Omit a page from the page count?

[Delightful_Dragonfly0D4C]

Hello, I'm searching for a way to omit a few pages in the middle of a book from the total page count. I don't mean just removing the page numbers, but completely omitting these pages from the count. So the pagination should pick up right after these pages. (Below is a mockup to describe what I mean.)

This needs to happen in several places throughout the book. Manually forcing a page to start its count at a certain number is not ideal, because pages may be added into the sections, and then we would need to go through and manually re-address the page numbers.

Is there a solution for this? Thank you!

 

[Steve Werner]

I don't really see the intent in what you're doing, to be honest. What does it mean for a page to be marked "OMIT"? Why are you doing this?

Maybe if you explain your intent it will be understandable.

[Delightful_Dragonfly0D4C]

The reason we want to do this is because the omitted pages are section dividers, which will be printed on tabbed paper. However, it will all be printed collated; the client does not want to save a separate document for the dividers. But the dividers don't count towards the page count.

[rob day]

Hi @Delightful_Dragonfly0D4C , you can do it by setting the Numbering & Section Options for absolute page 15 with Start page Numbering set to 13

[Delightful_Dragonfly0D4C]

Hi Rob,

I had thought of this as a potential solution if there is nothing else, however I had noted: Manually forcing a page to start its count at a certain number is not ideal, because pages may be added into the sections, and then we would need to go through and manually re-address the page numbers.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Use the standard workaround for non-automatic numbering. Create a text file with the page numbers 1-whatever (plus extras), each on its own line (e.g. number followed by paragraph return). Excel is a good tool to whip this out.

Then lay a text frame on the suitable master pages, in place of the automatic page number.

In the document, flow the numbering file into this. If there are pages with another parent, or if you manually delete the frames from the selected pages, the numbering will skip any of the latter. This should more or less preserve numbering as long as pages are inserted in the correct locations. Apply a style to the numbering flow, etc. so forth.

[Steve Werner]

I had thought of what Rob diagrammed, but you specifically said you didn't want to use Start Section to restart the numbering. I think it's the only way available in InDesign unless someone has figured out a non-obvious workaround.

[rob day]

If you want it to be automatic you could set up the sections as separate documents combined in a Book file with the Book .indb file’s Book Page Numbering Options set to this :

And the Document Numbering Options for each Document in the Book set like this:

and then we would need to go through and manually re-address the page numbers.

Otherwise it probably could be scripted

[rob day]

we would need to go through and manually re-address the page numbers.

If you don’t want the added complexity of a Book file, a script to reset the sections might be better. Something like this could work:

var sec = app.activeDocument.sections;
var ps;
for (var i = 0; i < sec.length; i++){
    ps = sec[i].pageStart.documentOffset
    sec[i].continueNumbering = false;
    sec[i].pageNumberStart = ps + 1;
};   

Before:

After run: