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Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs

Last updated on Oct 1, 2024 | Also applies to Adobe Acrobat 2017, Adobe Acrobat 2020

Before you begin

Acrobat now has an improved interface, as shown. If you see a different experience, refer to help for your current experience.

Acrobat tools are dispalyed in the left pane.

About headers and footers

Acrobat allows you to add customizable headers and footers to one or more PDFs, which can include page numbers, dates, titles, and authors. You can also vary the headers and footers within a PDF, set the number of digits, starting number, and prefix/suffix for Bates numbering. The headers and footers can be saved for future use and previewed, edited, replaced, or deleted after application. Additionally, the margins of the headers and footers can be adjusted to avoid overlapping other page content.

Try it in the app
Add custom headers and footers in a few simple steps.

Open Acrobat

Add headers and footers

Open the PDF file to which you want to add the header and footer.
Select Edit from the Global bar in the upper left. Under ADD CONTENT, select Header and Footer > Add.
Customize the header and footer by selecting your preferred font, font size, and appearance. Additionally, you can modify the page numbers and date format, save your settings for future use, and apply them across multiple files simultaneously. Select OK.

Header and footer settings

You can customize the header and footer by selecting your preferred font, font size, and appearance. Additionally, you can modify the page numbers and date format, save your settings for future use, and apply them across multiple files simultaneously.

Font and margin settings: The text properties apply to all header and footer entries that are part of this setting definition. You cannot apply different settings to individual header or footer text boxes within the same session in the Add Header And Footer dialog box.

Appearance options: To prevent overlapping, select the Appearance Options link and select Shrink document to avoid overwriting the document’s text And graphics.

To prevent resizing or repositioning when printing the PDF in large format, select Keep position and size of header/footer text constant when printing on different page sizes.

Page Number and Date Format: To select formatting for automatic entries, select Page Number and Date Format.

Header and footer text: Type the text in any header and footer text boxes. To insert page numbers or the current date, select a box and then select the corresponding buttons. You can combine text with dates and page numbers. You can also add several lines of text to an entry.

Page Range Options: To specify the pages on which the header and footer appear, select Page Range Options. Then, specify a page range and choose a Subset option.

Preview: Examine the results in the Preview area, using the Preview Page option to see different pages of the PDF.

Save Settings: To save the header and footer settings for future use, select Save Settings.

Apply to Multiple Files: You can apply the same settings to additional PDFs. Select Apply to Multiple Files options > Add Files. Select the files and specify your folder and filename preferences in the Output Options dialog box. Select OK.

Update the headers and footers

Updating applies to the most recently added header and footer set.

Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
From the All tools menu, select Edit a PDF > Header and footer > Update.
Change the settings as needed.
Select Ok.

Add another header and footer

Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
Select Edit.
Select Header and footer > Update.
In the dialog box, select Add New.

The Add Header and Footer dialog box opens. The preview shows the existing headers and footers.

Add new header and footer
To add more headers and footers, type text in the header and footer text boxes.

As you type, the preview updates the appearance of the complete headers and footers on the page.
Select new formatting options as desired.
Select OK.

Replace all headers and footers

Open the PDF file containing header and footer.
Select the Edit mega verb from the global bar and select Header and footer > Update and then select Replace Existing in the dialog box that appears.

Replace existing header and footer
Specify the settings as needed, and select OK.

Remove all headers and footers

To remove headers and footers from a single PDF:
1. Open the PDF file containing the header and footer.
2. Select the Edit > Header and footer > Remove.
3. In the confirmation dialog box, select Yes.
To remove headers and footers from multiple PDFs:
1. Close all open documents.
2. From the All tools menu, select Edit a PDF > Header & Footer > Remove.
3. In the dialog box, select Add Files > Add files, and select the files.
4. Select OK.
5. In the Output Options dialog box, specify your folder and filename preferences.

Add a Bates numbering header or footer (Acrobat Pro)

Bates numbering is a method of indexing legal documents for easy identification and retrieval. Each page of each document is assigned a unique Bates number that also indicates its relationship to other Bates-numbered documents. Bates numbers appear as headers or footers on the pages of each PDF in the batch.

The Bates identifier is referred to as a number, but it can include an alphanumeric prefix and suffix. The prefix and suffix can make it easier to recognize the central subject matter of the files.

Note:

Bates numbering is unavailable for protected or encrypted files and some forms.

Add Bates numbering

When designating documents for Bates numbering, you can add PDFs, and any non-PDF files that can be converted to PDF. The process converts non-PDF file types to PDF, and then adds Bates numbers to the resulting PDF.

From the global bar in the upper left, select Edit. Under ADD CONTENT, select More > Bates numbering > Add.
In the Bates Numbering dialog box, select Add files, and choose Add Files, Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Then, select the files or folder and select Open.
Once you have added and arranged the files as needed, select OK. Then, in the Add Header And Footer dialog box, select to place the insertion point in the appropriate box.
Select Insert Bates Number. Then enter the following:
- In Number Of Digits, specify how many digits make up the Bates number, entering any number from 3 through 15. The default number is 6, which produces Bates numbers such as 000001, 000002, and so on.
- In Start Number, enter the number to assign to the first PDF on the list. The default is 1.
- In Prefix, type any text to appear before the Bates number.
- In Suffix, type any text to appear after the Bates number.
Note:

For court cases involving large numbers of pages, enter a higher value in Number Of Digits. Do not use the # character in the Prefix or Suffix text.
Select OK.

Bates numbering settings

Add Files: You can add files, folders, or open Files. If you add a folder that contains files other than PDFs, the non-PDF files are not added. If any files are password-protected, one or more messages appear in which you must enter the correct password.

Move Up or Move Down: To change the order in which Bates numbers are assigned, select a file, then drag it or select Move Up or Move Down.

To sort the list, select a column name. Select again to sort in reverse order.

Output Options: To specify a target folder for output files and filename preferences, select Output Options. Specify the options as needed, and then select OK.

Add more documents to a Bates numbering series

Before you begin, be sure that you know the last applied Bates number in the series.

Follow the procedure described in the previous topic to start the Bates numbering process, selecting the files to add to the series.
After you select Insert Bates Number, enter the next number in the series in Start Number. Enter the Suffix and Prefix text that matches the rest of the series.
Finish changing the settings, and then select OK.

Search for Bates-numbered PDFs

Select the hamburger menu > File > Advanced Search (Windows), or File > Advanced Search (macOS).
In the search word or phrase text field, enter all or part of the Bates number.

For example, to find a specific document when you know its Bates number, type in the complete number as the search text. To find any documents in a Bates number series, type in a distinctive portion of the Bates series, such as the prefix or suffix.
Under Where Would You Like To Search, select All PDF Documents In.
In the drop-down list, select Browse for Location and specify the location.
Select Search.

Note:

To search for Bates-numbered PDFs in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and enter all or part of the Bates number in the Search box on the PDF Portfolio toolbar.

Add Bates number to existing file names

You can prefix or suffix a filename with the Bates number. To add the Bates number to a filename, do the following:

Open a PDF in Acrobat, select the Edit mega verb from the global bar, and select More > Bates numbering > Add.
In the Bates Numbering dialog box, select Output Options.
Choose Add To Original File Names, and enter %BATES_NUMBER_KEY% in the Insert Before or Insert After fields as desired.
Select OK.

Remove Bates numbering

Open a PDF in Acrobat.
Select Edit.
From the left pane, select More > Bates numbering > Remove.

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