In this post, we will show you how to add bates stamps using Adobe Acrobat, Nitro, and Foxit. A free way to add page numbers to PDF is also available.

How to Add Bates Stamp to PDF
Bates stamp is a technique that is used to index your PDFs for future use. Different from page numbers, bates numbers can be 3-15 digits with prefixes and suffixes.
It can be a tedious and time-consuming task if you manually apply Bates numbers to a PDF. Let’s take advantage of the technology and automate adding Bates stamps.
Adobe Acrobat is the top pick for inserting Bates stamps. Its easy-to-use Bate Numbering tool allows you to customize the serial numbers and then apply them to each PDF page in no time. Adding Bates stamps in the batch is also possible.
You can utilize Adobe Acrobat’s other tools to make Bates stamps look more natural. For instance, adding a border in PDF so that the inserted Bates stamps don’t appear above the main content. If necessary, you can even create another stamp and apply it to any PDF.
Step 1. Open a PDF. Click on the Edit PDF icon on your right side. You can also find the Edit PDF option in the Tools section. This will enable all PDF editing tools.

Edit PDF Tool in Acrobat
Step 2. Go to More > Bates Numbering > Add. Select a PDF you want to add Bates stamp to. If necessary, you can select multiple PDFs by clicking the Add Files icon and adding Bates numbers in batch.

Add Bates Numbering with Adobe
Step 3. Customize the bate numbers, for instance, font, size, color, and margin. Preview how it looks on your PDF and then click OK to apply.

Customize the Header and Footer Settings
Nitro is a comprehensive PDF viewer and PDF editor that helps get all your PDF tasks done. When it comes to adding Bates numbers in a PDF, the most outstanding feature is the layout adjustment. You have absolute control over where to place the Bates numbers. Besides, you can change the Bates number’s opacity, font, size, and color.
There is something you must know before turning to this software. Nitro costs $14.99 and its features can be overwhelming for average users.
Step 1. Right-click on a PDF, click on Open With and choose Nitro Pro. Alternatively, launch Nitro Pro, and drag and drop your PDF to this software.
Step 2. Switch to the Page Layout section, and choose Bates Number. This will allow you to add Bates numbers in the current document. To add Bates numbers to multiple PDFs, choose Multiple Files in the drop-down menu.

Nitro Bates Number Option
Step 3. In the Bates settings option, enter the Prefix, Suffix, and the start serial number, then change its font, size, color, rotation, and opacity, and select page range, and layout. Click Apply.

Add Bates Number to PDF in Nitro
With Foxit PDF Editor Pro, you can set the number of digits, start number, prefix, suffix, and rotate angle, allowing the Bates number seamlessly to integrate into your PDF. It is also a great PDF markup software.
Even though Foxit Pro works great while inserting Bates numbering in PDF, it has some downsides you can’t ignore. Firstly, it works extremely slowly while handling a great number of PDFs. Secondly, Foxit costs $9.17 per month.
Step 1. Open a PDF with Foxit. Go to Organize > Bates Numbering > Add.

Add Bate in Foxit
Step 2. Click Add Files if you want to add Bates numbers to multiple PDFs. Move up or move down the files to adjust their order.

Add More Files to Foxit
Step 3. Click Output Options to set the target output folder, name the file, or create the log file in the dialogue box. Click OK to confirm these settings.
Step 4. Add Headers and Footers option will pop up. Insert the Bates numbering to the PDF in the Macro menu. Click OK.

Setup Header and Footer
If you don’t feel like paying, why not add page numbers to your PDFs instead? After all, the page numbers can also be helpful to identify the content.
Try PDFgear, a free PDF editor equipped with lots of powerful tools. You can use it to compress and convert your PDF, edit PDF content, and add header and footer to PDF. Now, let’s dive in to see how to add page numbers to a PDF.
Step 1. Download PDFgear to your computer desktop. It is a completely clean and free software, do feel free to get it.
Step 2. Launch PDFgear, click on the Open File icon and then choose a PDF from your computer.

Open a PDF File in PDFgear
Step 3. Switch to the Edit section, and click on Page Number > Add.

Add Page Numbers to PDF Using PDFgear
Step 4. Now, pick a font, size, and color for the page number, then select the start page number. You can also set the margin, alignment, and position. Preview and apply for page numbers by clicking OK.

Customize the Page Number Settings
That’s the end of how to insert Bates numbers into a PDF. Adobe Acrobat, Foxit PDF Editor Pro, and Nitro Pro are all helpful to Bates stamp PDFs. Yet, they are all paid software and cause a large burden on your computer.
Alternatively, you can use PDFgear to add page numbers to PDFs. Except for adding page numbers, PDFgear enables you to edit PDF content, add annotations, manage PDF pages, and convert and compress PDFs. All features are completely free. Get it to your computer and edit PDFs as you wish.