[Solved] How to apply different headers on different pages?

[Willy2008]

I am also having difficulty creating different headers on different pages . Setting the page styles for different pages works fine , but there seems to be no way to link a unique header ( or footer) to the page style . No mater what I do the header always seems to be defined by the first page.

I have read and tried various folks explanations but none of them work. I like OpenOffice , but something as fundamental as headers should not be such a mess !

Perhaps I am expecting OpenOffice to be able to create unique headers like Word , but perhaps this is not possible ?

SOLVED (see below)

[acknak]

Have you read the Forum Survival Guide?

It's really helpful if you start a new topic for each separate question, even if it is related to another topic--so I have split your question off to a new thread.

Headers/Footers in Writer certainly could, and should, be easier, but I wouldn't call them a "mess". They're simply different from what you're used to.

Their structure is very simple: each different header or footer is part of exactly one page style, so for every different header or footer, you need a separate page style. Of course, changing a page number or even a chapter title doesn't require a new header/footer, but changing the fields in the header, or the text, or the formatting, requires a separate header/footer and that means a separate page style.

You can create new page styles, each with it's own unique header or footer, using the Stylist window: Format > Styles and Formatting, or F11.

[Willy2008]

Ok , the word "mess" was inappropriate , but arcane and convoluted is more accurate with respect to headers / footers.

Someone kindly posted this detailed description on a different web site , but even when I attempt to follow it , the header/footer still reverts to page 1.

http://ceffyl.net/wordpress/tech/open-o ... e-headers/

So far all the information I have seen is of a general nature , or in many cases does not address the issue of unique headers/footers for separate pages.

[jrkrideau]

Ok , the word "mess" was inappropriate , but arcane and convoluted is more accurate with respect to headers / footers.

Someone kindly posted this detailed description on a different web site , but even when I attempt to follow it , the header/footer still reverts to page 1.

http://ceffyl.net/wordpress/tech/open-o ... e-headers/

So far all the information I have seen is of a general nature , or in many cases does not address the issue of unique headers/footers for separate pages.

That does look at bit involved.

Lets assume that you can use the Left and Right Page Styles.

Right-click on Left Page style, select Modify and under the Organizer tab set the Next Style to Right Page.
Under the Header tab set to ON

Repeat for Right page setting Next Style to Left Page


Start document with Right Page Style and type in the header info
Start work and continue until you get the neaxt page _ type in header info.

Done.

[acknak]

Well, I totally sympathize with your frustration with performing such a routine task--it trips up a lot of people; it really should have a simpler and more obvious interface.

Did you try a search here? Searching for "page format" in the "Turorials" section of this forum (under "Advanced Search") located several relevant threads, including these:
http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=1162
http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=1221

I'm sorry, but I can't understand your description well enough to make a specific suggestion. I don't understand what you mean by "reverts to page 1."

Look over the links (if you haven't already) and if that doesn't help, maybe it will at least help with understanding where the problem is.

[Willy2008]

My problem was that the web info I referred to suggested using CRTL-BREAK to add a page break . But when you do that it reverts to NONE style (which is the default referring to page 1 ).

You MUST go to INSERT , MANUAL BREAK and select the Style as shown at the blog post below.

http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/ ... page_.html
" Choose Insert > Manual Break. In the window that appears, just tell it that now you want to switch to the Main Body page style by selecting it in the list.
Page10 "

Thanks for the help , but I think a more succinct description similar to the one above , referring specifically to Headers / Footers would be a big help.

[TheGurkha]

Glad you got it figured.

If you question has been answered please go to your first post and use the Edit button, and add [Solved] to the start of the title. You can also select the green tick icon.

[Willy2008]

I am also having difficulty creating different headers on different pages . Setting the page styles for different pages works fine , but there seems to be no way to link a unique header ( or footer) to the page style . No mater what I do the header always seems to be defined by the first page.

I have read and tried various folks explanations but none of them work. I like OpenOffice , but something as fundamental as headers should not be such a mess !

Perhaps I am expecting OpenOffice to be able to create unique headers like Word , but perhaps this is not possible ?

Edit:

SOLVED

[TheGurkha]

I think you used the 'Quote' button by mistake...

[ceffyl]

Greetings.

I wrote the tutorial on ceffyl.net described earlier. I'll remove the information about using Ctrl-Enter to add pages (it worked in the test document I created, but I was only focused on getting different headers/footers -- not necessarily page numbering).

