HelperCratePDF Page Numbers
Add clean page numbers to a PDF with position, format and start offset.
Your files never leave your device. Everything runs in your browser.
What PDF Page Numbers does
PDF Page Numbers adds a clean footer or header number to every page of a PDF. Four formats, four positions, adjustable size and a start number cover the usual needs — reports, contracts, manuscripts, printed handouts.
Numbering matters whenever pages can get separated: a contract passed around a table, an evidence bundle, a manuscript under review. Adding numbers to an existing PDF is often the difference between a tidy document and one that has to be reprinted.
The tool writes real text with pdf-lib, so the numbers are selectable and searchable rather than baked into an image.
How to use PDF Page Numbers
- Add a PDF with the dropzone.
- Choose the Format: 1, 1 / 10, Page 1 or Page 1 of 10.
- Choose the Position: bottom centre, bottom right, bottom left or top centre.
- Set the font size (6–36, default 11) and the Start number (default 1).
- Click Add page numbers and download the numbered file.
Features
- Four formats: bare number, number of total, “Page n” and “Page n of total”.
- Positions at bottom centre, right or left, plus top centre, all with 28 pt padding from the edges.
- Font size from 6 to 36 in Helvetica, drawn in a soft grey that prints cleanly.
- Start number control for documents that continue the numbering of an earlier file.
- Selectable, searchable PDF text — not an image overlay.
- Runs entirely in the browser; nothing is uploaded.
Tips and common mistakes
- Bottom centre at 11 pt suits most reports; bottom right matches many house styles.
- For documents with a cover, number only the body so page numbers start where reading starts.
- With the “of total” formats, keep the start number at 1 unless the total actually matches the shifted range.
Frequently asked questions
Is the start number an offset or the first printed number?
It is the first printed number. With plain-number format and start 5, page 1 shows 5, page 2 shows 6, and so on. Use it when a document continues the numbering of an earlier volume.
What happens to “of total” when I change the start number?
The total is always the document's real page count. A 10-page file with start 5 in the “n / total” format reads 5 / 10 on the first page and 14 / 10 on the last — the numerator moves, the total does not. If that looks wrong, the bare number or “Page n” formats avoid the mismatch.
Can I skip numbering a cover page?
Not in a single pass. Extract the cover with Split / Extract PDF, number the remaining pages, and either keep the cover separate or merge it back with Merge PDF.
Will it overwrite numbers already in the PDF?
No. Existing page content is left as it is, and the new numbers are drawn on top. Which is exactly why it is worth opening the result and checking a couple of pages before printing.
Can I use Roman numerals or a different font?
No. The formats and the Helvetica font are fixed; the only typography control is the font size. Roman numerals would need a different approach.
Does it work on landscape or mixed-size pages?
Yes. The number is positioned relative to each page's own width and height, so mixed portrait and landscape documents still get consistent margins.
Related pdf tools: PDF Watermark, Split / Extract PDF, Merge PDF, Organize PDF Pages.
Numbering runs in your browser with pdf-lib; the document is never uploaded.