Page numbers on single page (precedent, current, next)

[Lucia Pastro]

Hi,

i want on a page all 3 options of indicators of pages like the image below, but even if i use the right indicators indesign shows me only letter "A"on master page and the current page number (repeated 3 times) on pages.

Please help me!

[Laubender]

Hi Lucia,

Previous Page and Next Page are working very differently to the Current Page text variable.

With previous page InDesign is fetching the page name where the text frame that is threaded before the frame on your actual page. With next page it is similar. That will reflect the page name where the threaded text frame is positioned that comes after your current text frame.

Note: If you have no threaded text frames all three text variables show the same value, the current page name.

So the solution would be to thread a whole story throughout all your pages.

The issue with that idea: If you move pages around in your document the threaded frames will move along and the wrong page names will be issued for previous and next page.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Lucia Pastro]

Thank for your reply, i don't know if i understood well what you're saying... You said that i have to create a whole story on every single page because there is no way to do it on a master page?

[Alexandre Becquet]

Hello, if you want the number of the next page and the number below you need to use the correct special character and just add a little text bloc chained. but just enough for no text inside ;).

I made this little ID file to chow you the way.

Tell if it's ok

Simple-double-number.idml

[Lucia Pastro]

Hi CIA! I opened your file and i saw the chained text box, thanks. Now i just have to try more combination.

The mechanism is more difficult than I thought and your file is a very helpfull example, thank you very much!

[Laubender]

Hi Lucia,

basically yes to all of your questions.

There could have been a solution by using the Primary Text Frame on a master:

But I discovered two bugs, one with the Previous Page text variable, one with the Next Page text variable and a third bug with text composition with Next Page. I used paragraph formatting "Away From Spine" in a facing pages document.

What actually is working:

Do a story with text frames threaded from page to page throughout your document.

Some screenshots from my German InDesign CC 2019 on Windows 10 showing the bugs I mentioned above.

Selected is the Primary Text Frame. Its story consists of two threaded frames, one left from the spine, one right from the spine. I used all three special characters: Current Page, Previous Page and Next Page. One bug is showing up with the Next Page special character. It should be positioned in the same line with "next page:", but it breaks to the next page line of text.

Above the Primary Text Frame are two simple text frames not threaded.

If I understand this right, this is your current situation.

Now we go to the document pages spreads where we can see what are the results of our special characters.

Current Page is always working, Next Page and Previous Page with the Primary Text Frame are showing two bugs. Another story, that I threaded throughout the document, not positioned on the master spread, but running from document page to document page is without bugs:

Yet another spread with exactly the same behavior:

The Story Editor showing the contents of the threaded story that is running through the document pages without the help of a master. The variables ( special characters ) for Current Page, Previous Page and Next Page are showing up, well, very special:

Hope, this helps.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

// EDITED!

[Diane Burns]

As CIA says, use special markers on your master page. Type menu > Insert Special Characters > Markers. Use Previous, Current, and Next page special markers. I think that should do it.

[Lucia Pastro]

Hi Diane, I also thought it would have been so simple but if there are no chained text the special markers of previous and next page don't work.

[Laubender]

Hi Diane,

perhaps I'm doing something terribly wrong, but as I showed in my previous post using the master pages is not working as expected.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[FRIdNGE]

Lucia,

You're totally right about the use of the 3 page indicators: previous >> current >> next on the master pages!

… your "page numbering" layout is cool but simplistic and you just need to "override" the text frames containing them from all the doc pages, placing them on a layer you can call "PageNumber"!

Of course, you will have to correct the page 1 and the last page!

… and, if your layout moves, you will need to play once again!

That's why, if you post an .idml file, I will adapt and send you a personal script written some years ago on your layout that will do all you need with just 1 click! …

(^/)  The Jedi

[FRIdNGE]

… Just something like that:

(^/)

[Lucia Pastro]

Hi Michel!

Thank you for your video! It seems just like i want the effect to be.

Can you post the link to the script online so anyone can use it?

[FRIdNGE · Accepted solution]

… Supposing you place on the master page(s) the left/right pages text frames containing the 3 paras, one per page indicator, on a specific layer you call "PageNumber_0", this could be enough simplistic and securized to play your game! If the layout moves, play it again!

About the first/last pages, the paras containing "NP" is just without color!

Why complicate when we can make simple!  😉

/*
    _FRIdNGE-0652_PageNumber.jsx
    by FRIdNGE, Michel Allio [16/09/2020]
*/

var myDoc = app.activeDocument,
myPages = myDoc.pages,
P = myPages.length,  p,     

myLayer0 = myDoc.layers.itemByName("PageNumber_0"),
myLayer1 = myDoc.layers.itemByName("PageNumber_1");

if ( myLayer1.isValid ) myLayer1.remove();    
myLayer1 = myLayer0.duplicate();    
myLayer1.name = "PageNumber_1";      
myLayer0.visible = false;    
myLayer1.visible = true;
              
for ( p = 0; p < P ; p++ ) {
    var myPage = myDoc.pages[p];
    if ( myPage.appliedMaster !== null ) {
        var I = myPage.appliedMaster.pageItems.length,  i;
        for ( i = 0; i < I; i++ ) {
            var myPageItem = myPage.appliedMaster.pageItems[i];
            if ( myPageItem.itemLayer == myLayer1 ) {
                if ( (myPage.side == PageSideOptions.LEFT_HAND && myPageItem.parentPage.side == PageSideOptions.LEFT_HAND) ||
                    (myPage.side == PageSideOptions.RIGHT_HAND && myPageItem.parentPage.side == PageSideOptions.RIGHT_HAND) ) {
                        var myTFrame = myPageItem.override(myPage);
                        if ( p == 0 ) myTFrame.texts[0].paragraphs[0].fillColor = myDoc.swatches.item("None");
                        if ( p == P-1 ) myTFrame.texts[0].paragraphs[2].fillColor = myDoc.swatches.item("None");
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

alert( "Done! …\r\rby FRIdNGE, Michel Allio [16/09/2020]" )

(^/)

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi Michel,

overriding or detaching text frames from the master is a good solution.

Don't know if Lucia ever worked with overriding and detached objects from master pages.

This workflow can get a bit tricky. Below the link to a help article that makes clear what "override" and "detach" actually means:

Override or detach master items

Master pages

( Lucia, scroll down a bit to see that section. )

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Lucia Pastro]

Yeah i know how to detach or override, i'll try, thank you so much!!

[Laubender]

Hi Lucia,

I thought not about the mouse clicks, keyboard shortcuts or menu commands necessary to override or detach an element from a master, but on the implications and side effects on "override" vs "detach". Please see into this post by Rob Day:

Masterpages Re-Applying Themselves and Conflicting with Overridden Elements
Correct answer by rob day, Sep 14, 2020

Masterpages Re-Applying Themselves and Conflicting with Overridden Elements

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )