A HELPING HAND
Number PDF pages without numbering the cover
Add page numbers to a report while leaving its cover untouched. Set the first document page to mark independently from the first number you want readers to see.
Set two different starting points
- Import the PDF. To leave a one-page cover unnumbered, set the first page to number to 2.
- Set the first displayed number to 1, or another value if this file continues an existing document.
- Choose the top or bottom of the page and the alignment. Review the preview before creating the numbered PDF.
Example: a cover and twelve content pages
Input PDF: 13 pages First page to number: 2 First displayed number: 1 Output: cover unchanged, then numbers 1 to 12
Page positions mean positions inside the file, not numbers already printed on the pages. Page 2 is the second PDF page even if its printed heading says page 10.
The number / last number format shows 1 / 12 through 12 / 12 in this example. If ten numbered pages start at 5, the labels instead run from 5 / 14 to 14 / 14. The denominator is the last displayed number.
Avoid covering existing content
Placement follows each page’s visible orientation, including rotated and cropped PDF pages. Numbers are black and placed about 8 mm from the visible edge.
Inspect pages with footnotes, tables or existing page numbers. Existing numbers are not removed, and the new label may overlap content. Change the position if needed.
Verify the downloaded PDF
The operation preserves the page count, order, dimensions and rotation. Text remains selectable when the original supports it; pages are not turned into images just to add numbers.
Open the exported copy and check the cover, first numbered page and final number. Editing a digitally signed PDF may invalidate its signature: use an unsigned copy. The source file on your device is not overwritten.