how to give page numbers to spread

[Sudarshan24565602plc5]

hello guys,

Is there any way to give numbers to spread? I've created an InDesign doc using facing pages (two pages make one spread ) and I have to number the spreads, not the pages. I tried creating a master page but it shows 3,5,7... I want spreads to be numbered. The snap below explains my problem 

[Steve Werner · Accepted solution]

There is no such feature in InDesign.

What is the reason you need this feature. If you tell us more about your intention, we may be able to come up with alternatives.

[Sudarshan24565602plc5]

the reason I'm working like this is I want to export this document in 2 different PDFs, One will be exported as a full spread(to view it in digital form) and the other will be half spread i.e. right and left as both different pages (like when we open a book we'll see full spread ) so I wanted the page no for a whole spread. (only on right page)

I found this article but this is very complicated and I'm not getting it https://creativepro.com/create-spread-numbers/#comments 

[Sstrick]

Hi there, just another person who would benifit from spread numbering.

I work as a tabletop board game designer, and indesign is my preferred tool to design cards. Oftentimes the front and back of a card will have unique information, along with the need to number each card. Printers prefer having the obverse and reverse as a unique page rather than a single wide page; to this end, each spread is the front and back of each card. With that in mind, when a game reaches 400+ cards, automating the numbering process would help avoid misprints. 

[rob day]

Hi there, just another person who would benifit from spread numbering.

Hi @Sstrick , There are a lot of steps, but @jmlevy ’s Paragraph Numbering works. It can also be done via scripting, here are scripts for spread and reverse pagination:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/cfxb2fe3cw80j9b0mjkrs/AN1Sxu1pxTI0N-G-M-cQCMM?rlkey=6wdfpjeaia1ko7qcw...

Before and after

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Sstrick

Do you have your source data in a spreadsheet / database?

Some time ago I've created tool for Lightseekers card game.

All possible card variants are created automatically - texts + graphic elements. 

[Sstrick]

While I do have all the data in a spreadsheet, the game I'm working on right now requires many inline icons in the card descriptions. It's much easier to place those and align them by hand, which makes datamerge a little less exciting of an option. While I can add the icons after the merge, updating the data then becomes a bit of a chore.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

InLine icons are piece of cake. Even aligning can be automated - or semi-automated if there is no rule applying to all.

Script can let you jump between them - left & right arrows - and you would move them up & down using up & down arrows with specified micro steps or with shift - bigger steps.

[defaultfcsyldh979dz]

I really need this, too! Same reason. Digital viewing of spreads necessitates different numbering.

[jmlevy · Accepted solution]

Use a list:

• create a paragraph style using these numbering settings
  
• on the parent page, create a text frame where you need the numbering, apply the paragraph style and type a space to trigger the auto numbering. It's better to place this frame on a separate layer
• at this step, all the spreads are numbered 1
• go back to the current pages and select all the pages (at least those that should be numbered)
• lock all the layers except the one with the numbered text frames
• in the page panel, go in the option menu > override all parent pages elements (not sure of the exact English term, since I use a French version). You'll see that autonumbering changes to display the spred numbers.