# PDF Page numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158 "2019-08-24T14:23:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/1 "2019-08-24T14:23:34Z")
I am using Microsoft Edge to read a pdf file. The file has many pages, and when I tell it to go to page 43, for example, Microsoft Edge goes to page 34. I understand that there are a few pages before the main section, where the pages are numbered. So, how can I fix this? I can edit the pdf some in PDF Element 6. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/2 "2019-08-24T14:36:23Z")
This is easy. In your mind, add 9 to the page you want to go and you’ll be there! For example, if you want to go to page 34, add nine and get 43. Then tell it to go to page 43 and you’ll be at page 34. Or, if you wanted to go to page 43, add nine and get 52. Tell it to go to page 52 and you’ll be on page 43. Easy-Peasy, Lemon-Squeezy . ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/3 "2019-08-24T14:49:04Z")
Smart ass! ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/4 "2019-08-24T15:01:37Z")
> [@Ficer67](#): > > Smart ass! I’m not sure what you want. Insults don’t work very well, though. If you’re asking if you can change the way Adobe handles internal page numbers vs. external page numbers, I am going venture a guess and say you can’t. That is what the program does. If you can edit the document to eliminate all pages before page 1, that might work, but it wouldn’t be the same document. You might also be able to tell Adobe to renumber the pages making the first page \, but, depending on the document, that could easily screw-up more things that it fixes. The solution I gave is the easiest, most practical solution I know of. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but I think insulting posters in this forum is not the way it is supposed to work. ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/5 "2019-08-24T15:06:36Z")
PDF has support for a means to do what you want (page labels), but the document has to be configured to include them and the PDF viewer you’re using has to support this feature. I’d be surprised if Edge does, but Adobe Reader and Acrobat sure do. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/6 "2019-08-24T15:06:56Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > I’m not sure what you want. Insults don’t work very well, though. > > If you’re asking if you can change the way Adobe handles internal page numbers vs. external page numbers, I am going venture a guess and say you can’t. That is what the program does. If you can edit the document to eliminate all pages before page 1, that might work, but it wouldn’t be the same document. You might also be able to tell Adobe to renumber the pages making the first page \, but, depending on the document, that could easily screw-up more things that it fixes. The solution I gave is the easiest, most practical solution I know of. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but I think insulting posters in this forum is not the way it is supposed to work. Insulting me with that answer is not a good way to earn my respect. I already know how to run, there-fore I already know how to walk and crawl. I don’t need any kind of explanation on how to do those tasks. I don’t think I need any more help from you. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/7 "2019-08-24T15:08:45Z")
> [@Dickerman](#): > > PDF has support for a means to do what you want (page labels), but the document has to be configured to include them and the PDF viewer you’re using has to support this feature. I’d be surprised if Edge does, but Adobe Reader and Acrobat sure do. Thankyou Dickerman - I am grateful. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/8 "2019-08-24T15:16:50Z")
Using a PDF editing program like Acrobat you can renumber the pages, also put in sections numbered in Roman or alphabetically instead of Arabic numerals, etc. Not sure how to do it using the program you have; in Acrobat it is under “Number Pages” in the options menu when viewing page thumbnails, mutatis mutandis for different versions. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/9 "2019-08-24T15:21:56Z")
I thought non-serious answers were frowned on in GQ, at least before the actual question gets answered. Sure was nice when it was that way. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/10 "2019-08-24T15:22:21Z")
Thanks Guys Using Adobe Acrobat Reader has solved the problem. I don’t know why Microsoft cannot make a good pdf reader. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/11 "2019-08-24T15:48:29Z")
Yes, the problem is that most PDF readers don’t give a hoot what’s in the content. They just detect page breaks. After all, it’s entirely possible to number a document so each chapter starts number pages again from 1. Pages can be numbered a,b,c, or I,ii,iii, iv, v,… or 1:1, 1:2, 2:1, 2:2, 2:3… To add the ability to handle all these cases would seriously complicate a program that at its heart, only wants to conveniently also show you pages of a PDF or a word document but really its main purpose is to show HTML. Adobe Reader is a whole giant program on its own just to handle those extra features. I assume you figured out how to make Adobe your default PDF reader… Microsoft likes to ship Windows 10 with Edge as the default. **Excav** I think was not trying to be funny, but to point out lightheartedly that the situation with Edge and any other browsers is (as someone said about Microsoft problems) “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/12 "2019-08-24T15:51:45Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I thought non-serious answers were frowned on in GQ, at least before the actual question gets answered. Sure was nice when it was that way. I think **excavating** was trying to be helpful and give an answer that _was_ serious (in substance if not in style). [But apparently the OP didn’t see it that way.