insert Previous or Next page number does not work
insert Previous or Next page number does not work. I want to have folios of "Pages 1 and 2" where I need to have the next page#. Inserting a marker (previous page or Next page results in the current page number.
Mac version 14.03
John Bonadies
shared this idea
The proper way to use this feature has been explained. It works like this:
The extra text frame (containing the Previous/Next Page Number) need not be linked to the text frame to which it refers. It just has to touch that text frame.
The way this feature works is that you have a text frame that contains some text on a certain page. That text continues on a different page that is random. So, for example, in a magazine, you have an article that starts on page 11, and then it continues on page 80. In that case, you will create a separate text frame on page 11, make it touch the text frame that contains the article and put "Continued on Page . Similarly, on page 80, you will create a separate text frame and make it touch the article and put "Continued from Page .
When you do that, on Page 11 you will see “Continued on Page 80” and on Page 80 you will see “Continued from Page 11”. And this remains dynamic in the sense that if you add or delete pages in the magazine, the Page Number in Continued on/Continued from changes automatically based on where the article continues on and where it is continued from.
We hope now you’d understand why this feature is designed the way it is.
Please use the feature as described above and let us know if it does not work for you.
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Adobe InDesign team
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Jan Vork
commented
Conclusion: Previous and Next are very confusing names for this function.
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Tejus Shah commented
OK. So... how do I fix this? I have to set up previous page numbering in master pages. What's the solution here?? The right side page 24 and page 26 are correct with previous page numbering, but the left side just uses the current page. There's no way for me to touch the previous page text frame in a on the left side master page (is there??)
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Doug Miller commented
Could Adobe make this feature anymore complicated?
Why when I insert the character "Next Page Number" or "Previous Page Number" on a template does it not just work!
If I want to use this feature I have to add it to the document page? This seems to be an inefficient solution as I have to add this to each page and I can't use the template.
Years ago in Quark the folio could be written with variables <#folio + 1>
It seems like its been overly complicated for an outlier case and there's some "cluggey" workaround for the majority of use cases.
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Thomas M Ex Posterboy
commented
From what I understand (reading and re-reading the answer), I have finally had an "aha moment". The "previous Page Number" and "Next Page Number" markers can work in two ways.
1. Inside the text flow of linked threaded text frames
2. Touching a linked threaded text frame.Note that these markers will never work if you are not using linked text frames. They will simply autopolulate with the "Current Page Number" marker.
It is slightly confusing/frustrating if you aren't using linked text boxes in the first place.
But it can be done as Ravi has explained.
If all you want to do is place a text block on a page and use previous/next page markers, then just make sure that your "page #" text box touches the linked text box... problem solved.
This would absolutely work in situations where your client can't make up their minds and you have to keep flipping page order around without breaking layouts or losing text in the shuffle.
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Heath
commented
I found the solution via a youtube video called "How to get page numbering to start where you want in Indesign" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbUTJoDLRG4
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Heath
commented
Admin, I think you misunderstand the issue. We are not referring to the way you can continue text from one text frame to another. We are talking about the issue where you might have a 200-page book and you want page numbers but you don't want the cover included in the page number. ie: cover (no number) next page (page 1). The Insert Special Character > Markers > Next Page Number (IT DOESNT SHOW "NEXT PAGE NUMBER" AT ALL, IT SHOWS CURRENT PAGE NUMBER on the document you are working on)
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Anonymous
commented
What a bloated whale of a disgrace InDesign is. Berated for years through the 2000s that our working practices had to bend to Adobe's consistent software design standards they can't even describe a basic feature in a menu without confusing the whole damned world. This is just ridiculous!
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Filip Blazek
commented
Hi, The problem is obviously in wrong description of the feature. If you would name it correctly as “Next Frame Page Number” or “Previous Frame Page Number”, it would be clear what is the purpose of this feature. Unfortunately the name is confusing and many users expect different behaviour. Affinity Publisher has the same feature but it is called exactly “Next Frame Page Number”.
I will log a feature request to add proper “Next Page Number” and “Previous Page Number” as an addition to existing functionality. As a teacher, I know many students request the missing feature because they want to place page numbers in a form “10–11” on one page of a spread only. This is very complicated now and in some situation not possible at all (even with the linked text frame trick).
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Hajime
commented
It is ridiculous.... how come this bug can exist for 20 years... And the app is getting more chunky and counterintuitive... sigh
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Filip Blazek
commented
Hi John, I've been reporting this bug since 2000 or so.
Unfortunately, Adobe refuses to correct it, they claim this is the expected behaviour! Ha ha ha. It is a pity the programmers never use the app.
There is a workaround. Create an extra text frame on the page you want to refer to and link both text frames together. Then the Next page number will work es expected. But the second text frame must be placed on the next page. You can place both linked text frames in page template, it will work. Annoying, stupid, very slow, but at least it works for a spread.
