PDFMonks

Stamp a PDF

or drop them here
Choose at least one PDF first.

Add page numbers, headers, footers, watermarks, or Bates numbers to a PDF in this browser tab. The stamp goes on as real selectable text in one of nine positions, then the finished file is reopened and checked before the download appears. This version writes Latin text with three built-in fonts, and very large files can still exceed what your browser tab can hold.

How to stamp a PDF with page numbers or a watermark

  1. Choose one or more PDFs

    Press Choose PDFs, or drop files on the page. For a Bates run, put the files in the order the sequence should follow. The files stay in this browser tab.

  2. Choose the stamp job

    Add page numbers, a paired header and footer, a watermark, or Bates numbers. Set the pages, position, font, size, colour, opacity, rotation and offsets.

  3. Check both ends

    The first and last page stay visible while you work, so the start and end of a sequence can be checked before writing. The stamp detail preview zooms in on the exact placement.

  4. Read the verification, then download

    The result is reopened. Page geometry, the original selectable text and every new stamp must pass before the download appears. Bates runs download as a ZIP when several files are stamped.

A stamp is a new text layer, not a picture over the page

A stamp that flattened the page into a picture would cost you the text layer: the words underneath would stop being selectable, search would stop working, and a screen reader would get a blank page. This tool never does that. It appends a small content stream to each page you chose and writes the label into it as real text with a real font.

Everything already on the page is left alone. The stamp is added after it, so the original text keeps its position and its characters, and the new label is selectable too. Copy a page number out of the finished file and you get the number, not an empty selection. That matters when the stamped PDF is fed into a search index, a redaction workflow, or a tool like PDF to Markdown that reads the text layer.

Bates numbering is the same mechanism with a counter across files. You set the prefix, the first number and the digit width, then order the PDFs, and the sequence runs through them without restarting. That running sequence lets a reviewer cite one page, such as BATES-000143, without ambiguity after copying or reordering, and it is why the order of the file list matters more here than anywhere else in pdfmonks. The check confirms the sequence continues correctly from the last stamped page of one file to the first stamped page of the next.

The check reopens every output. It compares the source text with the stamped text, confirms the page geometry did not move, and looks for the new label on each page that was supposed to get one. A file that fails any of those is not offered for download.

When to stamp a PDF

Page numbers are the everyday case: a report that needs navigation, a manual printed double-sided, a contract where the parties reference page 4. A watermark marks a draft, a confidential copy, or a reviewed version so it cannot be mistaken for the final. Bates numbers are the legal and discovery standard: every page in a produced document set gets a unique identifier that survives copying, scanning and reordering, so a reviewer can cite page BATES-000143 without ambiguity.

Headers and footers carry case names, matter numbers, dates or firm identifiers across a document set. For a multi-file Bates run, order the files first and the sequence flows through them. When the stamped PDF also needs a signature, run Sign PDF after stamping so the mark lands on the numbered pages. When a stamped form needs to lock its field values, follow with Flatten PDF. To check that a stamped version matches an earlier one, use Compare PDFs.

Questions about stamping a PDF

Are my PDFs or stamp text uploaded?
No. The PDFs, previews and text you enter stay in this browser tab. usage data events carry only action names and counts, never file contents. The only exception is the optional problem report, which attaches a file only when you tick the box.
Can Bates numbers continue across several PDFs?
Yes. Choose several PDFs and put them in order. The sequence continues from the last stamped page of one file to the first stamped page of the next. The files download together in a ZIP.
Does stamping flatten the PDF?
No. The existing pages are not redrawn or rasterized. The stamp is added as a permanent, selectable text layer that copy and search can read.
Can I stamp only some pages?
Yes. Use all, odd, even, first, last, or enter page numbers and ranges such as 1, 3-5.
What happens to a digitally signed PDF?
Changing page content invalidates an existing digital signature. pdfmonks detects signature fields, explains the effect, and asks you to confirm before stamping.
What does the stamp check cover?
It opens every output PDF and checks the page count and geometry, that the original selectable text survived, and that every stamp landed on its page. Bates runs also get a continuity check across files. A failed result is not offered for download.
Can I choose the font and colour of the stamp?
Yes. Pick Helvetica, Times or Courier, set the size in points, choose any colour, adjust opacity, rotate the text, and shift the position with X and Y offsets in millimetres. This version writes Latin text: characters the chosen font cannot encode are refused with an explanation before anything is written.
Is there a limit on file size or usage?
No account, no usage counter in the tool, and no vendor watermark on the output. The practical ceiling is the memory of your browser tab, so a very large file can still fail on a small device.
Does the watermark work on scanned pages?
Yes. The stamp is added as a text layer on top of any page content, including scanned image pages. The scan underneath is not touched.

The other pdfmonks tools

They all run in a browser tab like this one, and none of them needs an account.

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