deleting a page

[johnhogan11]

Hi, I am new to indesign and so please excuse my naivity. I have designed a book with 32 pages, however, the first page is not required. I have tried to delete it but it destroys the rest of my work. How can  I delete the page without it affecting the rest of the document?

Thank you in advance,

John

[Steve Werner]

First, please tell us what operating system (exactly) you're running. Please tell us (exactly) what InDesign version you're using. Are the pages set up with facing pages (two pages side-by-side), or without facing pages.

When you say the first page is not required and deleting it "destroyed the rest of my work," what do you mean?

Here's what my 32-page document looks like:

 

If I select the first page in the Pages panel, and click the Trash can icon at the bottom of the panel, here's the result:

[johnhogan11]

Hi Steve, Thank you for your reply and diagrams, I am using Mac os Catalina. I am using the latest version of in design(up to date) Yes the pages are set up with facing pages as you describe an show. the first page is just like you have shown (single) but I dont want this single page as I am using the second double page down as in your diagram to place my cover design (back and front) I have created the extra page at the bottom to make 32. But when I try and delete the first single page it deletes but the rest of the work that ive done appears to take up the slack of the missing page and its all a mess, if i un delete it it goes back to normal, I just want to know how i can delete the first page without upsetting the rest.

Regards,

John

[Jeff Witchel, ACI · Accepted solution]

Select your first spread (pages 2–3) in the Pages panel, and under the Options menu of the panel, uncheck Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle.

Select page 2 only and under the Options menu of the Pages panel choose Numbering & Section Options...

In the dialog that opens, select Start Page Numbering at: and type 2 in the field and click OK.

Delete page 1 in your pages panel and all pages should stay put.

[johnhogan11]

Hi Jeff,

Thankyou very much for your kind reply, and your excellent knowledge, I have done as you suggested and everything worked just as you said. Thank you 

John

[michaelj2744754]

I have the same issue here but I can't see the option to uncheck "Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle" in my panel options (as per the picture). Is there another way I can do it?

[Willi Adelberger]

Choose pages and select the item Alow to shuffle pages, it will switch. 
you find it in the page panel menu. 

[rob day]

If the book is going to be printed and bound, you might want to be careful with rearranging the facing pages. When you export to PDF your interior spread pages are going to get swapped, which is what will happen when the book is bound. With a physical book the inside cover is to the left, not to the right of the spine. If you are creating a printer spread with the cover to the right and the back cover to the left of the spine, and remainder of the document is setup as reader spreads the reader spreads will likely get swapped when the book is imposed.

as I am using the second double page down as in your diagram to place my cover design (back and front)

With the back cover and cover setup as the first spread, where are the inside front and back covers? Normally if you want to design the cover, inside cover, back cover, and inside back cover in a printer spread arrangement, you would create a separate document with the two spreads setup as backcover (p 32), cover (p 1), and inside cover (page 2),  inside back cover (page 31).

Here I have Acrobat set to view facing pages. The pagination is correct but the spread content is reversed.

[johnhogan11]

Hi Rob,

Thankyou for this information. I did  presume all would follow suit through every subsequent app process (ha ha) I also presumed that the exterior prof printer would be able to manipulate the articles given to the correct vantage for himself and his work plan. ? Or is it the responsibility of the submitting user to present an exact protocol, only surely every individual printer has individual requirements ?

Regards

John

[rob day]

Or is it the responsibility of the submitting user to present an exact protocol

You shouldn’t be trying to impose the pages, that’s always the printer’s job. By creating the first spread with the back cover and cover, you have imposed two of the pages into a printer spread, and left everything else as reader spreads, which are now in the wrong order. The printer would have to know what you have done and intervene in order to get the complete imposition right.

I think you would be better off leaving everything as reader pages with the cover on page 1 to the right of the spine, and the back cover on page 32 to the left of the spine. That’s what most printers would expect you to provide—InDesign’s facing pages documents default to that expectation. The printer is going to impose all of the pages, not just the cover and back cover.

[johnhogan11]

Thank you Rob,

Great advice, I will do as you have suggested.

Regards,

John