How to Add Page Numbers in InDesign

What You’ll Be Creating

Looking up how to add page numbers in InDesign? Well, you’re in the right place! In this quick tip, you’ll learn how to add page numbers in InDesign for all your design project needs.

We’ll be using this Dessert Cookbook Template for this tutorial. You can also find many other InDesign templates on Envato Elements which you can use for this project—any file is fine, as long as it has multiple pages.

So you’re making a document with a lot of pages, and you’ve paid close attention to your design. You’ve been selective with your images, and everything is going great. As you add pages to your document, however, adding the page numbers to InDesign can get annoying to deal with.

Then, if you need to change the order of your pages, you have to go through all of them again to ensure they are in order. Wouldn’t it be nice if the page numbers in InDesign were automatic and you didn’t have to worry about it?

Luckily, InDesign page numbers can be automatic. By adding automatic InDesign page numbers, we can focus more on our design instead of the small technicalities. The great thing about this approach is that it leaves less room for human error.

Follow this tutorial to learn how to number pages in InDesign over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

How to Add Page Numbers in InDesign

Step 1

For the first step to insert page numbers in InDesign, open up your document.

Make sure the document you’re using has multiple pages in order to add page numbers to InDesign automatically.

Step 2

Now, seek out the Pages panel in your workspace. If you don’t see it, you can find it by going to Window > Pages.

Step 3

With the Pages panel open, double-click your master page to open it.

Tip: If you have a setup with pages facing each other, you will have two master pages.

Step 4

This next step in learning how to add page numbers in InDesign is simple. Just select the Text Tool from the toolbar, and then click somewhere on the right page to start a text box.

Step 5

Now we’ll go to Type > Insert Special Characters > Markers > Current Page Number.

Step 6

It’s that simple to insert a page number in InDesign. InDesign will put the A symbol here on the master page.

Now we’ll repeat this process again to insert page numbers in InDesign for the right page of the spread.

Step 7

Next, double-click on the right master page and repeat the process again by placing text down and going to Type > Insert Special Characters > Markers > Current Page Number.

Adjust and move the A symbol to where you want to place the page number so that both master pages have a page number. Take time to adjust the character styles so they match your document. This will make your InDesign page numbers seem more cohesive.

Step 8

Now, if you go through your pages, you will see that the InDesign page numbers have been automatically numbered in the same style. So if you change the style of this symbol on the master page, the style of the page numbers will also change on every page.

Go ahead and click on page 4 in the Pages panel.

Step 9

We’re halfway done with this tutorial on how to number pages in InDesign. Click through your pages to see the page number count. Pretty handy, right?

One of the great things about this technique is that the page number is now on every page. One of the bad things about this technique also happens to be the fact that the page number is on every page! This includes the cover and inside page of our book. It’s that easy to insert page numbers in InDesign.

In this case, I want to start counting from the contents page, but the cover and the inside of the cover are both being counted.

Step 10

To fix this issue and avoid inserting page numbers in InDesign on the cover, do the following. On the Pages panel, right-click the page you want to start from and select Numbering and Section Options.

Step 11

This will bring up the Numbering and Section Options dialog window. Check Start Section.

Step 12

Select the dialog option which states Start Page Numbering and then select page 1.

Step 13

Now we need to select a name for our new section. Let’s just call it Main. In the Section Prefix area, type in your section name Main.

Note: The name can be anything and is just for your reference.

Step 14

There are some other interesting features here, such as markers which can be applied to different sections. But we’re just looking to add page numbers to InDesign, so this should suit us just fine.

Now go ahead and select OK!

Step 15

Notice that there is a small arrow above the page to indicate the start of a new section.

Now you can see that the page numbering starts at our new section! Scroll through your pages to see the numbers in action. Now, when you update your document with extra pages, you don’t have to worry about inserting page numbers anymore!

Cleaning and Organizing

Here are a couple of tips for a clean process as you’re learning how to number pages in InDesign.

