Every once in a while, a question comes in from a new user that brings you back to how it was when you were first learning a page layout program. Here’s one from Sean that came in today:

I have been learning InDesign and have started to move along, but have gotten to a point to where I have searched the web and the book trying to figure this out, but have yet to find any solution.

It seems basic to me, but I can’t figure out how it’s done. I just want to add numbers to all of the pages in the document that I have created. The document has a total of 165 pages and I would like to have all of the pages numbered except for the first one. I have tried going to the Layout->numbering & section option link and have tried all of the different options that are there, but have yet to finish with any numbers on the pages. I just want them all numbered with the page number on the bottom centered.

Is there any way that you can help me with this?

No problem, Sean!

Go to your document’s master pages, and on each page (if it’s a facing pages master), add a small text frame where you want the page number to appear.

Still on the master page, click with the Type tool inside of each text frame, and go to Type > Insert Special Character > Auto Page Number (in CS3, it’s called “Current Page Number”). You’ll see the single-letter prefix of your master page appear in the text frame while you’re on the master pages, which is correct.

Now go to the first page of your document and you should see it say “1”. and page two will show “2” etc. in that text frame.

To remove the page number from the first page, use the Selection tool to Command-Shift-click on the text frame (to override the master page item, otherwise it’s locked to you) and delete the frame.

Look in the help file for “master page” and “page number” for more info, or watch David’s InDesign CS3 Essential Training on lynda.com for more info.

mailbag page numbers