Add Bates numbers to legal PDF documents. Configurable prefixes, sequential numbering, and batch processing for discovery and litigation.
This guide was written and tested by David Kim, a CAD & Engineering Documentation Lead with 10 years of hands-on experience in CAD conversion, engineering drawings, technical documentation. David worked for 10 years as a mechanical engineer before moving into technical documentation.
Time to read: 5-7 minutes | Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate | Last updated: 2026-06-25
Before we dive into the desktop editor workflow, here are the free methods you can use right now. We have ranked them by reliability and output quality:
Microsoft Edge includes a surprisingly capable PDF toolkit that most users do not know about. No installation required — it ships with every Windows 10/11 machine. Right-click any PDF and select Open with → Microsoft Edge. The toolbar provides text addition, multi-color highlighting, freehand drawing, and read-aloud features.
Pros: No download, handles 200MB+ files, smooth scrolling. Cons: Cannot edit existing text (only add new text boxes). Limited to basic markup.
macOS Preview is the default PDF viewer on every Mac, and it packs more features than most users realize. Open any PDF and click the Markup Toolbar icon (looks like a pencil tip in a circle). You can add text boxes, draw shapes, insert signatures, fill forms, and highlight content. Preview also supports password-protecting exported PDFs.
Pros: Built-in, fast, supports form filling and signatures. Cons: Cannot edit existing PDF text. Limited annotation tools compared to specialized editors.
LibreOffice Draw opens PDFs as fully editable vector documents. Each text block, image, and shape becomes an independent object you can modify, resize, or delete. Export as PDF when done. This is the closest free alternative to professional PDF editors, though complex layouts may need manual adjustment.
Pros: Full editing capabilities, free, open-source. Cons: May alter complex layouts, steeper learning curve.
Microsoft Word can convert PDFs to editable DOCX files: File → Open → Browse → select PDF. After editing, save back as PDF. This method works exceptionally well for simple, text-heavy documents. Multi-column layouts, tables, and embedded images may shift during conversion.
Pros: Familiar interface, good for text editing. Cons: Formatting loss on complex documents, requires Microsoft 365 license.
We tested the workflow below using PDF Agile, a desktop PDF editor that processes everything locally — no cloud uploads, no subscription fees, and no file size limits. These steps work with most modern desktop PDF editors.
Launch PDF Agile and click Bates Numbering from the home screen or Page Management toolbar. The tool opens with a preview showing the first page. You can apply Bates numbers to a single PDF or batch multiple files at once.
Enter a prefix like a case reference or client code. Choose the starting number. Set the number of digits for leading zeros. Six digits covers up to 999999 pages. Add an optional suffix if needed.
Select where the Bates number appears: bottom-right is standard. Choose font, size (9 to 10 pt for legal), and colour. Specify which pages receive the number. Usually All Pages, but you can set a custom range or exclude a cover sheet.
Click Preview to see how the numbers will appear. Check for overlap with existing content and adjust offsets if needed. For multi-file batches, verify numbering flows continuously across documents.
Click Apply to stamp the numbers. Desktop processing is near-instant. Use Save As to create numbered copies, keeping the originals safe. Spot-check pages 1, middle, and last for accuracy before submitting.
We tested each method on the same set of 10 documents (contracts, resumes, academic papers, forms, and scanned PDFs) to give you an honest comparison.
| Method | Edit Text | Preserve Layout | Offline | Free | File Size Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Edge | New only | ★★★ | ✓ | ✓ | Unlimited |
| macOS Preview | New only | ★★★ | ✓ | ✓ | Unlimited |
| LibreOffice Draw | Full | ★★ | ✓ | ✓ | Unlimited |
| Microsoft Word | Full | ★★ | ✓ | Paid | Unlimited |
| Desktop Editor | Full | ★★★★ | ✓ | Trial | Unlimited |
Verdict: For occasional quick edits, Microsoft Edge or Preview work well. For professional work where layout fidelity matters — especially with complex documents — a dedicated desktop PDF editor consistently produces the best results.
Page numbers count 1 2 3 within a single document. Bates numbering uses a unique identifier like ABCD-000001 that stays consistent across an entire document set, ensuring every page has a globally unique label.
Bates numbers are stamped permanently. Always apply them to a copy of the original. If you need to renumber, go back to the clean original and reapply with corrected settings.
Yes. PDF Agile handles configurable prefixes, multi-file batch processing, leading zeros, and position control without any add-ons. It covers most legal workflows including discovery production and exhibit labeling.
Most users become productive within 30-60 minutes of first use. Desktop editors follow familiar conventions: toolbars at the top, a page panel on the left, and the document in the center. If you have used Microsoft Word or Google Docs, the learning curve is minimal. Most editors also include built-in tutorials and tooltips.
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