pdfMB

Add page numbers

See where every number lands before you save. Your file stays on this device.

  • No uploadYour file stays on this device.
  • Your original stays as it isYou download a new copy. Your file is never changed.
  • Free, no sign-upNo account and no daily limit.

What happens to your file

Everything below happens inside your browser, on your own device. The PDF is never uploaded, so nobody else, including us, can see it.

  1. Your browser reads the PDF into memory. Nothing is sent over the network.
  2. The preview is drawn on your device with pdf.js, the PDF viewer built into Firefox. pdfMB looks at the pixels where the number will sit and warns you if the page already has text or pictures there.
  3. Each number is added as real text on top of the page. The page’s own text, pictures and links are not changed, so anything you could select or search before still works.
  4. Numbers made of Latin letters and digits use Helvetica, which every PDF reader has. Thai text and Thai digits use the Sarabun font. Only the letters you use are stored in the file, which adds a few kilobytes.
  5. The number is placed by how the page looks on screen, so it sits in the right corner of turned or cropped pages too.
  6. Form fields stay fillable. If a form also carries an XFA copy (used by Adobe Reader for some government forms), that copy is removed so every reader shows the numbers.
In short
  1. Choose a PDF
  2. Pick a corner and a format
  3. Press “Add numbers”
  4. Download

How to add page numbers to a PDF

  1. Choose a PDF. A large preview of the first page appears, with the number drawn where it will go.
  2. Pick a corner on the small page diagram, and a format such as “1”, “1 / 35” or “Page 1 of 35”.
  3. If the preview says the number will cover text, press “Move it to a clear spot”, or try another corner.
  4. Need more? Leave the cover without a number, number only some pages, start from another number, or switch to Thai digits.
  5. Press “Add numbers” and download the new file.

When people use it

Reports and theses

Number the pages after the document is finished, without going back to the Word file. Leave the cover blank, or number only the chapters by choosing a page range.

Printed handouts

Numbers help people find their place when a stapled stack comes apart, or when you say “turn to page 12”.

Contracts and forms

“Page 3 of 10” on every page makes it easy to see that nothing is missing.

Thai documents

Thai text such as “หน้า 1 จาก 10” and Thai digits (๑ ๒ ๓) come out with vowels and tone marks in the right place, and can be copied as text.

What it can’t do

  • The number goes on top of the page. If the page has text right up to the edge, the number may cover it. The preview warns you, but it can’t make room that isn’t there.
  • Page numbers already printed on the pages are not removed or replaced.
  • Text in scripts other than Latin, Vietnamese and Thai (for example Chinese, Arabic or Hindi) can’t be drawn yet.
  • If your own text contains the Thai vowel “ำ”, readers built on pdf.js (such as Firefox) copy it as two characters. Chrome, Adobe Reader and others copy it correctly.
  • Password-protected PDFs, and PDFs whose owner has blocked editing, can’t be opened.
  • A digital signature in the PDF is no longer valid after any change, including adding page numbers.

Questions about page numbers

How do I leave the cover without a number?

Tick “No number on the first page”. The cover still counts as page 1, so the next page shows 2. If the page after the cover should show 1, open “More options” and set “Pages to number” to start at page 2 instead.

Can I start numbering from page 3?

Yes. Open “More options” and type a range such as 3-40 in “Pages to number”. Page 3 then shows 1. To make it show 3, set “Start counting at” to 3.

Will the number cover my text?

The preview checks that spot on the first few numbered pages, the last one and the page you are looking at. If text or pictures are already there, it warns you, and “Move it to a clear spot” moves the number closer to the edge or makes it smaller.

Can I use Thai digits?

Yes. Tick “Use Thai digits” and the numbers come out as ๑, ๒, ๓. It works with every format, including your own text.

Can I copy or search the page numbers?

Yes. They are real text, so you can select, copy and search them like any other text in the PDF.

Does it lower the quality?

No. The pages are not redrawn or compressed. Only the numbers are added.