How to add and adjust page numbers in InDesign

How to add and adjust page numbers in InDesign

This matters when you're using page numbers in master pages so we'll quickly go 

How to insert page numbers

Go to the master pages by clicking on the "Pages" palette and double clicking on the "A-Master" pages.


Create a text box. Select inside the text box. At the top click "Type" - "Insert Special Character" - "Markers" - "Current Page Number"v

How to alter page numbers

Most of the time you will just alter the beginning and end of the document. At Nonstop, we like having you place the Front Cover, Inside Cover, Inside Back Cover, and Back Cover in the file to help everyone get on the same page and make it easy for people to preview. However, if you're using InDesign page numbers, your page numbers will include the covers. 

In this example we're going to have the page number start later because we have the front cover at page 1 and inside front cover at page 2. So we want the "real" page 1 to start after that.

Go to the "Pages" palette and select page 1. Right click and select "Numbering and Section Options..."


Use the following settings. It'll change all the page numbers to letters. That's ok. We'll change from page 3 and onwards back to numbers.


Now click on the third page. Right click and select "Numbering and Section Options..."


Use the following settings to have the page number start at 1 again.


Now your pages pallete should look like the below. When you use page numbers it'll reflect the same page number as you see it in the pages palette. 


You could do the same thing to the end of the document to reflect the inside back cover and back cover but it's not necessary. You can just remove the page number character by dragging the black page "None" over the pages you do not want page numbers to appear.
Before dragging


After dragging. Notice the page number disappears.



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