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=880933) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/13 "2019-08-24T15:54:15Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I think **excavating** was trying to be helpful and give an answer that _was_ serious (in substance if not in style). [But apparently the OP didn’t see it that way.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=880933) You may be right. thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/14 "2019-08-24T17:25:07Z")
> [@Ficer67](#): > > I don’t know why Microsoft cannot make a good pdf reader. I bet that they could, by why would they? Acrobat reader has been basically the global standard for reading PDF files for two decades, and it’s free. What incentive does MS have to invest any significant time and money in a reader, especially when there are also other (arguably even better) free PDF readers available, like Foxit. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/15 "2019-08-24T22:28:29Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I thought non-serious answers were frowned on in GQ, at least before the actual question gets answered. Sure was nice when it was that way. I agree with the other posted that this was a serious attempt to provide a immediate solution. It may not be what the OP wanted, however it was a workable solution that may have been helpful. In GQ I’ve seen it many times, a workaround, almost emergency, solution posted early, then other solutions posted later. And to me that fits GQ guidelines. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/16 "2019-08-24T23:22:16Z")
You could have handled that _so_ much better. For example, you might have said, “Yes, thank you. I know that is an option but I’m looking for a better solution.” Instead you chose to be rude to someone who offered sincere advice that addressed your question. That discourages people from wanting to help you in the future. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/17 "2019-08-25T05:59:45Z")
> [@Ficer67](#): > > I don’t know why Microsoft cannot make a good pdf reader. They can. But they don’t. As Heinlein wrote, the answer to any question beginning “why don’t they” is almost always “money”. There’s no incentive for them to do that. MS Edge is already free. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/18 "2019-08-25T12:24:54Z")
To re-ask the OP’s question, I frequently see references to PDF documents where a specific piece of information is stored on a certain page within the document. This page reference is not the sheet number, but a page number based on the first document page after the cover, publishing information, table-of-contents, etc. With Microsoft Edge, if I click on the pdf page, I can go to any sheet number I want. Is there a function in Microsoft Edge, or Adobe Acrobat Reader for that matter, that recognises the document’s internal numbering system and will take me to the page number I want? For example, “Money in the Socialist Community” starts on page 91 of the below document. To find the sheet number, I need to scroll down to the first page, which is sheet 13, subtract 1, and then add 91. > **[Theory%20of%20Money%20and%20Credit.pdf](https://mises-media.s3.amazonaws.com/Theory%20of%20Money%20and%20Credit.pdf)** > > 38.17 MB And of course, the number of initial sheets before the first page is going to vary between documents. Is there a shortcut which will take me directly to the page I want, rather than me finding it out via searching and arithmetic? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/19 "2019-08-25T13:02:10Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > For example, “Money in the Socialist Community” starts on page 91 of the below document. To find the sheet number, I need to scroll down to the first page, which is sheet 13, subtract 1, and then add 91. > [https://mises-media.s3.amazonaws.com/Theory%20of%20Money%20and%20Credit.pdf](https://mises-media.s3.amazonaws.com/Theory%20of%20Money%20and%20Credit.pdf) > And of course, the number of initial sheets before the first page is going to vary between documents. Is there a shortcut which will take me directly to the page I want, rather than me finding it out via searching and arithmetic? That document is just a series of scans of the pages of a book with no attempt to provide a ToC or anything. You are really out of luck there. It would require a reader programmed to do OCR, look for page numbers, chapter headings, etc. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158/20 "2019-08-25T14:22:21Z")
If it’s something you refer to a lot, it may be worth editing the page numbers as described, or getting a better electronic edition (a really decent edition wouldn’t just have the page numbering fixed, it would also have internal links for navigating within the book). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-page-numbers/839158.md?page=2)