Bates Numbering for PDF
Choose a PDF, type a prefix, pick the number of digits and the start number, and download a copy with a unique label on every page. Labels use Latin letters, digits and common symbols only.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose or drop a PDF.
- Type the prefix, set the digits, the first number and the corner. The line under the fields shows the first and last label.
- Press Stamp and download. The file is named
name-bates.pdf.
How it works
For every page the label is the prefix followed by the counter padded with zeros to the chosen number of digits. It is measured in Helvetica, placed inside your margin and drawn in black on top of the page content with pdf-lib. The font size can be 4 to 72 pt and the distance from the edge 0 to 200 pt.
Example
Prefix ABC-, 6 digits, first number 7 on a 3-page file: the pages read ABC-000007, ABC-000008 and ABC-000009.
Tips
- Keep the margin at 20 pt or more so printers do not cut the label off.
- Number the combined file after merging, so the count runs through all documents.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bates numbering?
It is a running label, a prefix plus a number with a fixed number of digits, such as ABC-000001, put on every page of a set of documents so that each page can be named exactly. Lawyers use it for documents shared in a case.
What happens when the number has more digits than I chose?
The number is written in full and never cut. With 3 digits, page 1000 reads ABC-1000.
Can I continue numbering from a previous set?
Yes. Set First number to the next unused number. If the last page of the previous set was ABC-000250, start at 251.
Can I use Cyrillic or other letters in the prefix?
No. The stamp uses Helvetica, a standard PDF font with Latin letters only, and the tool tells you if the prefix has a character it cannot draw.
Does it work on rotated pages?
Yes. The label is placed as the page looks in a viewer, so Bottom right is the visual bottom-right corner even for a page stored sideways.