[Solved] Page Numbering Starting After First Page

[Scáthach]

First, I do not know what version of Open Office I'm using as I am making this enquiry while at work and my OO is installed on my laptop at home. I can tell you that my operating system on that machine is Windows Vista.

Second, I performed a search on this issue and neither of the two items which were found had anything to do with my issue.

Here's the problem:

While the document I am writing is a manuscript, Master Documents seem to be too complicated for my needs, so I'm going with just a normal Writer document, which I can hopefully set to suit my needs. I have three pages of text before the actual story begins and I would like the page numbering to begin on the page where the story begins. I looked through the Writer Guide and printed out pages 150 and 151 which covers Numbering the first page something other than 1, but I'm not so sure that will fit my needs. It's not that I want to number the first page something other than 1 but that I want to put page one further down within the document.

Can I use the same method from the Guide and get the same results or is there something else I should do?

Last night I tried doing it and it numbered the first three pages 1, 2, 3 then on the page where I want the actual numbering to appear and start, it had 1.

[Hagar Delest]

You've to use page styles, see: [Tutorial] Page numbering.

Thanks to add '[Solved]' at beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

[TheGurkha]

Also see: [Solved] Excluding title page from page numbering. Despite the title this deals with exactly what you are after.

[Scáthach]

Thanks guys. I will certainly try this when I get home and then adjust the thread title accordingly.

[Scáthach]

Okay I have been trying to follow the instructions given and I'm just not getting it. It's not working for me at all. No matter what I do, Page 4 shows up as Page 4 rather than Page 1 as I want it to.

[Hagar Delest]

At page 3 you've to insert a page break with a style (can be the same as page 3) and set the page numbering to 1. Or in first paragraph of page 4, right click and in the Text Flow tab, check the Insert page break option.

[TheGurkha]

See the example file. If you have further questions it'll be easier for me to answer them about this document, because I'll know what's in it, and what was done to it.

[Scáthach]

Okay I have tried again as I realised I was doing things backward. I have the correct page I want showing as page 1, but then none of the other pages show the header with subsequent the page number. However, when I scroll down to page three, the one I want the numbering to begin on, down in the lower left corner of the screen, it is showing Page 1 5/6 and the page beyond that shows Page 2 6/6.

[Hagar Delest]

Do you use different page styles?

You should upload the file and we will tell you what's wrong.

[TheGurkha]

Did you look at my example doc? There are instructions there for what I did to get that sort of numbering.

[Scáthach]

I made the first three pages the default page style - with no numbering at all. Then at page three I inserted a page break to get to page 4 and chose First Page as the new page style and ticked the box for changing the page number to 1.

This would all be a whole lot easier if I could bring my laptop to work, allowing me to attempt things and upload what I do rather than having to wait til I get home.

[TheGurkha]

The intention behind the First Page style is that it is supposed to be the first page of the document - the cover - not the first page you want have numbers on. Also, there may be some 'Front Matter' pages, with their own style for the i, ii, iii pages and then default for the 'normal' body text pages with numbers 1, 2, 3 and so on.

Please refer to the document I uploaded to help you. In that I have used three styles. The First Page style (which is ready-made in OOo) a Front Matter style (which I made) and the Default style (which of course already exists). Note that you can have more than one page with the First Page style, so if you want 3 or more with no numbers, then just set those pages all to have the First Page style.

[Scáthach]

I did it!!!!

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. Other stuff came up and I haven't been able to work on this for a few days.

Thanks so much for your patience.

[JBaldizon]

Inserting the page number field into a Writer document is easy.

VIDEO TUTORIAL: how to insert page numbers into Writer document.

First you must understand that you insert page numbers into the header or footer of your document. This means you have to apply a header and footer to your pages.

The best way to do this is via the Style & Formatting window (F11). From the S&F window, click on the Page Styles icon, right-click on the page style you want to add a header/footer to and select Modify. A page style window will pop up, and fron the header or footer tab, you can activate the header for every page that uses that page style.
This may sound complicated, but trust me it's not.

You must also understand that you don't just type in a number into the header or footer--you have to insert the page number field. You do this by first placing your cursor inside your header or footer, then insert the page number field (Insert --> Fields --> Page Number). You'll see how easy this is to do once you actually do it.

[johnybeau]

I AM writing a script,which needs the numbering to start on page two, with no page one. i have used the offset feature to keep it from numbering my title page, but it begins numbering on actual page two as page one, which it IS page one, but that is improper script format. i need it to begin numbering at page two...?

[johnybeau]

that may be a bit shadowy. i have three pages. one a title page: no number. then the first page, then the second page. i need no number on the first page, but a number on the second (third) page, and i need that number to start at 2.

[RoryOF]

See the tutorial on Page Numbering posted early in this thread.