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Page Numbers vs. Page Labels: What's the Difference?
Written and fact-checked by The EditPDF AI Team
Page numbers and page labels solve related but different problems — page numbers add a straightforward sequential count, while page labels let a PDF viewer display a custom numbering scheme that can change partway through the document.
Use Add Page Numbers when...
- ·You need a simple, sequential number printed visibly on the page — 1, 2, 3, and so on
- ·The whole document uses one consistent numbering style from start to finish
Use Page Labels when...
- ·The document needs different numbering styles in different sections — for example, Roman numerals for a preface, then Arabic numbers for the body
- ·You want the viewer's own page-number display (in the sidebar or toolbar of a PDF reader) to match a custom scheme, not just a printed number on the page
- ·You need a prefix, like "A-1" for an appendix
They can be combined
A document can use printed page numbers for readability on the page and separate viewer-level page labels for navigation — they are not mutually exclusive.
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