Facing Pages in Indesign

[mookiep21200218]

So, I am trying to make a multiple page document in indesign with page one right next to page two in a spread. I have done the whole right click and uncheck the allow selected spread to shuffle thing and it fixes it, unless I delete a page. I am formatting this document for a book we are putting together so we want to see the pages by each other, but if i do that then delete a page it single one out and I am back to square 1... Anyone?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Is page one not a right-hand page?

[mookiep21200218]

It is originally but I want it to be on the left with page two on the right.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Are you using auto page numbers?

[mookiep21200218]

Yes. If I make it so that page one starts somewhere else then it still pops it up on the right side.

[rob day]

When You create a document you can set the Start Page# as 2

I am formatting this document for a book

But the righthand page in a book spread is always an odd number that's why page 1 defaults to the right side of the spine. If the facing page layout includes a cover, the first page would be the cover with the spine to its left, if not the first page is still to the right of the spine with the inside cover on the left of the spine.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

It doesn't have to technically (but should). This is with document shuffling turned off with auto page numbers.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

As Rob (and I stated), there basically has to be a blank page on the opposite side page of the page one shown above.

[winterm]

IDEAS-Training  wrote

As Rob (and I stated)...

It's just a common sense. We're just complicating simple and obvious things here, showing screenshots with page numbering not possible in the real world.

Yes, technically InDesign allows to do this, but that doesn't mean it should be done, ever.

[rob day]

IDEAS-Training  wrote

It doesn't have to technically (but should). This is with document shuffling turned off with auto page numbers.

I know you can force something like this, but when the layout gets imposed for binding where are the pages that back up to your first and last pages?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Rob: I agree--there has to physically be a page on the same sheet for the imposition to work. I think the OP is dealing with page number aesthetics of having the TOC show page 2 as where the content starts. However, we won't know for sure until the OP responds.

[winterm]

Sorry, but page layout must look like this, whatever OP thinks. Page shuffling not touched, Numbering & Section Options is your friend.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS · Accepted solution]

MookieP: If you are printing this document, either commercially or on a laser printer, you will need to deal with the opposite of the page you want to number 1. It has to exist.

You basically have two options:

1. Keep the first page blank and start your TOC on page 2. Let the numbering fall as it may.
2. Assuming you have a cover, you can use the inside front cover (IFC). For that, your numbering options are:
   1. Count the cover as page one; your TOC would still start on page 2.
   2. Do not count the cover and IFC, but still start the TOC on the IFC. If the TOC only takes up one page, your first page would be opposite the TOC but could start on page 1.

[mookiep21200218]

Thanks! You really were helpful!

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Sorry-meant to attach a graphic...

And thank you.

[mookiep21200218]

So I can get it to be side by side as shown here, but you can see that page three is only on the right because I deleted one page and it didn't automatically make page 3-4 side by side either. I want all of the pages side by side like how they would be seen in an open book.

[winterm]

Easiest way to achieve this is to start New Document. In Page Setup dialog enter even value in Start Page # field - 2, 4, etc.). This way no need to bother with shuffling, and you can feel free to add / remove pages.

Any way, you should keep your left pages in spreads numbered with even numbers, and right pages - with odd numbers.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

However, that would mess up the auto page numbering.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I understand what you want to do technically in InDesign, but books in the Western world don't start odd pages on the left.

In other words, you don't open a book up to a spread of page 1-2; page 1 would be the first right-hand page (and could be blank).

[mookiep21200218]

Right, but my pages are numbered for a table of contents. I don't want it to start at two, but thats helpful for maybe something in the future.

[winterm]

Really? In terms of a single document - not at all. Pages, when added or removed, are renumbered as they should be.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If the text is threaded from page to page like a novel, you could simply delete the entire spread. The text will "ripple" down, but you may have to add pages at the end.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If you start your document at page 2 AND use auto numbering on the master pages, this is what you get:

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If you turn off Allow Document to Shuffle and change the first page to start numbering at one, the numbering and layout works. However,  with shuffling off, you have the problem the OP described--if you delete a page, it won't fill in the gap (shuffle). If you turn on shuffling again, the page jump out of position.

[winterm]

mookiep21200218  wrote

I don't want it to start at two

Right-hand page (recto) must have an odd page number, and left-hand (verso) - even page number.

Like in illustration above.

Take it or leave it.