Setting page numbering starting value in Draw

[TXDon]

I am attempting to create a multi-page document in Draw with an unnumbered title page and page numbering starting on the second page of the document.

When I insert a Page Number field, the number appears as 2. Is there any way to have the second page start numbering with 1?

The page numbering appears to be tied to the numbering in the Pages pane rather than the Master Page being used.

[Zizi64]

A single Draw document can use/handle one Page Style only. (The different appearance of the page numbers are related to the page styles in the Writer documents.)
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And - unfortunately - there is no way to insert custom (user defined) Fields nor user defined Document Properties directly into a Draw document.
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You can do it only manually (in textbox with a manually adjusted number) or by a macro (adjust the text of a Named shape on every page to a calculated value).
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Dirty tips:

• Use a standalone document for the Title page. If you need a PDF as a final result, then you can merge them with a free third party software.

• Use the last page as a Title page if you need printed paper sheets. (You can delete the page number from it.) If you need double side printing, then the Title page must be located on a page with even page number.

[ajlittoz]

@Zizi64 states the main limitations which show why you can’t do it with Draw.

The description in your question is insufficient to understand the exact nature of your document. There are essentially two workarounds:

• create a Writer document for the structure (backbone): the pages controlled by various page styles and paste your Draw drawings
  However this may not match the flow-oriented model of Writer. If you think in page concept, a DTP application like Scribus may be a better tool
• since Draw and Impress are basically the same, use Impress instead
  The latter offers more structuring features then Draw. Note that you would still need to design some complex drawing in Draw.

If you give more details, we can suggest more adapted solutions. And, as always, mention OS name and LO version.

[TXDon]

Thank you for your replies. I am trying to get a complete understanding of Draw. Your answers basically confirm my impressions.

I feel that Writer is the best choice for multi-page documents, using Draw to produce images to be inserted into the Writer document.