Strange Problem with page numbering - InDesign

[JohnAzelvandre]

I am having a difficult problem with page numbering as follows:

I set up a large book, with some unnumbered intro pages, then pages i-vi, and then Pages 1 to the end.  Everything was great, but then -- 

Due to some formatting changes, the material in pages i-vi now only needs five pages, i.e., i-v.  So I need to redefine the sections and have page 1 start one page earlier, without otherwise disturbing the spread/layout.

For some reason that I cannot fathom, it is not letting me do this.  I've tried deleting and re-entering the sections (there are only three -- the unnumbered title pages, the i-v numbered pages, and the rest of the book).  Every time I try to create a new section for page 1, it numbers it '6'.  If I then try to make it start at '1', it messes up the layout, forcing the page to the right side of the spread and removing the corresponding left side of the spread. (So that there is a dangling right side page.)  This page 1 needs to be on the left side of a two-page spread.

Any help with this would be much appreciated.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

InDesign is adamant about odd-number-right, even-number-left. The simplest solution would be to include a blank or decorative page vi, although there are (somewhat complicated) workarounds. Page 1 should always be on a recto (right) page anyway...

[Scott Falkner]

You can use the Book feature to make a separate InDesign document for pages 1–n. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@JohnAzelvandre

It requires turning off Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle:

https://creativepro.com/making-the-first-page-a-left-page/ 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Yes, it can be done. No, it should not be done unless there are compelling reasons. As this is "a large book" the saving of a blank page can't be one of them.

Color me traditionalist, but certain basics of book layout should not be breached. It's almost never an innovation or improvement to do so.

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Hi @JohnAzelvandre , I agree with @James Gifford—NitroPress , you would want to include a blank page so the arabic number 1 starts on the right.

It can be done as @Robert at ID-Tasker  suggests (but shouldn’t) by not allowing the spread to shuffle. But, then your roman numeral page numbers would have odd numbers on the right, and then from the start of the section with arabic number 1, the odd numbers would be on the left. So:

Normally the pagination would be this: