Header and Footer for PDF Pages

Step-by-Step Guide to PDF Headers and Footers

Five steps, and most people finish in under a minute.

1. 1

   1. Choose the PDF

   Bring in the PDF with Choose file or by dragging it over. A preview of the first page appears, and you can click a template such as Page numbers, Title and date or Confidential to fill the six boxes in one go.

2. 2

   2. Fill the header boxes

   The Header row has three boxes marked Left, Centre and Right. Type only in the ones you want; an empty box is simply skipped.

   Common headers:

   • Left: your company or school name
   • Centre: the document title
   • Right: a reference such as REF-2291
3. 3

   3. Fill the footer boxes

   The Footer row works the same way. This is where page numbers and dates usually go.

   Try these:

   • Page {page} of {pages}
   • Printed {date}
   • {filename}
   • Confidential, internal use only
4. 4

   4. Use tokens for changing values

   Tokens are replaced on each page, so one line of setup covers the whole file.

   {page}{pages}{date}{filename}{title}

   What they become:

   • {page}: the number of that page, counted from First page number
   • {pages}: the total page count
   • {date}: today, in the Date style you pick
   • {filename}: the file name without .pdf
   • {title}: the title saved in the PDF, or the file name
5. 5

   5. Choose pages and style

   An empty Pages box covers every page, or enter ranges like 2-10. Switch on "Leave the first page (the cover) blank" if needed. Then choose the lettering, its size (6 to 24 pt), a colour, and how far the lines sit from the edges.

6. 6

   6. Add and download

   Press "Add header and footer". The stamped copy downloads with "-header-footer" in its name, and a note confirms how many pages were done.

No .pdf file to hand? Download a sample PDF file (6.3 KB) and try it.

Try it now

Popular Uses for PDF Header and Footer

Where people most often add a top or bottom line.

• Company reports Company name on the left, report title in the centre, page count at the foot.
• Project files and theses Student name and roll number at the top of every chapter page.
• Legal bundles A case reference in the header and "Page {page} of {pages}" below.
• Quotations and invoices Business name and a quote number repeated across a long price list.
• Internal documents A "Confidential" line in the footer of drafts before they go round.
• Meeting packs Meeting name and date on each page of the agenda and minutes.
• Study notes Subject and chapter in the header so printed notes stay sorted.
• Applications and submissions Applicant name and file name on every page sent to an office.

Headers and Footers for Different Users

Tips for Neat Headers and Footers

1. Keep each slot short. Two to six words per slot reads well; long sentences will run into the other slots.

2. Write "Page {page} of {pages}" in the footer centre. It is the layout readers expect.

3. Look at your PDF first. If it already has text very close to the top or bottom edge, the new lines may overlap it.

4. The footer sits close to the bottom edge. Print one test page if your printer trims wide margins.

5. Merge your files first, then add the footer, so page numbers run across the whole pack.

6. Rename the file before you start if you plan to use {filename}. The token prints the name as it is.

7. Flick between pages in the preview before saving. Any clash with text near the edge shows up there.

Further reading

• Page header and footer What running headers and footers are and how they are used in print.
• Running head The book-publishing tradition behind a line repeated at the top of each page.
• ISO 8601 date format Why written dates can be ambiguous between countries.