How to add page numbers to the bottom centre of a pdf
- Step 1Open the page-numbers tool and drop your PDF — Load the document into PDF Add Page Numbers. One PDF per run; free tier up to 2 MB / 50 pages, Pro up to 50 MB / 500 pages.
- Step 2Confirm Position is bottom-center — It's the default, so you usually don't need to touch it. If a previous run changed it, select
bottom-centerfrom the Position dropdown. The number will be horizontally centred and 30 pt up from the bottom edge. - Step 3Set the starting number — Leave Start from at 1 for standard numbering, or set it higher to continue a series. The minimum is 1 — the first page always shows at least 1.
- Step 4Set the font size — Default 10 pt suits A4/Letter. Increase to 12–14 pt for large-format or presentation handouts; decrease toward 8 pt for dense pages. The typeface is always Helvetica.
- Step 5Check for footer collisions — If your document prints any centred text at the bottom (title, date, confidentiality notice), the centred number may overlap it. Preview a couple of pages. If they collide, switch Position to
bottom-rightinstead — the bottom margin can't be adjusted to move the number lower. - Step 6Download the numbered PDF — Save the result. The numbers are baked into the pages and will print and display everywhere.
Exactly where the bottom-centre number lands
Placement is computed per page from the page's own dimensions and the rendered width of the number. Values are in PDF points (1 pt = 1/72 inch).
| Quantity | Formula / value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal position (x) | (page width − number width) / 2 | True horizontal centre; recomputed for each page and each number's rendered width |
| Vertical position (y) | 30 pt from the bottom edge | Fixed margin; not adjustable. ≈ 10.6 mm / 0.42 inch |
| Typeface | Helvetica | Fixed; no selector |
| Colour | grey rgb(0.3, 0.3, 0.3) | Fixed; reads as a footer rather than body text |
| Number on page n (0-indexed) | n + Start from | First page = Start from; default Start from = 1 |
Bottom-centre vs the other positions
All six positions share the same 30 pt margin, grey colour, and Helvetica font; only the anchor differs.
| Position | Horizontal anchor | Vertical anchor | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
bottom-center (default) | Centred | 30 pt from bottom | Standard footer numbering, no existing centred footer |
bottom-right | 30 pt from right | 30 pt from bottom | A centred footer already occupies the bottom-centre |
bottom-left | 30 pt from left | 30 pt from bottom | Right corner is occupied (e.g. a logo) |
top-center | Centred | 30 pt from top | Bottom margin is too tight (full-bleed images at the foot) |
top-right / top-left | 30 pt from that corner | 30 pt from top | Running-header style numbering |
Cookbook
Bottom-centre recipes for the most common standard-numbering jobs, plus how to recover when the centred number collides with an existing footer.
Default standard numbering
The simplest case — drop the file, accept the defaults, download. Number centred at the bottom of every page from 1.
Position: bottom-center (default) Start from: 1 Font size: 10 Page (1) → 1 (centred, 30 pt up from bottom) Page (2) → 2 …
Mixed A4 + A3 document stays centred
A report with A4 text pages and A3 fold-out charts. Per-page centring keeps the number centred on both sizes without any extra setting.
A4 page (595 pt wide): x = (595 − w) / 2 A3 page (842 pt wide): x = (842 − w) / 2 Both land at the true horizontal centre of their own page, 30 pt up from the bottom. No per-size adjustment needed.
Larger numerals for a presentation handout
A handout printed two-up or projected needs a more visible number. Keep bottom-centre, raise the size.
Position: bottom-center Start from: 1 Font size: 13 13 pt centred Helvetica — readable across a room or when printed reduced. Default 10 pt is sized for A4 reading.
Collision with a centred footer — switch to bottom-right
The document already prints "Confidential — 2026" centred at the foot. Bottom-centre would overlap it; bottom-right avoids it because the margin can't be moved.
Problem (bottom-center):
Confidential — 2026
12 ← number lands on the footer
Fix (Position: bottom-right):
Confidential — 2026 12
centred footer untouched, number in the cornerContinue a series at bottom-centre
Section two of a manual should keep numbering where section one left off (ended at 40).
Position: bottom-center Start from: 41 Font size: 10 Page (1) → 41 Page (2) → 42 …
Edge cases and what actually happens
Centred number overlaps a centred footer
PreservedThe number is drawn on top of existing content at the same 30 pt bottom margin, so it can land over a centred footer (title, date, confidentiality line). Because the margin is fixed and can't be lowered, the fix is to choose a different Position — bottom-right is the usual escape when the centre is taken.
