Bates Numbering for PDF
Use this free Bates Numbering for PDF to quickly get accurate results in seconds, free and instantly offline with no signup required ever, trusted by professionals in Austin, Chicago, Miami, Denver, Seattle, and New York for reliable daily use without accounts, subscriptions, limits, or delays on any device for everyday personal and business workflows daily.
Stamp Bates numbers (PREFIX-000001…) on every PDF page for legal document control — free in your browser.
Calculator Inputs
About Bates Numbering
Use this free Bates Numbering for PDF to quickly get accurate results in seconds, free and instantly offline with no signup required ever, trusted by professionals in Austin, Chicago, Miami, Denver, Seattle, and New York for reliable daily use without accounts, subscriptions, limits, or delays on any device for everyday personal and business workflows daily.
How Bates stamping works in seconds: Upload the PDF, set prefix, start number, zero-padded digit width, and corner position. Every page gets a sequential stamp like EXH-000001 incrementing by one. Results appear instantly at $0 cost in your browser.
Why Bates numbers matter for USA litigation on 09/22/2026: Courts require unique page IDs so parties cite identical references — a missing stamp voids $500,000 productions. Chicago litigators stamping 5,000-page discovery sets create an unbreakable citation chain. New York counsel paginating privilege logs need gaps to prove withholding, not sloppiness.
Prefixes, padding, and positions: Prefixes like EXH or SMITH identify the producing party; six digits sort cleanly to 999,999 pages. Bottom-right is the convention, top-right suits letterheaded pages. Austin firms run plaintiff and defendant sets with distinct prefixes so mixed exhibits never confuse.
Continuing numbers across files: Set Start Number where the last file ended — file two of a production starts at 2501 after file one ends at 2500. Miami clinics numbering 800-page medical chronologies chain three PDFs into one seamless EXH range. Denver auditors track multi-month productions on a single log sheet.
Caps and content safety: Stamps sit in 36pt margins, safe for standard layouts; pick the whitest corner for full-bleed scans. Runs cap at 200 pages per pass to protect browser memory — split larger sets, stamp sequentially, then merge. Seattle startups stamping 120-page diligence packs finish in one run.
Privacy and local processing: The pdf-lib writer loads from CDN but your file never leaves the browser — no upload, logging, or storage. Stamp privileged, medical, and financial productions freely with zero third-party exposure.
Multi-party prefix systems: Assign each producer a prefix — PLTF, DEFT, SMITH — so mixed exhibit tables sort by source instantly. Boston prosecutors numbering $2M RICO files keep agency prefixes distinct across 40,000 pages. San Francisco firms Bates-stamping diligence maintain prefix logs that survive associate turnover on 09/22/2026.
Production log pairing: Every stamped range gets a log row with date, custodian, and privilege calls — gaps explained, not questioned. Atlanta hospitals sequencing 2,000-page charts log withheld pages by range for privilege review. Phoenix mines logging 5,000 core-sample pages tie Bates ranges to assay databases for chain of custody.
Where it is used
Chicago litigators stamp $500,000 discovery sets, Austin firms mark exhibits, Miami clinics number records, Denver auditors label files, Seattle startups track diligence, and New York counsel paginate productions Boston prosecutors number $2M case files, San Francisco firms Bates diligence, Dallas adjusters stamp claims, Atlanta hospitals sequence charts, Phoenix mines log cores, and Philadelphia unions track grievances.
How to use the Bates Numbering
- Select PDF — select a file (application/pdf,.pdf) — PDF up to 50 MB. Files never leave your browser..
- Prefix — enter the value (e.g. EXH).
- Start Number — enter the value (e.g. 1).
- Zero-Padded Digits — enter the value (e.g. 6).
- Stamp Position — enter the value.
- Calculate — press the Calculate button to see the result instantly above.
Formula
Page i gets PREFIX + zero-padded (start + i).
Examples
Exhibit set
Continued production
Top-right stamp
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will stamping cover page content?
- Stamps sit in the margin (36pt). For full-bleed pages, pick the corner with the most whitespace.
- Can I continue numbering across files?
- Yes — set Start Number to continue where the last file ended, keeping one unbroken range across the production.
- How many digits should I use?
- Six covers up to 999,999 pages and sorts cleanly. Use four for small sets under 10,000 pages to keep stamps compact.
- Is my file uploaded anywhere?
- No. The writer library loads from CDN but your file never leaves the browser — no upload, logging, or storage.
- Why the 200-page cap?
- Browser memory safety. Split larger sets, stamp each with continuing numbers, then merge the stamped files.
- Do stamps work for court filing?
- Yes — sequential zero-padded stamps with party prefixes are the standard courts expect. Confirm position rules with local filing requirements.