Thanks to a tip from Friar snoopy, I have a working Bates Number script. I got some interesting results when I ran this on the PDF specs at adobe.com. I'll post that next. 
#!/usr/local/bin/perl
$| = 1;                         # flush output 
use warnings; use strict;

use PDF::API2;
use POSIX qw(floor);
use Smart::Comments;

my $diemsg = setDieMsg();

my $batesStartStr = shift (@ARGV); die $diemsg.'(batesStartStr)' if !d
+efined $batesStartStr;
my $batesEndStr = shift (@ARGV) ; die $diemsg.'(batesEndStr)' if !defi
+ned $batesEndStr;
my $batesNum = shift (@ARGV) ; die $diemsg.'(batesNum)' if !defined $b
+atesNum;
my $scale = shift (@ARGV) ; die $diemsg.'(scale)' if !defined $scale;
my $adjust = shift (@ARGV) ; die $diemsg.'(adjust)' if !defined $adjus
+t;
my $infile = shift (@ARGV)
    or die $diemsg.'(infile)';

my $outfile = shift (@ARGV) || $infile.'bates.pdf';

my $pdf_in = PDF::API2->open($infile) 
  or die "can't PDF::API2->open($infile): $!";
my $pdf_out = PDF::API2->new(-file => $outfile);
;

my $pageCnt = $pdf_in->pages;
print "PDF Document $infile $pageCnt pages are now read into memory!\n
+" if $pageCnt >100;

# some globals
my (@mbox, $left_edge, $bottom, $right_edge, $top, $new_left, $new_bot
+tom);
my ($page_out, $page_in, $gfx, $xo, $txt, $font, $bates);

foreach my $pagenum (1 .. $pdf_in->pages) { ### Writing===[%]     done

  #
  # create new page
  #
  $page_out = $pdf_out->page(0);
  { 
    $page_in = $pdf_in->openpage($pagenum);

    #
    # Get the page size
    #
    @mbox = $page_in->get_mediabox;
    #
    # Inherit mediabox
    $page_out->mediabox(@mbox);
    ($left_edge, $bottom, $right_edge, $top) = @mbox;

    #
    # copy page as a form.
    #
    $gfx = $page_out->gfx;

    $xo = $pdf_out->importPageIntoForm($pdf_in, $pagenum);

    # move the scaled down image up to make room for Bates number at b
+ottom
    $new_left = 0;
    $new_bottom = floor ((1 + $top - $bottom) * (1-$scale));
    $gfx->formimage($xo,
                    $new_left, $new_bottom, # x y
                    $scale);   # scale

    $txt = $page_out->text;

    $txt->strokecolor('#000000');
    $txt->fillcolor('#000000');

    # print Bates string at bottom of new page, just left of center
    $txt->translate(my $_x = ($right_edge - $left_edge) / 2 - 10,
                    my $_y = $adjust
                   );
    $font = $pdf_out->corefont('Courier');
    $txt->font($font, 12);
    $bates = $batesStartStr.$batesNum++.$batesEndStr;
    $txt->text( $bates.$pagenum );

    # flush the page to save memory on big PDFs
    $pdf_out->finishobjects($page_out, $gfx, $txt);
  }
}

# finish up and exit
$pdf_out->save;
exit;

sub setDieMsg {
  return <<"DIE";
usage $0: batesStartStr batesEndStr batesNum scale adjust infile <outf
+ile>
  ex: $0 'Kramer v. Kramer-' '-NY2009' 42 .95 old.pdf new.pdf
  would Bates stamp the first page of old.pdf w/ the string "Kramer v.
+ Kramer-42-NY2009,
  increment the page number on next page(s), and output all of the pag
+es to new.pdf
DIE
}

[download]
mike

In reply to Re^2: Bates Number in PDF by emike
in thread Bates Number in PDF by emike

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