Why do the two numbers differ?

Printed numbers are ink on the page. Labels are a property of the document. Nothing keeps them in step unless you set both.

Which readers support labels?

All the major ones. A reader that ignores them falls back to counting from one.

Can I have roman front matter?

Yes. Set the first section to roman numerals and the next to arabic.

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Set PDF Page Labels

Make the page numbers your reader shows match the ones printed on the page.

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How it works

There are two page numbers in every PDF: the one printed on the paper, and the one your reader shows in its page box. They are entirely separate, which is why a report with a cover page and roman-numbered contents still shows as 1, 2, 3 in Acrobat. Page labels set the second. Use this alongside Add Page Numbers when the two should agree — which, for anything anyone will cite, they should.

Questions

Why do the two numbers differ?: Printed numbers are ink on the page. Labels are a property of the document. Nothing keeps them in step unless you set both.
Which readers support labels?: All the major ones. A reader that ignores them falls back to counting from one.
Can I have roman front matter?: Yes. Set the first section to roman numerals and the next to arabic.

Set PDF Page Labels

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