Bates numbering guide
How to add Bates numbers to PDFs on Mac
Bates numbering becomes risky when files are stamped before the full range is known. A safer Mac workflow plans every page first, ties the plan to source hashes and writes only separate output copies.
1. Preserve and order the sources
Keep every original PDF unchanged and arrange files in the exact production order. Record a SHA-256 for each source so the plan is tied to bytes rather than a mutable filename.
2. Choose a numbering rule
Define a prefix, numeric padding and starting value. Decide whether numbering continues across every PDF or restarts for named sections such as Discovery and Exhibits.
3. Preview actual page boxes
PDF batches often mix Letter, A4, portrait, landscape and cropped pages. Calculate each stamp inside the page CropBox instead of applying one fixed canvas coordinate.
4. Run preflight
Block duplicate source hashes, labels assigned to multiple pages and numbers that exceed the chosen padding. Resolve every blocker before any copy is written.
5. Export and verify
Run a full source SHA-256 pass before export, verify each source again after its stamped copy, then bracket one final sequential SHA-256 pass with before/after file metadata snapshots. Reopen the outputs and retain CSV, JSON, human-readable receipts and a SHA-256 manifest together. These checks record observed source states, not one atomic snapshot of a mutable batch.