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Bates Stamp for PDF

Add a text stamp to the pages you choose, then number the same files on the Bates numbering page.

Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded

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Bates stamp means marking each page of a document with a label, usually a running number, and often a legend such as CONFIDENTIAL. This tool adds text stamps such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or EXHIBIT A to the pages you choose in a PDF. It runs in your browser tab with no sign-up and no account. You set the text, size, angle, colour, position, frame and pages, then get a new file with “-stamped” in its name. Running numbers are a separate job, handled on the Bates numbering page linked below.

Pick a corner or the centre of the page, choose how large the text is and at what angle it sits, and decide which pages get it.

How to use the Bates Stamp tool

  1. Open your PDF. If it is password protected, type the password into the box that appears. The password stays in your tab.
  2. In Stamp text, type what you need, such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or EXHIBIT A.
  3. Set Font size.
  4. Choose an Angle: 0, 45, -45 or 90.
  5. Pick a Colour.
  6. Choose a Position: one of the six corners or the centre of the page.
  7. Turn the frame option on or off.
  8. In Pages, choose which pages get the stamp.
  9. Save the result. The stamped file has “-stamped” in its name, so your original stays separate.

The tool works in your browser tab, and nothing is uploaded. After the first load it works with the network switched off. The PDF engine, about 2 MB, downloads the first time you open a file, so that first open takes a little longer. Look at the result before you share it, because the tool does not decide what should be removed or marked.

Add several files at once and the same stamp goes on the chosen pages of each. A preview of the first page shows where the stamp will sit before you save. To put the same words on every page, leave Pages as all. Use a smaller Font size for a corner stamp and a larger one for a stamp across the page.

What are the different elements of Bates numbering?

A Bates label has several parts: a prefix, a number with zero padding, an optional suffix, and settings for where and how it prints. Our numbering fields combine these into one label, such as ACME000101. The optional second line is where a legend like CONFIDENTIAL goes. Each element is set separately, so you can change one without touching the rest.

ElementWhat it controlsExample
PrefixText placed before the numberACME
DigitsZero padding, so every number has the same width6 digits gives 000101
SuffixOptional text placed after the numberAdded only if you set one
Second lineLegend printed under the numberCONFIDENTIAL
PositionWhere the label sits: top or bottom, and left, centre or rightBottom right
FontHelvetica, Courier, Times or Helvetica BoldHelvetica Bold
Pages to numberAll pages, or ranges such as 1-3, 5, 8-1-3, 5, 8-

Labels use Latin characters, because the standard PDF fonts support them. Any other character shows as ? and the tool warns you.

How do you bates stamp a PDF?

Bates stamping is usually two jobs: numbering every page in order, then adding a legend such as CONFIDENTIAL or DRAFT. Numbering is done on the Bates numbering page, and the text stamp is added with this tool. Do the numbering first, so the sequence stays correct across all your files.

  1. Open Bates numbering and add your PDFs in the order they should run. Move files up or down, or remove them.
  2. Set the Prefix and Digits, for example ACME and 6, so labels read like ACME000101.
  3. Set Start at, Step and Position, and choose the Pages to number.
  4. Add a Second line, such as CONFIDENTIAL, if the legend belongs under the number.
  5. Check the preview of the first page and the first and last label shown in the sequence line.
  6. Save the output. Each file has “-bates” in its name, and you also get a ZIP of all files and an index CSV that lists each file, its pages, its first and last label, and the SHA-256 of each output file.
  7. Open the numbered files here if a stamp such as EXHIBIT A should also go on chosen pages.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bates numbering?

Bates numbering gives each page in a set of documents its own sequential label, such as ACME000101 and ACME000102. The label can be a plain number or include letters, so anyone can point to one exact page later. You can number your PDFs on the Bates numbering page.

What is a Bates stamp document?

A Bates-stamped document is a file where every page carries one of these sequential labels, often with a legend such as CONFIDENTIAL under it. The stamp lets people cite a specific page by its label. This tool adds the text stamp part, such as DRAFT or EXHIBIT A.

In legal work, “Bates” refers to the sequential page numbering applied to documents that are exchanged or filed in a case. Each page gets a unique identifier, so both sides can refer to the same page. People also use “Bates stamp” as a verb, meaning to number and mark a set of pages.

When should I use Bates numbering in PDF files?

Use it when people need to refer to exact pages later, for example when documents are exchanged in a legal matter. It also helps when you index a large set of PDFs, because a label like ACME000205 points straight to one page. Numbering makes content easier to find than “page 5 of file 3”.