Page Numbering and Layout Issue in Book Formatting

[Mateomono]

Hi,

I am working on a book. Before the first chapter, I have an imprint and a table of contents. In these two sections, I don’t want any page numbering.

When I set the first chapter to start at page one, for some reason they dont stay togheter.  There should be two pages next to each other, not one on its own. Why is this happening, and how can I fix it?

[Mateomono]

It makes sense for it to be set up like this, if this is the first page of the book, but the issue is that it's not. As mentioned before, this chapter follows two additional sections (Table of Contents and Imprint).

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Mateomono 

You need to start a Section:

Enter EVEN value:

The other option would be to UNSELECT "Allow Document Pages to Shuffle" - which might sound counter-intuitive - but if you think from InDesign's perspective - it makes sense 😉 it means that you are prohibiting InDesign from controlling automatic reflow of the Pages:

then move pages close together - I'm drag&dropping right page till there is this extra line:

but then you'll end up with something like this:

And then you'll have to move LEFT page to the left side of the spine line:

to get to this:

But this second method - will make your document look llike this - if you'll start adding new pages:

New pages will ALWAYS be added on the right side of the spine.

Where the first method - will produce correct spreads:

But you won't be able to start from the ODD number - as this would require unchecking "Allow Document Pages to Shuffle" and all your new pages will end up like in the second method - on the right side of the spine and you'll have to move them manually. 

Unless, of course, you'll be modifying an existing document - after unchecking "Allow Document Pages to Shuffle":

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Just checking. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Use @Robert at ID-Tasker 's suggestion for sectioning. Please don't have your odd page numbers on the left-hand page. 

Remember--just because you can, doesn't mean you should...