Number the pages of a PDF
Number a thesis, a contract or a scanned manual without going through Word or a paid editor, and without sending the document to any server.
What it does
The tool writes the number as real text on top of each page, using the standard Helvetica font. You can pick from six positions, four formats (number only, “Page N”, “N / total” and “Page N of total”), the font size and the starting number.
The original content is untouched: the number is drawn in the margin, 28 points from the edge. If the document already had numbers, the new ones overlap; in that case use the pages field to number only the pages that are missing one.
How to use it
- Open Add page numbers.
- Add the PDF you want to number.
- Choose the position and the format of the number.
- Adjust the font size and the number the count starts at.
- Tick “Skip the first page” if the cover should stay clean and press the button to download.
Why ConvUp
Real text, not an image
The number can be selected and searched like any other text in the PDF.
Control over the count
Start at any number and skip the cover or the appendix.
Fully local
The PDF is processed in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Numbering a thesis without breaking the table of contents
In academic work the cover and the table of contents carry no number, and the body starts at 1. To get that, number the body range first with “Start counting at 1” and, if you want a clean cover, set the pages field to 2- or tick the skip-first-page box.
The number is drawn 28 points from the edge, inside the usual 2.5 cm margin, so it does not collide with the text. If your template has a footer with a rule or the title of the work, pick the opposite position to avoid overlapping: top if the footer is busy, bottom if the header is.
Why the number lands elsewhere on rotated pages
When a page has a 90° or 270° rotation, the viewer turns it for display, but drawn text is placed in the original coordinate system. The result is that a number set to “bottom centre” may appear on the side of that page. The fix is to straighten it first with Rotate PDF and number afterwards, when every page shares the same orientation.
If the document mixes page sizes (an A4 with an A3 appendix, say), the 28-point margin holds and the number stays centred on each sheet, so alignment between different sizes is not exact. For a formal document, unify the size before numbering.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start numbering on page 3?
Yes. Type 3 in “Start counting at” and limit the pages to the range 3- so the cover and the index stay unnumbered.
Which format is usual in a thesis?
Many universities ask for the number centred at the bottom or at the top right, with no decoration. “Number only” at 10 or 11 pt, in the position your rules require, is usually right.
What if the PDF already had numbers?
It works, but both will show. Number only the pages that have none using the pages field, or ask for the original file without numbering.
What about rotated pages?
The number is placed relative to the unrotated page, so on a rotated page it may end up on the side. Rotate it first with <a class="underline underline-offset-2" href="rotate-pdf.html">Rotate PDF</a> and number it afterwards.