How can I use Roman page numbers for first pages and Arabic page numbers for the rest?

[Joanna]

Writer: "Restarting page numbering" as described in the manual not working with master document

Chapter 13, p.352 of the writer guide from here: http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/documentation/ Provides details on how to restart numbering. It advises a new text style with page number “1” set in the “Text Flow” tab. I have done this, copying Heading 1 to create a new “Heading 1 Chapter 1” with these settings in the template I use (then applied it to all subdocuments and the master document. I have checked this works by selecting a heading a few pages into a document and giving it this…

Hi,

I am in the last steps of editing my thesis and I am having trouble with page numbering. I tried to work it out by looking for explanations but I just can’t figure it out.

I need to number page 1 to 7 in roman numerals (starting on page 2), and then the rest in arabic numbers.

Can anyone please explain this to me, as simply as possible, or even step by step, as it is playing with my nerves.

Thank you so much!

[oweng]

Here are step-by-step instructions for a new single document. If you are using the master / sub-document facility (which the question you link to is asking about) then the process differs. The example provided by @mahfiaz is correct except that it uses upper case Roman numerals and my instructions use the lower case form.

1. Open a new (blank) document.
2. Press F11 to obtain the Styles and Formatting window (or select the panel of the same name in the sidebar). This window is your best friend. Dock it if you need to.
3. Go to the Page styles tab (ensure All styles are displayed).
4. Double click the First Page page style. You have just created your title page. By default it displays no header or footer, which is usual.
5. Right click on the Default Style page style and select New…. Give it a sensible name (e.g., Forepapers). Click the Page tab. Set Layout settings > Format to i, ii, iii, …. Click the Footer tab and turn on the footer for this page style. Click OK.
6. Insert > Manual Break… and select Page Break and Style of Forepapers (the one we just created). Change page numbering to start at 2. Click OK. You now have your first forepaper page.
7. Click in the footer area. Insert > Fields > Page number. Now your first forepaper page has a Roman numeral page number.
8. Insert five more normal page breaks (Insert > Manual Break…). This will give you pages ii through vii.
9. Right click on the Default page style and select New…. Give it a sensible name (e.g., Body). Click the Page tab. Ensure Layout settings > Format is 1, 2, 3, … (it should be). Click the Footer tab and turn on the footer for this page style. Click OK.
10. Insert > Manual Break… and select Page Break and Style of Body (the last one we created). Change page numbering to start at 1. Click OK. You now have your first main body page.
11. Click in the footer area. Insert > Fields > Page number. Now your first main body page has an Arabic numeral page number.
12. Enter some headings and text on this page. Style them to use the Heading 1 and Text body paragraph styles (from the Paragraph style tab). Do the same on a forepapers page if you like.
13. Go back to the forepaper page. Insert > Indexes and Tables > Indexes and Tables…. Click OK to use the default settings (or maybe uncheck Protected against manual changes). ToC with lower case Roman numeral page numbers for the forepapers (assuming you entered some content) and Arabic page number references for the body.

[mahfiaz]

I created an example document which covers it all: How to have Roman style page numbering.odt

I hope it cuts it for you.

Here is a short explanation about what is done in that document:

There is a new page style to have different footer contents. Into the footer there is added page number with Insert → Fields → Page numbering. Double click on the inserted number gives a dialog to change the style of the number, pick Roman. To switch back to normal numbering, Insert → Manual break → Page break with Default style.

[mahfiaz]

@oweng’s answer is technically more correct AND gives you roman numbers in the table of contents as well, which this technique doesn’t. So just do what @oweng said.

[TCullins-Clark]

thanks! I needed both of these

[Joanna]

Thank you Mahfiaz and Oweng for your answers. So I have kind of managed to do it, however when I insert a page break, it skip a page which although blank is numbered. Hence I have a blank a page after my first page, and one after my roman numerals still numbered.

Would love to do a TOC…but haven’t mastered this either

Anyway, thank you, although there are two blank pages, it s still better than no numbering at all.Cheers ,

Joanna

[mahfiaz]

1. Just delete empty lines before your page break or the already added page break which comes after. Page breaks can be assigned to tables and paragraphs as well (but not likely, you would know about it).

2. Creating TOC is easy, let’s assume you used Heading 1, 2, 3 styles for your headings. Now just follow this: Creating a Table of Contents - LibreOffice Help

But pleas remember, you have to update the TOC by hand before printing to have the right numbers.