Page Numbering

Page numbering trips up almost everyone at least once. Find your question below.

Where do I control page numbering?

Open Print Settings then Page Numbering under Page Setup. This book-wide panel has three settings:

• Start Page 1 on Chapter 1. Page numbers reset to 1 at the first chapter; front matter uses Roman numerals (i, ii, iii).
• Always Start First Chapter on Page 1. Shown when the setting above is on. Part and volume pages before the first chapter use Roman numerals, and the first chapter resets to Arabic page 1.
• Show Numbers on Chapter Opening Pages. When off, the page number is hidden on the opening page of each chapter.

Why do my page numbers reset to 1?

Almost always it is your print preview, not your book. Print - Single Section (Fast) renders one section at a time, so it cannot know where that section lands in the finished book. To see accurate, continuous page numbers, switch to Print - Whole Book (Slower) in the device selector. See Print Preview.

Why are my early pages in Roman numerals?

That is Start Page 1 on Chapter 1 doing its job. With it on, everything before your first chapter (title page, copyright, dedication) is numbered i, ii, iii, and the count resets to Arabic 1 at the first chapter. This is the standard convention for printed books.

For one continuous run of Arabic numbers from the first page, turn Start Page 1 on Chapter 1 off in the Page Numbering panel.

How do I add page numbers to the first page of my section?

Opening pages hide their headers and footers by default, which hides the page number too. How you bring it back depends on the section type.

• Chapters: in the Page Numbering panel, turn on Show Numbers on Chapter Opening Pages. This covers every chapter at once.
• Non-chapter sections (prologue, foreword, introduction, and so on): set it on that one section. Open its Options menu, choose Customize Print Settings, open the Headers & Footers tab, and under First Page turn on Show Page Numbers.

Note

The number only appears if a Page Number element is placed in your header or footer layout. Add one in Headers & Footers.

Why does the page count under the preview look wrong?

It follows the mode you are in. Print - Single Section (Fast) counts only the current section; Print - Whole Book (Slower) counts the full book. If the total looks too small, switch to Print - Whole Book (Slower).

How do I change page numbering for just one section?

Use per-section print settings: open the section’s Options menu, choose Customize Print Settings, and adjust its Headers & Footers and starting side. These overrides take priority over the book-wide settings for that one section.