Orpheus

Add Page Numbers to a PDF

Numbers stamped into the file, not into a viewer.

Every tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.

Page numbers are drawn onto each page as text and saved into the file, so they show everywhere the PDF is opened. A cover page can be skipped by starting numbering on page 2.

How to use Add Page Numbers to PDF

  1. Add your PDF. Drag it in or click to browse. Several files can be numbered in one run.
  2. Choose position and style. Bottom centre is conventional; "7 of 24" helps with printed documents.
  3. Set where numbering starts. Start on page 2 to leave a cover blank.
  4. Download. The numbers are part of the file, not an overlay your reader adds.

About adding page numbers to a PDF

Page numbers in a PDF are ordinary page content: text drawn at a fixed position on each page, saved into the file like anything else. This is worth distinguishing from the page counter a reader displays in its own toolbar, which is generated on the fly, is never part of the document, and disappears the moment the file is printed or opened elsewhere. If a number needs to appear on paper, it has to be written into the file. The typographic decisions are conventional and worth following. Bottom centre is the default for most document types; bottom outer edge is preferred for anything bound, since it is visible when flipping pages. A number in the form "7 of 24" is genuinely useful on printed documents because it tells a reader whether pages are missing, and it is unnecessary on screen where the reader already knows. Two settings exist because numbering rarely starts at the beginning. A report with a cover page conventionally leaves that page unnumbered and prints "1" on the page after it, which needs a start page and a first number as separate values. Front matter numbered in Roman numerals is the same idea taken further, and is usually handled by numbering ranges separately rather than in one pass. One caution: this is an additive operation with no clean reverse. Once the text is drawn it is page content, and removing it means editing the content stream. Keep the original.

Frequently asked questions

Are the numbers permanent?
Yes. They are drawn into each page as text content, so they appear in every viewer, print correctly, and survive being emailed. This is different from the page counter a reader shows in its own interface, which is never part of the file.
How do I leave the cover page unnumbered?
Set numbering to start on page 2 and the first number to print as 1. The cover stays blank while the following page is numbered 1, which is the usual convention for reports and dissertations.
Can I remove them afterwards?
Not easily, and that is worth knowing before you start. Once drawn, the numbers are page content like any other text. Keep the original file — this tool writes a new one and never modifies what you put in.
Will they overlap my existing content?
They are placed in the margin, which is empty on most documents. If your layout uses the full page, choose a different position or a smaller size and check the first page before doing a long document.
Does my PDF get uploaded?
No. The file is read and rewritten inside your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere. That matters for the documents people usually number — contracts, reports and submissions.

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