Page Numbers

In Writer, a page number is a field that you can insert into your text.

To Insert Page Numbers

Choose Insert - Field - Page Number to insert a page number at the current cursor position.

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If you see the text "Page number" instead of the number, choose View - Field names.


However, these fields will change position when you add or remove text. So it is best to insert the page number field into a header or footer that has the same position and that is repeated on every page.

Choose Insert - Header and Footer - Header - (name of page style) or Insert - Header and Footer - Footer - (name of page style) to add a header or footer to all pages with the current page style.

To Start With a Defined Page Number

Now you want some more control on page numbers. You are writing a text document that should start with page number 12.

  1. Click into the first paragraph of your document.

  2. Choose Format - Paragraph - Text flow.

  3. In the Breaks area, enable Insert. Enable With Page Style just to be able to set the new Page number. Click OK.

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The new page number is an attribute of the first paragraph of the page.


To Format the Page Number Style

You want roman page numbers running i, ii, iii, iv, and so on.

  1. Double-click directly before the page number field. You see the Edit Fields dialog.

  2. Select a number format and click OK.

Using Different Page Number Styles

You need some pages with the roman numbering style, followed by the remaining pages in another style.

In Writer, you will need different page styles. The first page style has a footer with a page number field formatted for roman numbers. The following page style has a footer with a page number field formatted in another look.

Both page styles must be separated by a page break. In Writer, you can have automatic page breaks and manually inserted page breaks.

It depends on your document what is best: to use a manually inserted page break between page styles, or to use an automatic change. If you just need one title page with a different style than the other pages, you can use the automatic method:

To Apply a Different Page Style to the First Page

  1. Click into the first page of your document.

  2. Choose View - Styles.

  3. In the Styles window, click the Page Styles icon.

  4. Double-click the "First Page" style.

Now your title page has the style "First Page", and the next pages automatically have the "Default" style.

You can now for example insert a footer for the "Default" page style only, or insert footers in both page styles, but with differently formatted page number fields.

To Apply a Manually Inserted Page Style Change

  1. Click at the start of the first paragraph on the page where a different page style will be applied.

  2. Choose Insert - Manual Break. You see the Insert Break dialog.

  3. In the Style list box, select a page style. You may set a new page number, too. Click OK.

The selected page style will be used from the current paragraph to the next page break with style. You may need to create the new page style first.

Inserting Page Numbers in Footers

About Headers and Footers

Alternating Page Styles on Odd and Even Pages

Creating a Page Style Based on the Current Page

Inserting a Chapter Name and Number in a Header or a Footer

Formatting Headers or Footers

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