I'll also add in links to the articles posted here.

Thanks.

Ceffyl

[gestalt77]

I see that it's solved, but just wanted to try to put this in simpler terms.

My particular problem was I had to write a paper in APA format, with different text in the page one header than the following headers.

After reading what was posted hear I was able to fix it.

Go to the page one header. click inside. I selected the text too. Then on the toolbar there is a drop down menu that says the name of the style, make sure it says, "header."

Do the same to the second page header. click inside. On the toolbar select "header left" and make your changes. This should preserve the first page header as unique.

Hope this helps.

[anne_marie_oregon]

It is really important, as a college student, to be able to use APA format. These headers are really tripping me up I need to use THIS header for the Title page: "Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" and THIS header for all subsequent pages: "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" (see the OWL at Purdue)

I believe Microsoft Word has an option for "different 1st page header" or some such option!

I cannot seem to resolve this by using the Apply Styles or using left and right header. My header simply reverts to page 1 (just as the other users have said). I have tried higlighting all of the text on my 2nd header and selecting "Header left" on the 2nd header - but as soon as I do that, the 1st header also goes to "Header left" instead of maintaining a unique style for the first header

Please help! ~Anne Marie (Nursing student)

[RoryOF]

There are two templates for APA style listed at
http://templates.services.openoffice.org/en/search/node/APA

These may be of help to you.

[Bill]

It is really important, as a college student, to be able to use APA format. These headers are really tripping me up I need to use THIS header for the Title page: "Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" and THIS header for all subsequent pages: "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" (see the OWL at Purdue)

I believe Microsoft Word has an option for "different 1st page header" or some such option!

I cannot seem to resolve this by using the Apply Styles or using left and right header. My header simply reverts to page 1 (just as the other users have said). I have tried higlighting all of the text on my 2nd header and selecting "Header left" on the 2nd header - but as soon as I do that, the 1st header also goes to "Header left" instead of maintaining a unique style for the first header

Please help! ~Anne Marie (Nursing student)

Apply Styles applies paragraph styles. Headers are part of page styles. Generally, in order to have different headers on different pages, the pages must have different page styles, not different paragraph styles for the headers. In your case, since pages 2+ have the same header, they can have the same page style, but the first page must have a different page style in order to have a different header. Note that when you change a header on a page, you're actually changing the header for the page style of that page, not just that one page.

[JamesJo]

Choose File » Page Setup and click the Layout tab (see Figure 4-18). Check the "Different first page" box if you just want a different header or footer on the first page. (This box is also useful when you want headers and footers on every page except the first.) Check the "Different odd and even" box to use different headers or footers on facing pages, as is done in most books.

[Bill]

Choose File » Page Setup and click the Layout tab (see Figure 4-18). Check the "Different first page" box if you just want a different header or footer on the first page. (This box is also useful when you want headers and footers on every page except the first.) Check the "Different odd and even" box to use different headers or footers on facing pages, as is done in most books.

That's how you do it in MS Word, not OOo Writer.

[floatilla]

I would hardly call this solved.

Arg.

Just trying to make the first page have a running header which reads:

"Running Head: MY TITLE"

Then I want every other page's header to read simply

"MY TITLE" (sans the words Running Head).

Can anyone please post simple instruction,

[RoryOF]

Use a different Page Style for your first Page (if necessary, modify a pre-defined Page Style). In OpenOffice page headers and footers are part of the Page Style, not the text. This and their manipulation is explained in
Tutorial: Page Styles and Headers/Footers
and in various other tutorials which give more advanced header/footer manipulation at
Link to Writer tutorials

[thomasjk]

it is possible - [http://chrismlindsey.com/2007/11/30/how-to-remove-header-from-first-page-in-openoffice/] acctually shows you how

[jrkrideau]

I would hardly call this solved.

Arg.

Just trying to make the first page have a running header which reads:

"Running Head: MY TITLE"

Then I want every other page's header to read simply

"MY TITLE" (sans the words Running Head).

Can anyone please post simple instruction,

Presumably this is APA 6th?

If so
A relatively simple APA 6th is available at http://templates.openoffice.org/en/node/3193. A somewhat more elaborate one is available at http://www.mediafire.com/view/?i5iyugmuz2gs6fh.

