Add page numbers to PDF
Print page numbers on a PDF. Choose where they go, how they read and which number to start from.
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How to add page numbers to a PDF
- Tap Choose a PDF.
- Pick the position and the style.
- Set the number to start from, and tick the box if the first page is a cover.
- Press Add page numbers, then Save PDF.
The four styles
| Style | Reads as | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1, 2, 3 | Books, essays and anything where a plain number is the custom |
| Page 1 | Page 1, Page 2 | Letters and reports where a bare number could be mistaken for something else |
| 1 / 10 | 1 / 10, 2 / 10 | Short documents, where the reader should see how much is left |
| Page 1 of 10 | Page 1 of 10 | Contracts, statements and legal papers, where a missing page must be obvious |
The total in the last two styles is the number of numbered pages. With a cover skipped, a 10 page file reads “Page 1 of 9” on its second page.
Covers and starting numbers
Leave the first page without a number treats page one as a cover: it gets no number, and counting begins on the page after it.
Start counting at is for a document that continues from another. If part one ended on page 24, start part two at 25. It is also how to number an appendix that was produced separately.
Where the number is placed
Numbers sit about a centimetre in from the edge of the page, in a plain dark grey sans-serif type. The position is worked out for each page separately, so in a file that mixes portrait and landscape pages, or pages that are stored turned on their side, the number still lands in the corner you chose and reads the right way up.
The number is drawn on top of whatever is already there. If the document has a footer in the same spot, choose a different position, or a corner that is clear.
Before you number
- Get the order right first. Use reorder PDF pages or remove PDF pages, then number the result.
- Join the parts first. Numbering runs across the whole file, so merge PDF before numbering to get one continuous sequence.
- Numbers that are already printed on the pages are not removed. Numbering a document twice gives it two sets.
Numbers are added as real text, so they stay sharp at any zoom and can be found by searching. They become part of the page and cannot be switched off later, so keep the original file.
Questions
How do I start page numbers on the second page?
Tick Leave the first page without a number. The second page then becomes page 1.
Can I number pages as "Page 1 of 10"?
Yes. Choose the style Page 1 of 10. The total is worked out from the document.
Can I change the font or colour?
Not here. Numbers use a plain sans-serif type in dark grey, in one of three sizes.
Will the numbers cover my text?
Only if the page already has something in that spot. Pick a position that is clear in your document.
Can I remove the numbers afterwards?
Not from the numbered file. Keep the original, which is left unchanged.