Indesign auto page numbers

by Design Workshop Sydney

Another common addition to the Indesign template file would be Auto Page Numbers, a topic which we cover in full in our Adobe Indesign training courses.Indesign-auto-page-numbers
Firstly we open up our A-Master Page and zoom into the bottom left of the left hand page of the two-page spread.
Next select the Type tool and click and drag to create a text box which sits between the page margin and the black trim (paper) edge. The flashing cursor should indicate the text height; if this is not visible check the text height up on the top Control panel. If it’s too large for the text box simply change it her before typing into the box.
First type the word page, then right-click Insert Special Character, then choose Markers, and Current Page Number. The letter A will appear in the box, indicating that we’re on the A-Master page, but this will change to the actual page number on each page. You could also type in the name of the journal or newsletter or brochure here.
We then zoom out to see the right-hand page of the spread. To copy the page marker select it with the Selection tool (the black arrow), press Alt and drag to copy it across the the other side. We then need to align it to the right-hand margin, so switch to the Type tool and insert it into the text box. Then in the top Control panel change the Paragraph setting from the default Left Align to Right Align.
To test the effect double-click on one of the local pages, and the actual page number should be visible. There are many other options for page numbering in the Pages options drop-down list under Page Numbering Options. Here we can add sections and alternate forms of numbering like Roman Numerals, letters, etc.
More tips and techniques can be found at Adobe user groups which meet regularly in most capital cities, and are free forums for designers to discuss topics and the latest Indesign features. See also many examples of our own clients’ work on our Facebook page.
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