If you want to do it yourself, for a simple template create two page styles (use the default page style , right click and select new.
Name the first one apa.first page. Turn on headers and footers , select font and etc
Repeat calling the new style apa.main.
Apply apa.first page to the first page of the document
Add header
Do Insert > Manual Break > Page Break > apply style apa.main.
Add header with page number to second page.
Done

Don't forget to set your paragraph line spacing to double.

Good luck

[jeb267]

I signed up to this forum because it pisses me off after searching for answers and all I find is a bunch of morons trying to give answers to something they have no answer to. You always get the one guy that has about a thousand more questions about your operating system, etc etc but still has not solution for you. It's so freaking annoying. If you do not know what the person is talking about then you probably do not have the solution. So, here is how you solve this particular issue in the simplest terms possible for everyone who is not a computer nerd.

Inserting a page number in header

1) Click Insert --> Header --> Defualt

2) Click Insert --> Fields --> Page Number

Remove header from first page

1) Click anywhere on the first page

2) Click Format --> Styles and Formatting

3) Double click First Page



DONE. IT IS GONE.


Now was that so hard to answer??

[jrkrideau]

Well, except that you seem to have misunderstood the problem and the discussion and your solution will only work if you are using the pre-defined first page with a new page style on the second page it was not hard. Not correct but not hard.

[lilcav]

Ok, I thought I did this. I got excited and created an account to help everyone else out. Then, I checked my document and I realized I had just made header left and header be able to be different. Which, I think is for books (so the left page and right page can look different) and doesn't help the problem of first page being one thing, and then ALL following pages being the same but different from the first page. What I did was essentially to make every other page the same as each other.

So, I'm looking for help too, also writing an APA paper that needs one header on first page that is special from all the rest. Thanks!

Sorry if I am writing against survival guide rules, but, I wanted to explain what was happening to me, as a way to hopefully get a clearer answer.

[Bill]

I signed up to this forum because it pisses me off after searching for answers and all I find is a bunch of morons trying to give answers to something they have no answer to. You always get the one guy that has about a thousand more questions about your operating system, etc etc but still has not solution for you. It's so freaking annoying. If you do not know what the person is talking about then you probably do not have the solution. So, here is how you solve this particular issue in the simplest terms possible for everyone who is not a computer nerd.

Inserting a page number in header

1) Click Insert --> Header --> Defualt

2) Click Insert --> Fields --> Page Number

Remove header from first page

1) Click anywhere on the first page

2) Click Format --> Styles and Formatting

3) Double click First Page



DONE. IT IS GONE.


Now was that so hard to answer??

No, but you should have included a warning that this method doesn't work when saving in the DOC format.

[jrkrideau]

Ok, I thought I did this. I got excited and created an account to help everyone else out. Then, I checked my document and I realized I had just made header left and header be able to be different. Which, I think is for books (so the left page and right page can look different) and doesn't help the problem of first page being one thing, and then ALL following pages being the same but different from the first page. What I did was essentially to make every other page the same as each other.

So, I'm looking for help too, also writing an APA paper that needs one header on first page that is special from all the rest. Thanks!

Sorry if I am writing against survival guide rules, but, I wanted to explain what was happening to me, as a way to hopefully get a clearer answer.

Right. Actually I think you were dealing with the orignal issue though I am not sure if your solution would work all the time. The APA style issue that arose is another matter.

As I wrote earlier in the thread:
Presumably this is APA 6th?

Edit: This is important since there have been so relatively minor but important changes in heading levels from APA 5 to APA 6.

If it is APA 6th then :
A relatively simple APA 6th is available at http://templates.openoffice.org/en/node/3193. A somewhat more elaborate one is available at http://www.mediafire.com/view/?i5iyugmuz2gs6fh. This last is probably about 95-98% APA complient. Some things need to be checked against the actual manual but it should be perfectly adequate for an undergrad paper. For submission for publiation to an APA journal--- it probably works but double-check.

If you want to do it yourself, for a simple template create two page styles (use the default page style , right click and select new.

Name the first one apa.first page. Turn on headers and footers , select font and etc

Repeat calling the new style apa.main.

Apply apa.first page to the first page of the document

Add header

Do Insert > Manual Break > Page Break > apply style apa.main. Do NOT use key stroke commands.
Add header with page number to second page.
Done.

Don't forget to set your paragraph line spacing to double in both page styles

Good luck.

Edit: Forgot: If you are doing any kind of academic study then you need a decent bibliographic system: The last thing you need is to have to type your biblioraphpy/reference list in every paper. Have a look at Zotero . With any luck it will download all your references from the internet and format them correctly in an paper where you cite them.