Remember that you can add as many sections as you like! There may be some cases where you would want to reset numbering based on different sections such as a textbook. To do this, go through the same process, adding page numbers to InDesign and its sections where they are needed.

You may need to do some cleanup on pages where you don’t want to see numbers. One simple solution for special pages which don’t require page numbers is to remove that page from the master. To do this, right-click the page and select Override All Master Page Items. This works great if there are just a couple of pages that don’t rely on master page content.

If you want to keep master page elements but just remove the InDesign page numbers, then you could make an additional master page which doesn’t include the InDesign page numbers.

Congratulations: You’ve Mastered How to Add Page Numbers in InDesign!

You just learned how to add InDesign page numbers automatically. From here, you can use this for books, magazines, design briefs, and presentation documents—even your resume if it’s big enough! You’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort on larger projects now that you know how to add page numbers to InDesign.

5 Premium InDesign Books and Brochures From Envato Elements

Now that you’ve learned how to number pages in InDesign, you may be looking for the perfect match for your publication.

However, if you don’t want to wait to have an awesome InDesign book or brochure, you don’t have to! Simply check out the selection of thousands of high-quality InDesign templates from Envato Elements.

And just to give you a taste of what you’d find, here are five of the most beautiful InDesign books and brochures:

1. Creative Agency Brochure (INDD)

Modern and stylish, this template is a fantastic option for a creative business or personal endeavor. It has 40 unique layouts and beautiful pages. Plus, you won’t need to make a big fuss about knowing how to number pages in InDesign since it’s super easy to customize. Download this InDesign brochure template to elevate your publication!

2. Summertime Sadness: Fashion Photo Book (INDD)

Your search for a top-quality InDesign fashion photo book has reached its end! You can include your articles, editorials, interviews, galleries, and showcases—all with the confidence that you’ll have an avant-garde design to back your publication. Take full advantage of its contemporary design, trendy style, and elegant layouts.

3. Minimal Brochure Template (AI, EPS, INDD, PSD)

Use this minimal brochure template to present your business, creative projects, personal ventures, portfolios, products, and more. Here are just a few of its features:

eight-page A4 template
150 dpi resolution
CMYK color mode
3 mm bleed
paragraph styles
fully layered

Moreover, now that you know how to number pages in InDesign, you won’t even have to work that hard to get this template fitted to your needs.

4. Untitled Portfolio (INDD)

Let color wash over your InDesign book! This energetic and multicolored InDesign template will help you bring life to your publication. You just have to add your own content to make it perfect. Plus, you’ll get all the guidance you need to make it your own with its super useful help files.

5. Brochure (INDD)

This beauty is the last InDesign template we’ll discuss here (another one of the thousands of premium InDesign templates available on Envato Elements). The shapes, colors, typography, and visual elements are eye-catching and attractive.

This InDesign template is modern and sophisticated. It’s the perfect mix to make your publication stand out.

Explore More InDesign Tutorials and Resources

We hope you enjoyed this quick tip tutorial to add page numbers to InDesign. If you found this useful, then check out these other amazing InDesign tutorials from Envato Tuts+.

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Dacia Egurrola. Dacia is a staff writer with Envato Tuts+.

Post date December 22, 2020

This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Zap Layden

What You'll Be Creating

Looking up how to add page numbers in InDesign? Well, you're in the right place! In this quick tip, you'll learn how to add page numbers in InDesign for all your design project needs.

We'll be using this Dessert Cookbook Template for this tutorial. You can also find many other InDesign templates on Envato Elements which you can use for this project—any file is fine, as long as it has multiple pages.

So you're making a document with a lot of pages, and you've paid close attention to your design. You've been selective with your images, and everything is going great. As you add pages to your document, however, adding the page numbers to InDesign can get annoying to deal with.

Then, if you need to change the order of your pages, you have to go through all of them again to ensure they are in order. Wouldn't it be nice if the page numbers in InDesign were automatic and you didn't have to worry about it?

Follow this tutorial to learn how to number pages in InDesign over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel: