Your three quarterly reports each start at page 1. Combining them means deciding: do you want them to still start at 1, 1, 1 — clear about where each section begins — or to renumber so the merged file runs 1 through 247?
Both are valid. Flint lets you pick, and neither approach re-renders the document.
The two questions you're answering
First: are the original page numbers part of the file content (typed into the PDF itself) or part of the PDF metadata (page labels)? If they're metadata, Flint preserves them automatically — page 47 of source A is still labelled 47 in the merged file. If they're typed into the page, they're permanent and Flint can't change them. Second: do you want a unified numbering scheme added on top? That's a separate step.
Preserving original page labels
PDF supports page labels independent of physical page index. A 300-page book can have pages labelled 'i, ii, iii, 1, 2, 3, ... A-1, A-2'. When you merge in Flint, these labels are preserved per source file. Your merged file looks identical to how each source looked, with its original pagination intact.
Adding unified numbering
If you want '1 of 247' on every page of the merged file, do the merge first, then edit the PDF to add a page-number stamp. Flint's editor places consistent numbering in any corner, with any starting offset. Tip: number from page 3 if your first two pages are a cover and table of contents.
Header and footer survival
If your sources have typed-in headers/footers (company name, date, chapter title), they're part of the page content and survive the merge unchanged. If they were template fields in Word that didn't render to the PDF, they were never in the file to begin with. Re-export from Word with print preview matching what you want.
FAQ
My PDF shows page numbers in the reader. Will they keep working?
If they're page labels (set by the source software), yes. If they're typed into the page, also yes — they're just text now.
How do I check if my PDF uses page labels?
Open in Acrobat or Preview, look at the page indicator. If it shows 'iv (4 of 50)' or similar, page labels are in use.
Can I number only some pages?
Yes, with edit PDF. Specify a range and Flint stamps numbers only within it.
Do bookmarks remap to new page numbers?
Yes. Bookmarks are remapped to point at the right merged page regardless of the visible numbering scheme.
Decide on your numbering, then merge PDFs — the result behaves the way you'd expect.