[lilcav]

Thanks for all the help folks, but I'm still not getting it. I can't "apply" the page style for some reason. I have the nice page break, and it allowed different headers, but on page 3 it was the same as page 1. Is there an exact word that I should look for instead of "apply?"

I added a screen shot of what I'm working with...maybe I'm way off base and in the wrong section...

[The Nutcracker]

I feel like I am beating a dead horse here. But I am going to do it anyway. (note: I registered just to make this comment and I hope the developers take note.)

1. I understand that this is not Microsoft, nor should it be. Their way is not always the best. (otherwise OpenOffice would not exist)
2. I understand the Headers are per style in Ooo.
3. I understand you can have multiple different styles in a given document and that is the way it has been suggested to solve this unsolved problem.
4. The way the solution is being suggested above is not a solution, but a kludge. Trying to make something that has a shortcoming work as if it doesn't have one.

Why can't the Header tab just have a 3rd option under the "Same content left/right" that reads "Different first page". This is what all the frustration is about in this thread and my son is screaming at Ooo that it is stupid and has now refused to work with it because he says it doesn't work.

I feel that this option is needed and would work in the following way. WITHIN EACH STYLE, the first page could have a different header. This is not asking for change of how styles are applied to documents, or that there isn't a need to have multiple styles in a document. But just allow for the first page of a given style to have a different header. This is driven by the APA format, NOT a need to copy MS word, which I feel is inferior to this in some respects. From the sheer number of views this thread had received, it is obvious it is a problem or frustration to many people.

Sorry for the rant, but I feel that the mods and OpenOffice have put on blinders with respect to this because they feel there is a solution that works, all be it that it is an arcane way of doing it. You have forgotten to listen to your audience.

--End Rant--

[Villeroy]

WITHIN EACH STYLE, the first page would have a different header.

This adds another level of complexity while removing a level of flexibility.

The complexity lies in another rule that applies to one particular item (the header) of a style. In fact it is an exception to the rule that this style applies to all pages made from this style ... except for the first one where there must be no header.

The flexibility you loose when you implement an exception for the attribute "header": What if you want a first page with header but without footer? With header and footer but with wider margins? A first page in landscape layout? A first page with different borders and colors? Well, you start again with different styles.

I think that all word processors are completely incomprehensible because of these never ending "refinements" (special rules with exceptions) to please the alleged most stupid majority of users.

[The Nutcracker]

It does NOT remove any flexibility or add complexity.
If you do not check the option, the styles act exactly like they are now.

You are making my point exactly when I wrote " I feel that the mods and OpenOffice have put on blinders with respect to this because they feel there is a solution that works, all be it that it is an arcane way of doing it." You can not see that this may/will make it easier for the average user that does not need to apply more than one style to a document.

You assume that everyone understands the subtle ways that a style can be applied to a document and the ramifications of doing that. Until I researched this, I didn't even know you could apply multiple styles to a single document. What happens if I install this program on my fathers computer. Will he understand that easily, or will he want to take a class just to use a word processor?

Think about your audience. Look how many people have accessed this thread. Is this an issue seen by many people? Is this pointing towards an implementation of something in the program that could be simplified a little without taking away anything from the current ability to apply many different styles to a document?

This is only asking that WITHIN A STYLE, that the first page of a Header (and possibly added to the footer as well) be allowed to be different. Just like it is allowed to be different on the left and right pages within the style. And if you don't see this, then let us use the logic that you used in your post and take away the "Same content left/right" option from the Header and Footer tab because it is an exception to the rule.

The "Same content left/right" was added because people didn't want to have to put a new style on each page to accomplish this. This "Different content on first page" is along those same lines. If you can not see that, then you are truly blinded by your own paradigm.

--end rant again because people cant think outside of their own paradigm.

[acknak]

Regardless of the merits of either point of view, it's not going to do any good to discuss it here. No one here can do anything about it. Getting the page layout configured is known to cause lots of confusion and problems and there are already open issues in the project bug-tracking database asking for improvements.

The bottom line (just my opinion, of course): yes, it's confusing and difficult to get started with but once you see how it works it's not hard to manage. It will take a lot of work to fix it right so we might as well help each other to make the best of what we have now.

If you want to get it straight, go through my structure example here: [Example] Document structure and numbering or the the page numbering tutorial (linked from the structure thread).