How do I exclude page numbering for front cover?

[Shangara Singh]

I have created a photo book. It has a front cover, and two page spreads. The problem is auto-numbering starts on the front cover but I want it to start on the first page with content. Have speant an hour or so googling and reading threads here but not found a solution.

Have tried adding a master with no styles to page #1 (front cover). Section doesn't start from it (context-click shows Start Section greyed out).

I context-click page #2 and see:

I start section but ID complains there is already a page number one.  I ignore it and click OK but then my pages are shuffled, and I end up with two single pages. I cannot rearrange pages:

Any help much appreciated.

[Peter Spier · Accepted solution]

Two things here.

First, the duplication of page number 1. You can fix the complaint by chossing a different numbering system of the cover page. Front matter pages before the main copy of your book are traditionally numbered using small Roman numerals, and as the never appear, I generally use captal letters for covers.

Now the biggie -- your page shuffle.

In languages that read left-to-right books are traditioanlly numbered with odd number on the right hand page and even on the left. Because InDesign respects this tradition it assumes you want the page numbered 1 to be on the right.

In your layout I would have three sections, the cover starting at A, physical page 2 numbered i, and physical page 3 numbered 1.

[Shangara Singh]

Thanks, Peter. Appying roman numbers to front page, and Arabic to others worked. Page shuffling settings also worked when allowed, so I didn't get two front pages. Option was right next to numbering but didn't see it. Duh. Haven't worked regualry in ID for many years, just here and there to create personal PDFs.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

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[Mike Witherell]

Hi Shangara, still in London?

In agreement with Peter's comment above, what if you simply must go against convention and tradition of book-making (since Roman times)? There is (sigh) a way:

First, go to the Pages panel and the panel menu button flyout. Turn off Allow Document Pages to Shuffle as well as Allow Selected Pages to Shuffle. "Shuffle" means that InDesign numbers the pages in the traditional even-left/ odd-right way. 

Once you have turned this off, you can target select the left-hand page and click on Pages panel menu button > Numbering and Section Options, and start page numbering as 1; OK. 

Think deeply about the disturbance you will unleash in the universe, though! 😉

[Peter Spier]

Think deeply about the disturbance you will unleash in the universe, though! 😉

By @Mike Witherell

Or at least on your readers.

[Shangara Singh]

Hi MIke. Yeah, still in North London. Creating some photo books for friends, family and myself. As these are PDFs, adding a blank page so that page numbering starts of the right side looks odd. If I ever get around to printing the PDFs, I will add some so the ripples in the fabric of the universe are smoothed out and it rights itself. Until then, let chaos rule.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Hi Shangara,

Haven't spoken in some time. Hope you and family are doing well.

Your options include:

1. Ignoring InDesign's "duplicate page numbers" complaint. It only becomes a problem when printing/exporting. For example: print/export page 1. Otherwise you can ignore it. 

2. I like to section my pages. Normally, I use book feature for long documents, but you can do it in a single file. Based on my background, I refer to covers as A, B, C, and D (front, inside-front, inside-back, and back respectively). Then any front matter with roman numerals, and the actual content with arabic numbers.

You can certainly start sections on the left-hand page (verso) but I would strongly suggest you don't start left-hand pages on page 1. Some options include:

Using a repeatable filler page as a design element on the "blank" page (in corporate and government documents, the infamous oxymoron of "This page intentionally blank" is used.").

Start the new sections on a left-hand page but use even (default) numbering.

If you want to start new sections on an odd number but on a left-hand page, you could mess around with the allow page shuffling, OR insert a blank page to start the next section on a recto page; section the numbering as needed, ignoring any warnings; delete the blank pages in Acrobat after export. 

Dave

[Shangara Singh]

Hello David. Thanks for the input. After initial panic, I tried all of the above suggestions and they worked. The warning was worrying as I may one day have the PDFs printed as books, so good to know it can be ignored. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Or there is another option - add a small TextFrame, thread only on pages that should be numbered - and fill with Autonumbered text.

Then, there is no need to shuffle with pages.