Bates numbering guide
Plan Bates number ranges without collisions
A repeated number can hide inside a large batch when each file is processed independently. Collision prevention starts with one complete assignment table.
Count pages before assigning
Read every source page count first. The end of one range and start of the next should come from the ordered batch, not a manual estimate.
Make continuation explicit
A continuous sequence advances through file boundaries. A per-section sequence needs independent counters and, usually, distinct prefixes or starting values.
Treat section overrides as data
Store each section name, prefix and start alongside the global plan. The same semantic rules should produce the same plan identifier regardless of internal UI IDs.
Detect labels, not only integers
The collision key is the final visible label. Different sections can reuse numeric values safely only when their effective prefixes keep the complete labels unique.
Stop on overflow
If a value has more digits than the selected padding, increase padding or revise the start. Silently widening a label after preview breaks deterministic placement and downstream expectations.