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Jan 24, 2026 6:55 PM UTC
Question

InDesign footnotes types

Hello,

 

Is there any way how to use a different types of footnotes in InDesign.

 

I have a one page document with Title, subtitle and body text. I need footnotes with * (for Title), ** (for Subtitle), but for body text I need classic footnotes with numbers - 1, 2, 3 etc.

 

Is there any way how to do it?

 

Thank you n advance for your help.

 

Tom

7 replies

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jan 25, 2026 7:58 PM UTC

I know 2 approaches.

  1. use end otes and place their frames on the same pages additional to footnotes.
  2. Use cossreferences. 
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Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jan 25, 2026 7:18 PM UTC

Hi Peter, yes. That is true. If the first footnote is on the following page, then I do use your approach. I have a footnote style to use on that first page that includes a rule above to match the footnote rule used elsewhere so that it looks the same as if I was using automatic footnotes.

 

______

 

As an aside... I'm really struggling with posting. I know we are about to get an update but I posted all of this yesterday, saw that it posted, but my reply was missing this morning so I quickly re-wrote it. I'm learning to copy my content before posting because the message keeps popping up and I have to refresh the page. 

 

876653iA2CBC74596A87172.png

~Barb

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~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jan 25, 2026 8:21 PM UTC

Yeah, I've been having similar problems. Copying our message before clicking Post is indeed a good idea!

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Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jan 25, 2026 6:02 PM UTC

Barb's method is indeed easier, but it works only if footnote 1 is on the title page. 

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Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jan 25, 2026 5:55 PM UTC

Hi @Tom Vavrusa:

 

I do this a bit differently than Peter, and it works in the middle of the notes as well.

 

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page, divided by blue lines. I cut the notes, and paste them as their own paragraphs directly above footnote 1 (and within the same division). Then I delete the numeric references and replace them with the * and ** in both locations. The footnotes renumber correctly from there. I have footnote-intensive layouts and have used this for reliably for years.

 

~Barb

 

876644i44CD8703270426F3.gif

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~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jan 25, 2026 11:17 AM UTC

What you describe is a common layout, but you can't restart footnote numbering or change numbering style in a story.  The way I handle this is as follows. Do the * and ** notes not as InDesign footnotes, but place the note text in a separate text frame. Add the * and ** note numbers and references manually. Place the text frame at the foot of the page. It's a simple solution.

 

There are many user requests for InDesign to handle this situation, join the crowds at https://indesign.uservoice.com

 

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FRIdNGE
Jan 24, 2026 8:34 PM UTC

Could you show a screenshot of your page?

 

(^/)  The Jedi

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