off stamps and PNG overlays. Use PDF page numbers when every folio needs a consistent footer. Use PDF flatten after signing to make forms non-editable - flatten does not add visible stamps.

True in-place PDF editing requires identifying text runs inside content streams, matching fonts embedded in the file, and rewriting layout operators without breaking line breaks. Desktop tools spend years on those heuristics - and still fail on complex magazines and CAD exports. pdf-lib in the browser takes a deliberately narrow path: append new drawText and embedPng operators at computed coordinates. That keeps the implementation reliable and the privacy story simple (no server-side layout AI).

Overlay mode also preserves auditability. Original paragraphs remain in the file for search indexing unless visually covered. Legal teams sometimes prefer that - they can prove the underlying contract language never changed while a "EXECUTED" stamp shows status. When you need content removed rather than covered, switch to PDF redact with clear visual-only limits, or return to the Word source.

Font choice is Helvetica on this page - a standard PDF base font that pdf-lib embeds without shipping custom font bytes from a server. Custom corporate typefaces would require font file upload, which this privacy-first tool avoids. For brand-exact typography, export overlays from InDesign or add PNG logos instead of custom text fonts.

Multiple overlays on the same page stack in queue order. If a bottom date stamp should appear above a footer line already in the PDF, increase font size or choose center position instead of bottom - overlay mode cannot delete the underlying footer text, only cover it visually.

Overlay mode trades flexibility for speed and privacy. These boundaries are intentional.

Use this overlay editor when you need stamps and signatures without cloud upload. Use desktop in-place editors when you must change paragraph wording inside an existing layout. Use PDF redact when you need black bars - with honest visual-only limits. Many teams stamp here first, then flatten on PDF flatten if the document still contains fillable widgets after overlay signing.

Overlay editing is simple until a stamp lands in the wrong place or covers the wrong layer.

• Assuming overlay equals redaction. A white CONFIDENTIAL label does not remove body text beneath it - stream extraction may still recover paragraphs. Use PDF redact for black bars with honest visual limits.
• Wrong page number in queue. Double-check target page before adding to queue - especially in 200-page binders where exhibit pages shift after merge.
• Font too small on mobile viewers. Test the download on a phone; 8pt bottom stamps may become illegible when zoomed to fit width.
• PNG without transparency. Opaque white logo backgrounds cover underlying lines awkwardly. Export logos with alpha channel before embedPng.
• Expecting form lock. Overlay mode does not call form.flatten(). After signing workflows, run PDF flatten separately if widgets must become non-editable.
• Reusing JPEG signatures. Convert to PNG first - this page accepts PNG only for image overlays.
• Skipping download naming. Save as contract-executed-stamped.pdf so recipients distinguish overlay output from the pristine upload.

These are the jobs this page will not pretend to do.

• Not in-place editing. Existing text cannot be selected and rewritten. Underlying paragraphs remain in the PDF structure beneath your overlay.
• PNG only for images. JPEG and WebP must be converted first because pdf-lib embedPng is used directly on this page.
• Preset positions only. No free drag-and-drop placement - top, center, or bottom with horizontal centering on the chosen page.
• Single Helvetica font for text overlays - no custom font upload or color picker on this page.
• Encrypted PDFs must be unlocked before pdf-lib can load them. This page has no password prompt.
• Files over 50 MB are rejected at upload. Split with PDF split first if needed.
• Not redaction. Overlays cover content visually but do not remove text from streams. Use PDF redact for black bars with clear security limits.
• Memory on huge files. Files near 50 MB may spike RAM during save. Close other tabs if the browser warns about memory.
• No collaborative editing. Overlays exist only in your downloaded file - there is no shared review link or comment thread on this page.

PDF overlay editing on this page runs entirely in your browser. pdf-lib and PDF.js load from the same origin; your document bytes are never POSTed to an API, never written to server logs, and never indexed. Suitable for contracts and internal reports subject to your device security policies. Clear downloads from shared computers when finished. Corporate policies that forbid cloud PDF editors often approve browser-only tools that never transmit file bytes - this page fits that pattern when legal has reviewed local processing.

We do not persist uploads in localStorage. Closing the tab discards in-memory state except any file you explicitly downloaded. No account means no cross-device history. PNG signature files you attach are also processed locally - they never upload separately to a signature storage service. Version filenames on your side when iterating stamps (contract-v2-stamped.pdf) so email threads stay traceable without server-side history.