Inspiring

Answered

Book numbers and spread sides not correct

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
August 11, 2021
2 replies
4004 views

I have made a book of about 120 pages. 7 chapters with subheadings till level 4. Even page numbers have a large text column, separated by a vertical line from the main text, on the left side, uneven pages on the right side.

When uniting the documents in a book, nothing is synchronised, neither page numbers nor chapter numbers. Moreover, the main text often slips over the line. How should I prepare the documents? With or without sections?

Thanks a lot. Marlene the dummy.

Sync and storage

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer magnificent_cause16B8

Wroking from the end to the beginning just means starting withthe last pages and moving towards the first. It isn't a necessity, but it does tend to keep things in the proper order and leaves any extra blank page from the new file at the back of the book.

More than 100 pages is not a big deal for file size, but it is a pain in the neck for navigation between pages -- lots of scrolling that can be a lot easier with smaller sections.

The correct answer to my problem is... the combination of all the answers I have received.
However, I have decided for one document. In this way all the page and chapter problems were immediately solved. Scrolling is no problem, I have set enough bookmarks to jump from one part to another.

However, being a beginner, I am happy for trying and getting your help.

Thank you very much for your patience!

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

In addition to synchronizing the book file, set your book page numbering settings (pagination). I usually like to set them before I add any documents to the book since it can mess up the book with the default settings.

InDesign's pagination settings are very basic and can only apply to the entire document.

Sync'ing the book depends on a couple of factors:

Your style names are consistent between all the chapters.
You have a document that acts as the "master" settings. This is selected on the left side of the book file. (The master document can change depending what chapter you are updating.)
You have not applied manual formatting to the text--this usually kills the entire concept of updating styles properly.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

magnificent_cause16B8Author

Inspiring

I am near it. The numbers are fine in the first two chapters, but the 3rd and the 4th start with 1 again. Do the screen shots help you? I have also attached a sample page. In the footer you can see two texts: the one next to the margin is part of the master of this chapter, while the text in Italics is the sub chapter (section). Is it so that I have to do the whole job before exporting? i.e. setting the sections and the page numbers where they start? Do you confirm that there is no chance to see and edit the whole book as one file in the end?

Peter Spier

Community Expert

While the advantages of working a long document as an InDesign Book rather than a single file can be significant (easy editing of individual parts and less risk of total loss, for two), your Book Panel appears to show less than 50 pages total. If this is all the pages that there will be, it might be easier to use one file.

One way to accomplish that, without putting waht you already have at risk is to create a new file with the same page size. Start working from the back of your book and work forward, so open the file withthe last pages, select them all in the Pages Panel, and the choose Move Pages fom the panel menu. In the dialog pick the new file as the destination, select BEFORE page 1 rather than after, and make sure NOT to check the box to delete the pages after moving. Repeat for each file in turn, working forward, then delete the last page in your new file (which is the original, blank, page 1) if you don't need it for an even page count.

You might actually need to add more blank pages at the end, or elsewhere, to adjust how your chapters start and get a total page count to match your printer's requirements for the number of pages in a signature (the group of pages printed together on a single sheet).

S

SJRiegel

Legend

In the book panel, there are options for synchronizing; you can choose what elements you want to sync - from just page numbers, to everything: Master Pages, Styles, Swatches, numbering, etc.

If your numbers are not in sync, there is an option in that menu to Update Numbering.

magnificent_cause16B8Author

Inspiring

Thanks for your answer. I forgot to tell you that I had already done this. Do you think it might be a good idea to delete the heading numbering of my chapters and pages and insert one document at the beginning whose numbering is perfect? The other documents are supposed to inherit its layout, right?

magnificent_cause16B8Author

Inspiring

Here you find what I consider correct (Master and Correct page), plus the absolut horror. I might have mixed up things with the sections... 😞

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded