Custom page numbering in InDesign

Question

I'm creating two catalogues with some overlapping parts so I'm working with two different .indd files. First catalogue (35 pages in total, excluding cover and back) is all ready and page numbering is in place. Now I need to setup the page numbering for the second catalogue so that the first page in the file starts with the number 36. Is it possible to start custom page numbering in the beginning of a document, or should I just work in one file instead (and later save them as separate pdf files)?

The reason why I'm doing this in two files is because of printing - the catalogue with overlapping pages will be printed first, and the extra pages will be printed afterwards...

It's my first experience with printing that way so if anyone has any experience with that and has some advice on what to keep in mind or anything else, it's all very welcome :)

Answer 1

Yes, you can indeed change the starting page number.

1. Right-click your first page and select Numbering & section options...

2. In there you can find Start page numbering at:

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If I understood the whole process correctly, you need to export each section as separate pdf documents...? you could use this script

This script will also work with with the the book method in @Bakabaka's answer...

This is how you use the script: 1. Run it. 2. Select pdf preset. 3. Find folder where these .indd files sit. –– The script will then save the pdfs into that same folder.

For preservation, here's the script:

// Script for InDesign CS3-5.
// July 22 2011
// Written by Kasyan Servetsky
// http://www.kasyan.ho.com.ua
// e-mail: [email protected]
//======================================================================================
var gScriptName = "Batch export INDD-files to PDF"; // Name of the script
var gScriptVersion = "1.0"; // Version

var gSet = GetSettings();
CreateDialog();

//===================================== FUNCTIONS  ======================================
function CreateDialog() {
    var pdfPresetsList =app.pdfExportPresets.everyItem().name;  
    var win = new Window("dialog", gScriptName + " - " + gScriptVersion);

    win.p = win.add("panel", undefined, "");
    win.p.alignChildren = "right";
    win.p.alignment = "fill";

    win.p.g = win.p.add("group");
    win.p.g.st = win.p.g.add("statictext", undefined, "PDF-presets:");
    win.p.g.ddl = win.p.g.add("dropdownlist", undefined, pdfPresetsList);
    win.p.g.ddl.selection = gSet.selectedPdfPresetIndex;
    win.p.g.ddl.preferredSize.width = 220;

    win.buttons = win.add("group");
    win.buttons.orientation = "row";   
    win.buttons.alignment = "center";
    win.buttons.ok = win.buttons.add("button", undefined, "OK", {name:"ok" });
    win.buttons.cancel = win.buttons.add("button", undefined, "Cancel", {name:"cancel"});

    var showDialog = win.show();

    if (showDialog == 1) {
        gSet.selectedPdfPresetIndex = win.p.g.ddl.selection.index;
        app.insertLabel("Kas_" + gScriptName + gScriptVersion, gSet.toSource());
        Main();
    }   
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
function Main() {
    var folder = Folder.selectDialog("Select a folder with InDesign files to export");
    if (folder == null) exit();
    var files = GetFiles(folder);
    var pdfFolder = new Folder(folder.fsName + "/" + "Pdf");
    VerifyFolder(pdfFolder);

    if (files.length == 0) {
        alert("No files to open.", gScriptName + " - " + gScriptVersion);
        exit();
    }

    var pdfPresets =app.pdfExportPresets.everyItem().getElements();
    var selectedPdfPreset = pdfPresets[gSet.selectedPdfPresetIndex];
    var count = 1;
    app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.NEVER_INTERACT;

    // Progress bar -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    var progressWin = new Window ("window", gScriptName + " - " + gScriptVersion);
    var progressBar = progressWin.add ("progressbar", [12, 12, 350, 24], 0, files.length);
    var progressTxt = progressWin.add("statictext", undefined, "Starting exporting files");
    progressTxt.bounds = [0, 0, 340, 20];
    progressTxt.alignment = "left";
    progressWin.show();
    // Progress bar -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    for (var i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
        var currentFile = files[i];

        try {
            var doc = app.open(currentFile, false);
            var docName = doc.name;

            // Progress bar -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            progressBar.value = count;
            progressTxt.text = String("Exporting file - " + docName + " (" + count + " of " + files.length + ")");
            // Progress bar -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            var file = new File(pdfFolder + "/" + GetFileName(docName) + ".pdf");
            if (file.exists) {
                var increment = 1;
                while (file.exists) {
                    file = new File(pdfFolder + "/" + GetFileName(docName) + "(" + increment++ + ").pdf");
                }
            }

            doc.exportFile(ExportFormat.pdfType, file, false, selectedPdfPreset);
            doc.close(SaveOptions.NO);
            count++;
        }
        catch(e) {}
    }

    // Progress bar -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    progressWin.close();
    // Progress bar -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.INTERACT_WITH_ALL;

    alert("Done.", gScriptName + " - " + gScriptVersion);
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
function VerifyFolder(folder) {
    if (!folder.exists) {
        var folder = new Folder(folder.absoluteURI);
        var array1 = new Array();
        while (!folder.exists) {
            array1.push(folder);
            folder = new Folder(folder.path);
        }
        var array2 = new Array();
        while (array1.length > 0) {
            folder = array1.pop();
            if (folder.create()) {
                array2.push(folder);
            } else {
                while (array2.length > 0) {
                    array2.pop.remove();
                }
                throw "Folder creation failed";
            } 
        }
    }
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
function GetFiles(theFolder) {
    var files = [],
    fileList = theFolder.getFiles(),
    i, file;

    for (i = 0; i < fileList.length; i++) {
        file = fileList[i];
        if (file instanceof Folder) {
            files = files.concat(GetFiles(file));
        }
        else if (file instanceof File && file.name.match(/\.indd$/i)) {
            files.push(file);
        }
    }

    return files;
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
function GetFileName(fileName) {
    var string = "";
    var result = fileName.lastIndexOf(".");
    if (result == -1) {
        string = fileName;
    }
    else {
        string = fileName.substr(0, result);
    }
    return string;
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
function GetSettings() {
    var set = eval(app.extractLabel("Kas_" + gScriptName + gScriptVersion));
    if (set == undefined) {
        set = { selectedPdfPresetIndex : 0 };
    }

    return set;
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer 2

In cases like these, it might be useful to use InDesign's 'Book' feature. Choose New... > Book... to make an *.inbb file, and the 'Book' palette will pop up.

You can add *.indd files to the book, and order them as you would with pages within an *.indd. By default, page numbers will be continuous: if you place a 36-page file first, the second's first page will be numbered '37', and so on.

Within the palette, there's ample options to edit the page numbering, like for example you'd want to do if you don't want page numbers continuous. A good instance of this would be a classic book's preface being numbered 'i, ii, iii, iv...' and the first chapter starting at page 1.

There's also possibilities to synchronise styles and swatches between the different *.indd files you place in the book, to ensure a consistent look. I have no personal experience with these, but they look worth your while.