Add Color Overlay to PDF

How to Add a Color Overlay to a PDF

1. Drop your PDF onto the tool, or click Choose PDF File. Thumbnails of the pages appear.
2. Pick an Overlay Color from the twelve swatches. Blue is selected to begin with.
3. Set the Opacity. The slider runs from 10% to 100% and starts at 50%. The Preview Effect box shows roughly how strong it will look.
4. Choose Apply to: All Pages, First Page Only, or All Pages Except First.
5. Tidy the page list if you need to. Remove a page with its trash icon or drag thumbnails to reorder. The new file follows the order you see.
6. Click Add Color Overlay, then Download PDF. The file is saved with _color_overlay added to the name.

Why Use This PDF Color Overlay Tool

• Your file stays on your device. The PDF is processed by code running in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
• Text stays text. The color is a layer on top of your original pages, not a picture of them, so the underlying text stays in the file.
• Strength you control. Opacity from 10% to 100% lets you go from a light wash to a solid block of color.
• Reorder or drop pages on the way. The page grid lets you remove pages and change their order before you export.

Good to know: the overlay sits on top of the page, so a high opacity hides what is underneath. Anything below it is still in the file, so do not use this tool to hide private information. Redact PDF is built for that. The overlay covers the whole page, with no way to color only part of it.

FAQ

How do I add a color overlay to a PDF?

Drop your PDF onto the tool, pick an Overlay Color and Opacity, choose which pages to apply it to, then click Add Color Overlay and download the file.

Is the text under the overlay still there?

Yes. The overlay is drawn on top of the page and nothing is deleted. At low opacity the text stays readable. At high opacity it is covered visually but remains in the file.

Can I use this to hide sensitive information?

No. The covered content is still in the PDF and can be recovered. Use a redaction tool for that.

Can I color only the first page?

Yes. Choose First Page Only in Apply to, or All Pages Except First to skip a cover page.

Does it change my page order?

Only if you change it. The new file follows the thumbnail grid, so pages you remove are left out and pages you drag to a new spot move with them.

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere, and is there a size limit?

No. The PDF is processed in your browser, so your file stays on your device. Your file size limit is shown on this page, and a free account raises it.