Bottom margin is fixed at 30 points
Not adjustableYou cannot push the bottom-centre number lower (closer to the edge) or higher to dodge content. 30 pt is hard-coded. If 30 pt sits inside your content area — for example on a heavily cropped page — your only lever is the Position dropdown, not a margin value.
Very large font size near the bottom edge
ExpectedA large font size (say 60–72 pt) at a fixed 30 pt baseline can make the number's top extend well into the page. The baseline stays at 30 pt; the glyph grows upward. For a footer number, keep the size modest (8–14 pt); large sizes are better suited to a watermark via PDF Watermark.
Full-bleed image at the bottom of the page
Low contrastGrey Helvetica at 30 pt from the bottom can disappear against a dark full-bleed image. The colour isn't adjustable, so move the number to top-center or a top corner where there's clear space, or add margin in your source layout before exporting.
Mixed page sizes
SupportedPer-page centring means every page is numbered at its own true horizontal centre, so a document mixing A4, Letter, and A3 looks consistent. The 30 pt margin and your font size are constant across sizes.
Re-stamping an already bottom-centred document
Double numbersRunning the tool twice stamps a second centred number over the first (now part of the page). To change the size or start value, re-run on the original un-numbered file rather than on the output.
Start from below 1
Min 1The Start from field won't accept 0 or a negative; the first page shows at least 1. Bottom-centre placement doesn't change this — it's a property of the Start from control, not the position.
Rotated pages
Follows page boxThe number is placed relative to the page's coordinate box. On a page with a rotation flag, the "bottom" the tool uses is the unrotated bottom of the page box, which may not match the visual bottom after rotation. If a scanned page is rotated, fix orientation first with Rotate PDF, then number.
Frequently asked questions
Will the number overlap content near the bottom of the page?
It can, if your document already has content at the bottom-centre (a centred footer, a low-sitting figure caption). The number is drawn on top at a fixed 30 pt margin — it doesn't move your content out of the way, and you can't lower the margin. If there's a collision, switch Position to bottom-right so the number tucks into the corner instead.
Can I move the number lower or higher at the bottom?
No. The vertical margin is fixed at 30 pt from the bottom edge for every bottom position. There is no margin control. To get the number into different space, change the Position (e.g. to a top position or a corner) rather than nudging the margin.
Is bottom-centre the same as a footer?
Visually, yes — a number stamped at the bottom centre reads exactly like a footer page number. The difference from a word-processor footer is that this is stamped directly into the page content (Helvetica, grey) rather than living in a footer region, so it shows in every PDF viewer and can't be toggled off. It also won't reflow if the page content changes.
Can I add text alongside the number, such as a document title?
No. The tool stamps a bare integer only — there's no way to combine a title, date, or "Page X of Y" with the number. For a centred footer that includes text, set it in your authoring tool and export to PDF. For a prefixed sequence like DOC-000012, use PDF Bates Numbering.
How is the number kept centred on different page sizes?
Horizontal position is computed per page as (page width − number width) / 2, using that page's actual width and the rendered width of the specific digit. So a document mixing A4, Letter, and A3 gets a correctly centred number on every page automatically — no per-size setting needed.
What colour and font is the bottom-centre number?
Soft grey (rgb(0.3, 0.3, 0.3)) Helvetica. Both are fixed — there's no colour picker and no typeface selector. Only the font size (6–72 pt) is adjustable. Grey is deliberate so the number reads as a footer, not body text.
Does bottom-centre print well on all printers?
Yes. At 30 pt (≈ 10.6 mm) from the bottom edge, the number sits inside the printable area of virtually all home and office printers, which typically reserve only a few millimetres of unprintable border. It's far enough from the edge to avoid clipping.
Can I start the numbering at something other than 1?
Yes — set Start from to any integer of 1 or more. The first page shows that number, and each later page increments by one. This is how you continue numbering from a previous section or document at the bottom-centre position.
What if the bottom of my pages is a dark image?
Grey numbers can be hard to see against a dark background, and the colour isn't adjustable. Move the number to top-center or a top corner where there's clear space, or add a bottom margin in your source layout before exporting to PDF.
Will bottom-centre numbers survive merging or flattening?
Yes. Because they're stamped as page content, they persist through PDF Merge and Flatten PDF. Note that merging won't renumber across files — number each part as you want it before combining.
Is the document uploaded to add the numbers?
No. Numbering runs in your browser via pdf-lib; the document never leaves your device. Only an anonymous usage counter is recorded when signed in. Suitable for confidential material.
Why is bottom-centre the default?
Because it's the most widely recognised page-number position across business, academic, and technical documents — placing it where readers instinctively look. The tool defaults to it so the common case needs no configuration; you only change Position when something already occupies the bottom centre.
Privacy first
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