Bates Numbering — Stamp Sequential Numbers Across PDFs
Applies Bates numbers — a prefix, a zero-padded sequence and an optional suffix — across a PDF, or across a whole set of PDFs with the count carrying on from one file to the next. Drop the documents in the order you want them numbered, set the format, and every page gets a unique identifier stamped in the corner. The files are never uploaded.
Bates numbering exists so that a specific page in a production can be referred to without ambiguity: ABC000412 means one page and only one page, whoever is holding the bundle. It is standard practice in litigation discovery, and it turns up in medical records requests, audits, insurance claims and property transactions for the same reason. The usual options are Adobe Acrobat Pro, which is a subscription, or an upload-based web tool — which is an odd thing to use for a discovery set.
Choosing a prefix and a width
A prefix identifies the producing party or the matter — often initials, sometimes a case reference. The digit count should comfortably exceed the size of the production, because a set that overflows its padding sorts wrongly and looks careless: six digits covers 999,999 pages and is the common default, while four is enough for a small bundle. Start numbers other than 1 are normal when you are adding to an existing production, so the new documents continue where the last batch stopped.
Numbering across several files
The point of a production is that the sequence is continuous, not that each file restarts. Add every document at once and the numbering runs straight through them in the order they are listed, with the range each file will receive shown beside its name before you commit. Each file is saved separately, keeping its own name with -bates appended, and a set of more than one arrives as a ZIP — so the bundle keeps its structure rather than being merged into one giant document.
Where to put the stamp
Bottom right is the convention, because it is the corner a reader’s eye lands on when turning a page and the area least likely to hold content. Keep the number small — 9 to 11 points — and give it a margin of at least 24 points so it survives printing and hole punching. Pages that are stored rotated or in landscape are handled in the orientation you actually see, so the stamp does not end up running down the side of a scanned exhibit.
Related: ordinary page numbers are in Add Page Numbers; before a production you may also want Redact PDF and Remove PDF Metadata.
How to use Bates Numbering
- Drop in one PDF, or all the documents in the production at once. They are read locally — nothing is uploaded.
- Check the order in the list. Numbering runs top to bottom, and each row shows the range that file will receive.
- Set the prefix, suffix, starting number and how many digits the sequence should be padded to.
- Pick the corner, the point size and the margin. Bottom right at 10pt with a 28pt margin is the usual choice.
- Download. A single file comes back stamped; a set comes back as a ZIP with each document named separately.
Features
- Continuous numbering across files — the sequence runs through the whole set instead of restarting for each document.
- Prefix, suffix and zero padding — produce ABC000001-CONF or any other house format.
- Range preview per file — see exactly which numbers each document will carry before anything is written.
- Any starting number — pick up where a previous production stopped.
- Rotated and landscape pages handled — the stamp is placed as the page is read, not as it is stored.
- Entirely local — discovery material and medical records are never transmitted to a server.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bates numbering?
A unique, sequential identifier stamped on every page of a document set, usually made of a prefix, a fixed-width number and sometimes a suffix — ABC000123 for example. It lets a specific page be cited without ambiguity, which is why it is standard in legal discovery and in records requests.
Does the numbering continue across several PDFs?
Yes. Add every file at once and the count runs through them in the order they are listed, so the last page of the first document and the first page of the second are consecutive. The range each file will receive is shown next to its name before you save.
How many digits should I use?
Enough that the production cannot overflow it. Six is the common default and covers 999,999 pages; four is fine for a bundle of a few hundred. A sequence that runs past its padding sorts incorrectly in a file listing, which is worth avoiding.
Can I start at a number other than 1?
Yes. Set the starting number to continue an existing production — if the last batch ended at ABC001240, start this one at 1241 and the prefix and padding will match.
Are my documents uploaded?
No. Every file is opened and rewritten by pdf-lib inside your browser. For discovery material, medical records or anything privileged, that is the difference between this and a web service that processes on its own servers.
Can the number be removed afterwards?
It is drawn as real page content, so a PDF editor could delete it — the same as any stamp. For a production you would normally keep an unnumbered master and treat the stamped copies as the record.
Do I get one merged file or separate files?
Separate files, each keeping its own name with -bates added. More than one document comes back as a ZIP. If you actually want a single combined PDF, merge them first with Merge PDF and then number the result.