Actions80
- Add Attachment To PDF
- Add Barcode To PDF
- Add Form Fields To PDF
- Add HTML Header Footer
- Add Image Stamp To PDF
- Add Image Watermark To Image
- Add Margin To PDF
- Add Page Number To PDF
- Add Text Stamp To PDF
- Add Text Watermark To Image
- AI-Invoice Parser
- AI-Process Contract
- AI-Process HealthCard
- Classify Document
- Compress Image
- Compress PDF
- Convert HTML To PDF
- Convert Image Format
- Convert JSON To Excel
- Convert Markdown To PDF
- Convert PDF To Editable PDF Using OCR
- Convert PDF To Excel
- Convert PDF To PowerPoint
- Convert PDF To Word
- Convert To PDF
- Convert URL to PDF
- Convert VISIO
- Convert Word to PDF Form
- Create Images From PDF
- Create PDF/A
- Create Swiss QR Bill
- Crop Image
- Delete Blank Pages From PDF
- Delete Unwanted Pages From PDF
- Split PDF By Barcode
- Disable Tracking Changes In Word
- Enable Tracking Changes In Word
- Extract Attachment From PDF
- Extract Form Data From PDF
- Extract Pages From PDF
- Extract Resources
- Extract Table From PDF
- Extract Text By Expression
- Extract Text From Word
- Fill PDF Form
- Find And Replace Text
- Flip Image
- Flatten PDF
- Generate Barcode
- Generate Document Single
- Generate Documents Multiple
- Get Document From Pdf4me
- Get Image Metadata
- Get PDF Metadata
- Split PDF By Swiss QR
- Get Tracking Changes In Word
- Image Extract Text
- Linearize PDF
- Merge Multiple PDFs
- Overlay PDFs
- Parse Document
- Protect PDF
- Read Barcode From Image
- Read Barcode From PDF
- Read SwissQR Code
- Remove EXIF Tags From Image
- Repair PDF Document
- Replace Text With Image
- Replace Text With Image In Word
- Resize Image
- Rotate Document
- Rotate Image
- Rotate Image By EXIF Data
- Rotate PDF Page
- Sign PDF
- Split PDF By Text
- Split PDF Regular
- Unlock PDF
- Update Hyperlinks Annotation
- Upload File To PDF4me
Overview
The node overlays one PDF document (the "layer" PDF) on top of another PDF document (the "base" PDF). This operation is useful when you want to combine two PDFs by placing the content of one over the other, for example, adding a watermark, stamp, or additional graphics from the layer PDF onto the base PDF. Practical scenarios include branding documents with company logos, adding signatures or stamps, or merging form templates with filled data.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Base PDF Input Type | How to provide the base PDF file. Options: Binary Data (from previous node), Base64 String (direct base64 content), URL (link to the PDF file). |
| Layer PDF Input Type | How to provide the layer PDF file. Options: Binary Data (from previous node), Base64 String (direct base64 content), URL (link to the PDF file). |
| Base PDF Binary Field | The name of the binary property containing the base PDF file (used if Base PDF Input Type is Binary Data). |
| Layer PDF Binary Field | The name of the binary property containing the layer PDF file (used if Layer PDF Input Type is Binary Data). |
| Base PDF Base64 Content | Base64 encoded content of the base PDF (used if Base PDF Input Type is Base64 String). |
| Layer PDF Base64 Content | Base64 encoded content of the layer PDF (used if Layer PDF Input Type is Base64 String). |
| Base PDF URL | URL to the base PDF file (used if Base PDF Input Type is URL). |
| Layer PDF URL | URL to the layer PDF file (used if Layer PDF Input Type is URL). |
| Output File Name | The desired filename for the resulting overlayed PDF file. Default is "overlayed_output.pdf". |
| Advanced Options | Custom JSON profiles to adjust extra properties for the API call, allowing advanced customization of the overlay process. |
| Binary Data Output Name | Custom name for the binary data field in the node's output. Default is "data". |
Output
The node outputs the overlayed PDF as binary data under the specified binary data output name (default "data"). The output contains the combined PDF file where the layer PDF content is placed over the base PDF content. The output can be used downstream in workflows that require the merged PDF file.
Dependencies
- Requires access to an external PDF processing API service capable of overlaying PDFs.
- Needs proper API authentication configured in n8n (e.g., an API key credential).
- Network access to URLs if input PDFs are provided via URL.
- No internal credentials or service names are exposed; users must configure their own API credentials.
Troubleshooting
- Common issues:
- Incorrect binary property names may cause the node to fail to find the input PDF files.
- Invalid or malformed base64 strings will result in errors during decoding.
- Unreachable or invalid URLs will cause download failures.
- Missing or incorrect API credentials will lead to authentication errors.
- Error messages:
- Errors related to missing input files usually indicate wrong binary property names or empty input data.
- API errors might mention authentication failure or invalid request payloads; verify credentials and input formats.
- Resolutions:
- Double-check the binary property names match those from previous nodes.
- Validate base64 strings before use.
- Ensure URLs are accessible and point directly to PDF files.
- Confirm API credentials are correctly set up in n8n.
Links and References
- PDF4me API Documentation — For details on custom profiles and advanced options.
- General PDF overlay concepts: Adding watermarks, stamps, or combining PDFs in document workflows.