Add Page Numbers to PDF

Reports, theses, contracts and court bundles need page numbers so readers can refer to them. This tool stamps a number on every page — or only the pages you choose — in the corner or centre you prefer, with formats such as “Page 3 of 12”. It writes real text with a standard PDF font, works on pages that are displayed rotated, and runs in your browser without uploading the file.

How to use this tool

1. Choose the PDF.
2. Pick the position and the format, such as 1, Page 1 or Page 1 of 10.
3. To skip a cover or contents pages, enter the pages to number (for example 3-) and the first number to print.
4. Adjust the font, size, colour and distance from the edge, then download the numbered PDF.

Formula

Number on the k-th numbered page = first number + k − 1; the total in “of N” formats = first number + numbered pages − 1.

Centre positions place the number at (page width − text width) ÷ 2. Edge distances are in millimetres (1 mm = 2.835 pt) and are measured on the page as you see it, so landscape or rotated pages get their numbers in the right corner.

Example

A 20-page thesis with a title page and an abstract: enter 3- as the pages and 1 as the first number with the “Page 1 of 18” format. Page 3 shows “Page 1 of 18” and the last page shows “Page 18 of 18”, since 1 + 18 − 1 = 18.

Fonts and characters

Numbers are written with the standard PDF fonts Helvetica, Times or Courier, which every reader displays without embedding anything, so the file barely grows. After saving, the tool reads the last numbered page back with a separate PDF reader to confirm the number really is in the file.