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    Set PDF Page Labels

    Set roman, arabic or prefixed page labels by section

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    Choose a PDF and its contents will be analyzed and shown here.

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    Define the page labels (/PageLabels) viewers show for front matter, body and appendices

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    Task settings
    Sections

    Set a numbering style for each start page. The same rule continues until the next section begins. The physical page order and count don’t change. Built-in browser viewers may ignore labels and show physical page numbers only.

      Preview

      The label each page will get once you save.

        Remove the password from an encrypted PDF first. Processing focuses on page content, so bookmarks, attachments, forms and signatures may not be preserved. Keep the original and check the result.

        About Set PDF Page Labels

        Books number the front matter i, ii, iii and restart the main text at 1. In a PDF that creates a mismatch: the viewer's page box counts from the first sheet of the file, so typing 12 to reach printed page 12 lands you as many pages early as there are front-matter pages.

        Page labels are the PDF feature that fixes this. You record rules in the catalog such as “from this sheet on, number pages this way”, and the viewer's page box and Go to Page follow the printed numbers. Page content, order and count don't change at all.

        How the section rules work

        Rules are set per section. Each section has a start sheet, a numbering style, a prefix and a starting number, and the rule carries on until the next section begins. The styles are Arabic numbers, lowercase (i, ii, iii) and uppercase (I, II, III) Roman numerals, lowercase (a, b, c) and uppercase (A, B, C) letters, and prefix only. Letters continue from z to aa and from zz to aaa. With prefix only, every sheet in the section gets the same label, such as “Cover”.

        If the first section doesn't start at sheet 1, the tool adds a section at sheet 1 using Arabic numbers from 1, because viewers handle unlabelled pages inconsistently. Sections sharing a start sheet are flagged as an error before saving.

        Separate from printed page numbers

        Labels are used only in the on-screen page box; they never print on paper. Likewise, numbers stamped with the add page numbers tool don't change the labels. To make the two agree, apply the same rule, for example “1 from sheet 5”, in both places. Chrome's and Edge's built-in viewers may ignore labels and show physical order only, so check in a viewer such as Acrobat Reader.

        Worked examples

        A report with front matter, body and appendix

        Input
        130 sheets. Section 1: Roman from sheet 1. Section 2: Arabic from 1 at sheet 5. Section 3: prefix “A-”, Arabic from 1 at sheet 121
        Output
        Sheets 1–4: i–iv; sheets 5–120: 1–116; sheets 121–130: A-1 to A-10

        Body page 12 is the 16th sheet, but typing 12 in the page box opens it directly. Without the appendix section, sheet 121 would simply continue as 117.

        How to use it

        1. Add the PDF; the total number of pages is shown.
        2. Add sections with start page, style, prefix and starting number, and check each page's label in the preview.
        3. Run, save and check the page box in a dedicated viewer.

        Frequently asked questions

        Can I use uppercase Roman numerals (I, II) or letters (A, B, C)?

        Yes. All five styles in the specification (PDF 32000 12.4.2) are available: Arabic, lowercase and uppercase Roman, and lowercase and uppercase letters. To letter appendices A, B, C, start a section at the first appendix sheet with “Uppercase letters”; for labels like “Appendix A”, put “Appendix ” in the prefix.

        What happens to existing labels?

        When you open the file, any existing /PageLabels are read into the section list, with a warning that shows the first few labels. Keep or edit them; on save the labels are replaced entirely by the rules in the list.

        What if I add or delete pages later?

        Labels are tied to sheet positions, so inserting sheets near the front shifts later section boundaries. Set labels last, after page editing is finished.

        Notes

        How document-wide settings gather in the catalog is covered in the guide “How PDF Files Work”.

        Sources

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