How to Add Page Numbers to Document in InDesign?

It is beneficial to add page numbers in long documents. You need a page number marker to display the page numbers in a document. When you add a page number marker, page numbers automatically update when you add, update, or delete document pages. Generally, we insert a page number marker in the parent page and apply that parent to document pages to generate page numbers. The page number marker displays page numbers on document pages.

How Do You Insert a Page Number Marker in the Parent Page?

Follow these steps to add a page number marker on the parent page:

1. Window > Pages > Double click parent page.
2. Click Type Tool in the Tool Panel to insert a text frame large enough to hold extra text along with the page number.
3. Position the text frame where the page number appears.
4. Place the cursor inside the text frame.
5. Select Type > Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number.
6. Apply the parent page to document pages to generate page numbers.

If you have enabled facing pages, insert the page number marker on the left and right parent pages. You can copy the text frame you created to the next parent page by dragging it to the next parent and pressing the window’s Alt Key.

After inserting a page number in a document, you may need to apply a custom style to page numbering. You can just read more about the formatting and page numbering options.

How to Add Automatic Page Number in Story Jump Line?

Story jump lines are essential in newspaper and magazine design. You may have seen the text ‘Continue on page 12’ or similar at the bottom of the story, which is the jump storyline. In this example, page 12 is the story jump page, wherein you can find the remaining text.

The necessary condition for the story jump line to work is that text frames should be threaded text frames. You may read more about threaded text in InDesign.

Generally, jump line text is placed into a separate text frame beneath the text frame that tracks the jump story. Doing so does not intact jump line text or remain positioned even when the story text frame reflows. Moreover, you must combine the jump line text frame with the story text frame to move them together. Also, the jump line text frame should touch or overlap the story text frame at the bottom.

Steps to Create Story Jump Line

1. Ensure a threaded text frame is filled with sufficient or placeholder text.
2. Create another text frame using the Type tool to place the story jump line and ensure it overlaps with the story text frame at the bottom.
3. Insert some text that appears before the page number, such as ‘Continue’ or ‘Continued from.’
4. Go to Type > Insert Special Character > Marker > Next Page Number or Previous Page Number as per requirement. The following Page Number inserts the page number of the following story frame, while the Previous Page Number inserts the page number of the previous story frame.

Now, the page number automatically updates based on the pages on which the text frames reside when you move or reflow them. After all, you should not forget to group the story text frame and jump line text frames to push them together. For this, you can select both the text frames and group them by going to Object > Group (Ctrl + G).