Individual page numbers on a spread

[Secova_DE]

Hi guys,

right know im trying to give my inDesign document an individual pagination.
The first 5 sites need to be numbered from I to III. Page 1 and 2 without pagination and 3-5 with I - III.

After that, i want inDesign to start counting my sites from 1 to infinity.

My Problem right know is, that inDesign wont let me set the left site of the spread be my number 1.
Everytime i set the left page to number 1, it pushs my Site 1 to the right site and destroys the spread.

i cant find a way to push it back to the left site of the spread.
It only works if i let inDesign keep his standard pagination. (see below)

I think this must be possible, but i dont know how.
I hope someone can help me here

Greetings,
Jan

[Mike Witherell · Accepted solution]

In the Pages panel menu button, turn off Shuffling, and you can do whatever you want. In the tradition of bookmaking, even numbers are on the left; odd numbers are on the right. That is why InDesign favors this convention.

[vinny38]

If your design allows it, I personally would add a blank page between page III and page 1, keeping the odd numbers on right pages, which is the bookmaking convention, as pointed out by Michael.

In addition, I don't know about German/foreign bookmaking conventions, but in France, page 1 (or I)  is usually the first page of the book, exclusive of cover. So assuming you have a separate cover, I would start at 1 just like you did, but would recreate a new section (keeping automatic numbering on) only in page 7. Like this:

Of course, this is just a suggestion, not an absolute rule. This is your call!

[Frans v.d. Geest]

You will create a gigantic mess and a very, very strange document when you number a right page as an even number...

[Secova_DE]

Hi Michael, thank you.
it worked perfectly

[vinny38]

Hmmmm...

Michael sure did give you the answer you were looking for.

But I concur with Frans and also strongly suggest you don't use even number for right pages.

Again, it's your call...

[Secova_DE]

Hi,
ive listened to you and changed my text to the right side, page1.

[rob day]

Also your Pages panel is showing 33pages with 18 spreads, so if this is a print document an odd number of pages is not possible. If the binding is saddle-stitch you will have to work in multiples of 4 pages. With a binding method like perfect binding or wire-o you might be able to work in multiples of 2—your page number III would have to have a back page even if it is blank.

Secova_DE  wrote

My Problem right know is, that inDesign wont let me set the left site of the spread be my number 1.
Everytime i set the left page to number 1, it pushs my Site 1 to the right site and destroys the spread.

Something like this with 32 pages in 17 spreads where page IV (or the back of page III) is blank.