How to number the pages of a thesis or dissertation PDF

The usual thesis numbering scheme

Most graduate schools follow the same convention, with small local variations, so read your program's formatting guide before you finalize the file.

• Title page: counted as page i but no number is printed
• Front matter (abstract, acknowledgments, table of contents, lists of figures and tables): lowercase Roman numerals ii, iii, iv
• Body text from chapter 1 to the last appendix: Arabic numerals starting at 1
• Numbers placed consistently, usually bottom center or top right, at least 0.5 in from the page edge
• Landscape pages keep the number in the same position as portrait pages

Why the exported PDF often loses its numbers

Combining a Word front matter file with a LaTeX body, merging chapter PDFs from co-authors, or inserting a scanned signature page all break the numbering that each source had. Numbering the final merged PDF once, at the end, is the reliable fix.

Numbering a thesis with PaperKit

PaperKit Add Page Numbers takes a page range, a first number, and Arabic or Roman numerals, so the two conventions take two quick runs on the same file.

• First run: pages 2-8 (or wherever the body starts), lowercase Roman, first number 2, so the abstract and contents read ii, iii, iv while the title page stays blank
• Second run on the numbered output: pages 9-999, Arabic numerals, first number 1, so chapter 1 starts at page 1
• Pick bottom center or top right to match your graduate school guide, and 10 to 12 points for the font
• Check the preview: the total shown in "3 / 12" is the last number of the current run, so choose the plain "3" style if your school wants bare numbers

Continuous numbering for simpler submissions

Many master's programs and most journals only ask for continuous Arabic numbering from the first page. In that case drop the whole PDF onto the page-number tool, pick bottom center or top right, and download. Nothing is uploaded, so an embargoed thesis stays on your computer.

Check before you upload to ProQuest or the repository

A last pass through the PDF catches the errors that get a thesis returned for corrections.

• Every page has exactly one number, including appendices
• No number on the title page or approval page
• Numbers sit inside the margin the school allows
• The file is a single PDF with fonts embedded and no security settings
• File size is under the repository limit, usually tens of megabytes