How to Merge PDF Pages and Add New Page Numbers for Printing
Question details
The user wants to place two PDF pages onto a single printed sheet and assign new sequential page numbers that correspond to the newly merged output, rather than keeping the original document's numbering.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat / PDF Editors
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Preparing a PDF document for printing by saving space with a 2-pages-per-sheet layout, and ensuring the printed output has accurate, sequential page numbering at the bottom of the combined pages.
- Observed behavior
- The user needs a method to reformat the document layout to multiple pages per sheet and apply new page numbers to the resulting combined document.
Ensure you have a full PDF editor equipped with a virtual PDF printer (such as Adobe Acrobat DC or WPS Office), as free PDF readers typically do not support editing headers, footers, or saving modified print layouts.
Reformat Layout via Print to PDF and Add New Page Numbers
Use a virtual PDF printer to merge two pages onto one sheet, save it as a new document, and then apply new page numbers using Header & Footer tools.
This method involves a two-step process: first 'flattening' the two-page layout into a brand new PDF file, and then applying a fresh set of page numbers to the resulting pages.
Note that 'Adobe PDF' as a printer option is only available in the paid Adobe Acrobat DC version, not the free Reader. Windows users without Acrobat can use 'Microsoft Print to PDF' instead.
Open your original PDF in Adobe Acrobat DC. Navigate to 'File' > 'Print' to open the print settings window.
In the Printer dropdown menu, select 'Adobe PDF' (or 'Microsoft Print to PDF'). Under the 'Page Sizing & Handling' section, select 'Multiple' and set 'Pages per sheet' to 2. Click 'Print' and save the result as a new PDF file.
Open the newly saved PDF document in Acrobat. Go to 'Tools' > 'Edit PDF' and select 'Header & Footer' > 'Add...' from the top toolbar.
Click into the desired footer or header text box, click 'Insert Page Number', adjust the font settings, and click 'OK' to apply the new sequential numbers to your combined pages.
Merge PDF Pages and Re-Number Easily with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a comprehensive PDF toolkit that allows you to easily combine multiple pages onto a single sheet via virtual printing, and quickly insert new page numbers using its intuitive Header and Footer features.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your original PDF file.
- 2. Print to a New PDF File: Go to 'Menu' > 'Print'. Under the Printer Name, select a virtual printer like 'Microsoft Print to PDF'. Under Page Handling, choose 'Multiple pages per sheet' and set it to 2.
- 3. Save the Merged Document: Click 'Print' and choose a destination on your computer to save the newly formatted layout as a PDF.
- 4. Open the New File: Open the newly created PDF containing the merged pages in WPS Office.
- 5. Insert Page Numbers: Navigate to the 'Insert' tab and click 'Page Number' or 'Header and Footer'. Select your preferred numbering style and location, then click 'OK' to apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my original page numbers still showing after merging pages?
When you print multiple pages per sheet to a new PDF, the original text—including old page numbers—is flattened into the document image. To resolve this, you must either remove the page numbers from the original PDF before printing, or cover the old numbers in the new PDF using a white shape/redaction tool before applying new numbers.
Can I merge two PDF pages into one without using the print dialog?
Yes, some advanced PDF editors offer 'page stitching' or imposition features that allow you to combine pages side-by-side using layout tools without creating a virtual print file. However, utilizing the 'Print to PDF' method is typically the most universally accessible and fastest way to achieve this result.
What is Bates Numbering and do I need it?
Bates Numbering is a specialized indexing method used primarily in legal, medical, and business documents to assign unique, sequential alphanumeric labels to each page. If you only need standard sequential numbers (1, 2, 3), the regular Header and Footer tool is completely sufficient.
Why can't I select 'Adobe PDF' as my printer?
The 'Adobe PDF' virtual printer is installed exclusively alongside the paid versions of Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Pro). If you are using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, this option will be missing. Windows users can natively use 'Microsoft Print to PDF' as a free alternative to achieve the exact same result.
