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resetting/changing page numbers

Posted: 2006-07-06 06:24:07
by peridot
In the course of editing a long (350 pages) document, I have added (or subtracted) pages at various stages throughout. I need to change the page numbering...for example, change 127 to 129 & have the doc renumber in sequence from there. The help refers to "sections" and restarting from page 1. I don't have (or want) sections & I don't want to start at page 1 but at different page numbers throughout the doc. This MUST be simple. Can someone help?

Posted: 2006-07-06 08:22:34
by cchapin
I assume that you have placed an automatic page number (Insert > Automatic Number > Page Number) in the document's header or footer. Since those should automatically update, I take it that you have broken the document into chapters or other sub-documents (that is, separate files but conceptually a single document), but have not used section breaks.

If that's true, you can use the Sections palette to change the starting page number of a document (or sub-document). Even if "Starting Page" under "Number Options" is grayed out, you can still enter a different number, which will change the value of the first page in that document (or sub-document or section if the section has "Different this Section" checked).

If this document is all of one piece (not broken into separate files), perhaps I don't understand the difficulty you're having.

Sections, incidentally, are not that difficult to work with. If that is the solution to your problem, you should be able to master them quickly. You can begin a section with any page number (integers only, of course) and use a variety of numbering formats (Arabic, Roman, Letters, Japanese).

--Craig

Posted: 2006-07-06 09:21:09
by peridot
Thanks, Craig. I'll rephrase the question. The 350 pages are all in one doc & I do have auto numbering in the headers. So the question boils down to: how to change page 123 to 125 (for example) and have the doc automatically renumber from that point?

Posted: 2006-07-06 10:43:38
by cchapin
Are you inserting pages manually? Is that why the page number needs to increase from 123 to 125? Otherwise it seems to me that the automatic page numbers should adjust automatically.

Assuming that that is the case and also assuming that text does not flow from the previous page to what will be page 125 (that is, that there is a discrete page break at that point), I can suggest a clumsy solution and an elegant solution that involves sections.

Clumsy solution
Insert two blank pages.

Elegant solution
1. At the beginning of what will be page 125, insert a section break (Insert > Section Break) of whichever type seems most appropriate.*
2. With the insertion point in the new section, place a check in the box next to "Starting Page" in the Sections palette.
3. Type 125 in the box to the right and press tab, return, enter or whatever.

Does this get your document into the shape you want it to have?

--Craig

*Edit: "Same Page" won't work for this.

Posted: 2006-07-06 11:18:02
by peridot
I've tried this on a test doc &, actually, this seems to work. I find, tho, that I have to insert the section break on the page *before* I want the change in numeration to appear. Does this seem correct to you?

This renumbering issue arises when I edit the doc and either cut or add text. Rather than having to print the entire doc each time, the ability to change the numbering saves much time & paper. Writers who work on long docs regularly confront this dilemma.

I thank you & appreciate your patience.

Posted: 2006-07-06 12:45:06
by cchapin
peridot wrote:I've tried this on a test doc &, actually, this seems to work. I find, tho, that I have to insert the section break on the page *before* I want the change in numeration to appear. Does this seem correct to you?
That is how it works. Twice I started to add something to about that to my last post, but each time deleted it. Except for the "Same Page" section break, adding a section break is somewhat like adding a page break in that it forces the following text to a new page. If your insertion point is at the top of a page, it will bump the text to the following page.

Now that I have a better understanding of what you are doing, I have a different solution to suggest. Rather than inserting section breaks and then deleting them after you've printed, why not simply change the starting page of your entire document? Of course, after you have printed, you would want to change it back. For example, if you want to print page 123 as page 125 (a difference of two), simply change the starting page from 1 to 3 (a difference of two).

--Craig

Posted: 2006-07-06 12:56:27
by peridot
Hi Craig...Clever! But then all the preceding pages are off & since I am constantly working back & forth on the doc it would get awfully cumbersome.

...Does the "section break" actually print? Or is it like "page break" and invisible in the print out?

Thanks again for all your input!

Posted: 2006-07-06 12:59:04
by cchapin
No, the section break does not print as a visible character or line. It's like a page break in many respects.

--Craig

Posted: 2006-07-06 13:27:00
by peridot
Thanks....What is the "same page" option used for?

Posted: 2006-07-06 13:57:57
by martin
The "same page" section break allows you to start a new section on the same page as the previous section. You might use that if you wanted to customize the document layout for a single chunk of text without forcing a new page. For instance, you can have part of a single page use multiple columns or different margin settings.

Posted: 2006-07-06 14:17:18
by peridot
Thanks, Martin...I just need plain vanilla renumbering for the times I've cut or added text in the on-screen doc. I want to conform the doc page numbering to the printed out manuscript page numbering. Being able to renumber helps avoid having to reprint the entire (350 page) doc over & over just to conform pagination....