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Confused page layout in InDesign

New Here ,
May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021

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I have done something that has messed up the page numbering in a book layout. This is a concern, because the book will end up somewhere in the 400 page range and it's a technical book, so everything is critical. I don't  know what I've asked it to do but I've ended up with a couple pages 12 and 13, a couple pages 19, etc. When I export to PDF, it can't understand the page range I'm asking for and when I print the PDF pages, it can't get that right either.

I'm about 80 pages in to the work and don't want to lose anything that's done. Any ideas on what I can do? I'm thinking I could add in new pages and move those that are confused over to the new pages. Happy if that works, but it will be a ton of work. Thanks!

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021

There are two likely possibilities. One or both may apply and us the results you're having:

 

One is that you released the master page item on your document page, which breaks it out of the pagination thread. I've worked with clients who did this because the kerning between the page numbers was out of whack, and released the master page element for the page number to fix the kerning. The problem with that is that it turns the pagination element for page 16 into plain ol' text that reads "16." if

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Contributor ,
May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021

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Could you please send us your project in .indd or just a piece of it?

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New Here ,
May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021

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Hi Sunny,

I think I might have gotten the fix from Randy, but I appreicate your offer to help. 

Cheers

Pat

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Community Expert ,
May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021

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There are two likely possibilities. One or both may apply and us the results you're having:

 

One is that you released the master page item on your document page, which breaks it out of the pagination thread. I've worked with clients who did this because the kerning between the page numbers was out of whack, and released the master page element for the page number to fix the kerning. The problem with that is that it turns the pagination element for page 16 into plain ol' text that reads "16." if you reflow and add/lose pagination before the page in question, that plain ol' text will remain "16" and not repaginate with the updated page number.

 

Or, it'll be applied manually when you check your pagination. If you select the Layout>Numbering & Section Options... menu command within InDesign, Adobe throws you a curveball by rewarding you with the New Section dialog box. Which automatically creates a new section every time you open the panel, as shown below.

 

1.jpg

 

Manually set that radio button to Start Page Numbering at: with the page value of 16 in the edit box and close the file, and it'll be page 16 forevermore. Add a page before your automatic new section, which was the correct page number when you opened the dialog box but won't be after you add the page and you'll get two page "16"s.

 

The problem is if you find you have page numbering issues due to the first problem, your first instinct would be to fix it by going to InDesign's Numbering & Section Options. Which introduces you to the second one.

 

2.jpgYou fix the first problem by re-applying the master pages to the affected pages, then deleting the offending plain ol' text numbers. Open the Pages panel, and go to the flyaway/hamburger menu at the upper-right of the panel to select the Apply Master to Pages flyaway menu command. If you're lucky and only have one set of master pages, you can choose the All Pages option as shown above and do them all at once. If not, then you will have to go to each problematic page and apply the appropriate master page one by one. This will give you two sets of page numbers: the correct ones from the applicable master page, and the bad plain ol' text ones above them. Fortunately the bad ones are easy to get to ... just get your Selection/Arrow tool, click on the bad numbers on the page and delete them.

 

To fix the second, select the Layout>Numbering & Section Options... menu command on each problematic page. Then de-select the Start Section check box and click the OK button.

 

Do both these things, in order, and it should help you past your bad page numbering issues.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Randy

 

 

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New Here ,
May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021

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Hi Randy,

You've done an excellent job of explaining this for me, thank you. I've done what you've directed and it seems to have worked. As I move along on this project, I'll be able to see if I'm missing anything. There were some sets of pages that weren't in order. I think what I might have done is move Master pages over to create new pages, instead of using the add pages button. 

Thanks again,

Cheers

Pat

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Community Expert ,
May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021

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Cool. I'm glad we got you past the problem.

 

Can I ask a favor of you? Please mark the answer(s) that helped you as "Correct Answer(s)." This alerts the moderators to archive this thread and it will help other people who find similar issues by listing this in the "Related Conversations" answers as shown at the top right of this thread.

 

And if you find yourself in a jam in the future — with InDesign or and Adobe software — don't hesitate to come back here and sound the alarm. There are lots of sharp folks around here who can lend a hand.

 

Again, I'm glad we got you past your issues. Good luck with your book job,

 

Randy

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