Bates for Mac

Quick summary

Bates is a free, no-frills application for stamping Bates numbers onto PDF files. It’s designed to be straightforward and easy to use, with a clean interface that keeps the process simple for legal, medical, or business documents.

Core functions

• Configure a custom Bates numbering format and apply it across pages.
• Adjust appearance options such as font style and color.
• Add numbering to PDF documents quickly without complex setup.

Benefits

• The interface is clear and approachable, requiring little learning time.
• The development team responds quickly to bug reports and support requests.
• No cost: the app provides useful functionality at no charge.

Drawbacks and caveats

• The app can only handle one PDF at a time, which may slow batch workflows.
• Many desktop word processors (for example, Word) can insert Bates numbers too, so this app may duplicate features you already have.
• If you need large-scale or multi-document processing, a different tool might be more efficient.

Should you install it?

If you occasionally need to add Bates numbers to a few PDFs and want a tidy, free utility to do it, Bates is worth installing. If your workflow already relies on a word processor or you require bulk processing, you may find the built-in tools there are sufficient and more convenient.