Created pages not counted (solved)

[llmunro]

Hello!

I am formatting a document that has a bizarre requirement that the first two pages are neither numbered nor counted. I have created a page style for these pages that specifies no page number.

However, they are still counted in the document as page 1, and page 2, which seems to require creating an offset page count. I’ve inserted page numbers as fields, using an offset of -2, to be able to start numbering the pages at page iv (by page count, technically page 6). It works fine.

The TOC, however, counts all of the pages, so the page numbers of the front matter is not correct in the TOC. I can manually edit it (which is not a huge deal) but is there any way to create two pages that are not counted or numbered in the document? Is there an easier way to do what I’m trying to accomplish?

Thanks much.
Lisa

[ajlittoz]

Never use offsets in page number field insertions. Contrary to “intuition” offset does not alter the page number but references pages further away from the “spot” page number. When you insert a page number minus offset 2, you try to retrieve the page number for the page two positions away. If the page does not exist, you get an empty number. This happens if you are on absolute page 1 or 2 (trying to get pages -1 and 0 which obviously do not exist because they would be before the beginning of the document).

This is a trivial case but you may have more subtle cases and you won’t be able to sort things out unless you are aware of the fact.

The solution of your problem is readily at hand. You have already created a specific page style for your first two pages. You transition to the rest of your document with Insert>More Breaks>Manual Break (instead of the common page break Ctrl+Enter) so that you can chose the next page style and tell the starting page number.

It seems that your document is a sequence of:

• 2 unnumbered pages, probably cover and dedication or summary
• the TOC, Roman-numbered i to iii
• the discourse, numbered 1+ or 4+

If this is correct, you need another page style for the TOC which will allow you to have it separately numbered. You can then choose to start content either in continuity with the TOC or restart at one.

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[llmunro]

Absolutely perfect! Worked like a charm. I don’t know why that hadn’t occurred to me. Thank you!
LIsa

[ajlittoz]

You’re welcome.

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