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(Richard_R._Chalmers)
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ID newbie question. numbering pages

Nov 18, 2008 7:22 AM

Hi! New to InDesign here. I've got a 12 page paper I wrote for a class in
InDesign. Add pictures, flowed text and all that sort of stuff; looks
great. Now how do I simply number the pages? In Word you can just say
number pages, but I can't figure out how to do it in InDesign. Using
InDesign CS3 on an iMac running Leopard.

Thanks,
Richard
279 Views   11 Replies   Latest reply: Bob Bringhurst, Dec 9, 2008 11:05 AM
 
Replies
  • MT.Freelance
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    1. MT.Freelance,
    Nov 18, 2008 10:06 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    Quick Answer:

    Help > InDesign Help
    Search for "page numbering"

    Somewhat Longer Answer:
    Place a text frame where you want the page number to appear on your master page.
    Type > Insert Special Character > Auto Page Number
    Format the text placeholder (such as "A") however you want the page numbers to appear.
    If you want the page numbers to appear above your page content, place it on a new layer above all others.

    You can also place the Auto Page Number on the document page instead of the master, if you are so inclined, but you will then have to repeat (or copy > Paste in place) for each page on which you want it to appear.

    HTH

    -mt
     
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    2. (Jeffrey_Smith),
    Nov 18, 2008 10:15 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    For CS3: Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number
     
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    3. (Richard_R._Chalmers),
    Nov 18, 2008 10:59 AM   in reply to MT.Freelance
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    Got it. I had to figure out a little about master pages...Thanks for the
    layer tip.
    What's the "placeholder"?
    Richard
     
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  • [Jongware]
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    4. [Jongware],
    Nov 18, 2008 1:12 PM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    >What's the "placeholder"?

    You'll notice you don't actually get to see a page number to format on master pages. Instead, it'll be the short identifier of the Master page name.
    i That
    is the placeholder for the actual page number.
     
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  • MT.Freelance
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    5. MT.Freelance,
    Nov 18, 2008 1:27 PM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    Jeffrey, thanks for the CS3 clarification/correction.

    Gotta love things changing between versions. Now, I am falling 2 versions behind. Meh.

    -mt
     
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  • jdpetty
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    6. jdpetty,
    Nov 20, 2008 3:31 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    Hello folks.
    I'm interested in this little debate concerning auto-numbering. Came back to Indesign recently after a longish break; needed to use auto numbering; go to the usual place and there is no Auto Page Number option (it is as Jeff points out, now Current Page Number).

    However I figure I must just have forgotten something so I check the Help and it says 'Auto Page number'. I check the 'Classroom in a Book' book and IT says 'Auto Page Number'.

    I fear things may be getting a touch sloppy when the 'official' publications are inaccurate.
     
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  • AnneMarie Concepcion
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    7. AnneMarie Concepcion,
    Nov 20, 2008 8:16 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    It is a little unnerving to catch errors in the documentation, but it's written by humans after all. My guess is that late in the beta cycle for CS3, Adobe decided to change the name of the menu item, but it was too late for the writers of the book and docs, who need to release their stuff the same time the software ships.

    The saving grace here is that unlike most major software developers, Adobe put all of its documentation on the web, where they can easily update it and where users can post comments with corrections.

    In fact I posted a comment about this very issue (should be "Current Page Number") on the live docs web page a few months ago ... you can see it here:
    http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/InDesign/5.0/help.html?content=WSa285f ff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-7110.html

    I know I've already posted a couple more corrections to the CS4 live doc files, but can't remember what they were for! ;-)

    Adobe recommends that if at all possible, users go to the live docs version of online help to get the latest, most accurate info. In CS3, you should see a link to the live docs version of the online help page you're reading at the bottom of the help page.

    AM
     
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  • jdpetty
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    8. jdpetty,
    Nov 25, 2008 3:09 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    As you produce tutorials for Adobe, Anne-Marie and may well have "inside information", I don't doubt that you are right.

    However, I've used Adobe products for a long time now and IT DIDN'T USED TO HAPPEN.

    I used to feel, as an an Adobe-user almost like "one of the family" a member of a kind-of special cluband dealing with Adobe was like dealing with a pal almost.

    Not any more. They're just another big software giant now (why bother to correct ANYTHING with CS3 when we want to sell 'em CS4 now; so the Help's wrong; so Illustrator CS3 is so full of bugs it can crawl no matter, it's out-of-date software anyway,). Cynical? Absolutely, on my experience in recent years I reckon I'd be dumb to be anything else.
     
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  • Bob Bringhurst
    3,422 posts
    May 29, 2007
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    9. Bob Bringhurst,
    Dec 3, 2008 10:55 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    As Anne-Marie said, it's unnerving to catch errors in the documentation, especially for me, since I'm one of the people who wrote it. I failed to update the Auto Page Number to Current Page Number back when we were developing CS3. I actually had time to make the change. It was on my list of global changes to make, but I messed up.

    Whenever I discover a documentation error, I try to fix the web version of Help (http://help.adobe.com/en_US/InDesign/6.0/ for CS4) as soon as I can. We update CS4 Web Help every few weeks. We no longer update CS3 Help. If you notice an error in any topic, please leave a comment.
     
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  • jdpetty
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    10. jdpetty,
    Dec 8, 2008 3:47 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    That's a good, straight, honest answer Bob. I can deal with that; we all mess up sometimes. As you are here, so to speak, can I ask why it was deemed necessary to change Auto Page Number (which seems to be a good, clear statement of what it does) to Current Page Number (which, it might be argued, is a little ambiguous).

    JDP
     
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  • Bob Bringhurst
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    May 29, 2007
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    11. Bob Bringhurst,
    Dec 9, 2008 11:05 AM   in reply to (Richard_R._Chalmers)
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    I don't recall why they changed the feature from Auto Page Number to Current Page Number. I think it had something to do with variables. I wasn't in on those discussions.
     
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