A4 (Single Page Numbering) To A3 (2 Page #'s per Page).

[Dalski K]

I'm tyring to make an A3 folder which I am going to bind. I am importing lots of single page A4 pdfs in CS6, so the majority of the document I have an A4 master page, with page numbering, which I then export as a pdf & then use pdf readers to print double paged at A3 size; and it works well.

However at certain points in the document I need to have A3 pages. As there are 2 pages in an A3 page I need to reflect this in the numbering. Anyone know how to do this?

[Laubender]

Hi,

you can start a new section from every page in your document you like and change the page number start.

Read about "Define Section Numbering" here:

Learn how to number pages, chapters, and sections in InDesign

Regards,
Uwe

[Dalski K]

Hi Laubender, thanks for your suggestion. Sorry I should've listed in the op that I am already using sections, also I couldn't do that here as the A4 & A3 pages are not necessarily different sections.

Also that wouldn't display 2 different page numbers for the master of an A3 page would it? I thinik that would only restart the page numbering which isn't the issue.

Page 40 should be 40 - 41 & p41 should be 42 & 43.

[vinny38 · Accepted solution]

Select the pages that you want to kkep together as spreads (here: pages 40 to 43) in the Pages panel, and then deselect Allow Selected Spread To Shuffle in the Pages panel menu.

Finally, drag those pages in the pages panel:

[Dalski K]

Thanks Vin, thanks to your suggestion I'm now able to completely remove the need for the A3 page. I can adjoin 2 A4 pages together. This makes the workflow much better.

[Laubender]

Hi,

if you are following Vinny with reply 2 you would export spreads to PDF.

So your one-page spreads would stay A4 pages and the two-page spreads Vinny is showing would become A3 landscape pages in the PDF. Is your printer expecting this mix of different formats in one single PDF?

Now about using automatic numbering on two pages next to each other showing a numbering scheme like that:

Current Page Number - Next Page Number

You need one text frame on the right page, one text frame on the left page. Both frames are threaded to each other to one story.

The first variable you are using is Automatic Page Number, then the divis or the word to, then variable Next Page Name.

Regards,
Uwe

[Dalski K]

Hi Laubender, thanks for your response, please see my responses in red below. I'm not sure what method to use, if I merge pages, then unmerge, then merge again at the end I loose some time having to run a separate extraction on the pdf pages at 0 margin to adjoin the split pages seamlessly.

However if I did the below it'd save the above extra step of the "seamless export" but the additional time of creating them flows. I'll have to try out both processes and see which I find better, but thank you both for your excellent input. It has been very helpful to me.

Hi,

if you are following Vinny with reply 2 you would export spreads to PDF. - Yes as mentioned in op.

So your one-page spreads would stay A4 pages and the two-page spreads Vinny is showing would become A3 landscape pages in the PDF. Is your printer expecting this mix of different formats in one single PDF? - You're completely right, my process is to merge two A4 pages together as Vinny's excellent advisal, then I'll separate them & keep working on the doc, adding & removing pages all over the place. Then at the very end I'll have to add a blank page here or there, in consideration to the page numbering.

Then export it as a pdf as individual A4 pages.

Then assemble double pages in my pdf reader.

I just did it & it's beautiful.

It is a bit long winded I know but I can't see any better way to do it at the moment? It would

Now about using automatic numbering on two pages next to each other showing a numbering scheme like that:

Current Page Number - Next Page Number

You need one text frame on the right page, one text frame on the left page. Both frames are threaded to each other to one story.

The first variable you are using is Automatic Page Number, then the divis or the word to, then variable Next Page Name. - Sorry I'm struggling to grasp that, starts off clear then I'm lost at the end. I think you mean something like this https://indesignsecrets.com/previousnext-page-number-on-same-page.php which could work well.

Regards,
Uwe

[vinny38]

Sorry but I'm a bit confused here...

What is the final purpose of your document?

Is it supposed to be printed?

Is it supposed to be read with Acrobat?

Also, please note that you can't prevent (or maybe with an javascript? not sure about that though) that the Acrobat user to set up Page display> Two page view.

[Laubender]

I think, I'm exactly as confused as you are, Vinny.

Regards,
Uwe

[Dalski K]

Lol, it is both for screen viewing & for printing. Ultimately it will be in A3 format for both.

Don't worry you've both solved it, with my many thanks.