Forum Discussion

Copper Contributor

Jun 13, 2022

inserting custom page #s

I need help inserting page numbers on my document in this format: name/title/page # (in top left header and in italics) and starting on the second page -- so, the second page would say 2. I've read d...

Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP

MVP

Jun 14, 2022

Richard_HamonREH2 Go to the second page of your document and then right click in the top margin and then on Edit Header when it appears. Then in the Options section of the Header & Footer tab of the ribbon that will then be active, check the box for Different First Page.

Then on the left side of the header page, type name/title/page with a space after the e of page

and then press ALT+SHIFT+p that will insert a page field, which will show 2 as you are on the second page of the document. Then select the text in the header and go to the Home tab of the ribbon and click on the Italic button

Finally, go to the Header & Footer tab and click on the Close Header and Footer button.

Dick415

Copper Contributor

Jun 14, 2022

Hi Doug, Thank you for your help -- it is so simple and easy, but I can't get it to work quite right. The first time I tried it, it put the page numbers on all pages, including the first page, too. So I tried again. Then it only put the page number on page 2, but all the rest of the pages were blank. I've tried it several times following your instructions, but I can't get it to skip the first page and number all the others. There must be some invisible code embedded in there because when I go to the Different First Page section Different First Page is already selected. I think it's supposed to be blank. So I deselected it, then selected it again. Still won't do what I want. Ideas? Thank you!

Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP
MVP
Jun 14, 2022
Dick415 It sounds like on the first try, you did NOT check the Different First Page box

and on the second one, you had not right clicked in the margin and then left clicked on Edit Header.
- Dick415
  Copper Contributor
  Jun 14, 2022
  Doug_Robbins_Word_MVPDoug, I tried your procedure on a different document and it worked fine! I will use it from now on!
  - Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP
    MVP
    Jun 15, 2022
    See my response to your earlier message.
    
    Each Section of a document has it's own Headers and Footers and options for Different First Page and Different Odd & Even Pages.
    
    In some cases, it is convenient to have any or all of those Headers and Footers linked to the corresponding ones in the previous Section of the document, but in some cases, that may not be want you want.
- Dick415
  Copper Contributor
  Jun 14, 2022
  Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP
  Thanks, Doug! I appreciate your help! I tried it about a dozen times and my wife tried a couple of times, and we did it just the way you said, but just couldn't get it to work. So I called the IT people at my university, where I'm a grad student, and they tried to do it that way, too. The tech guy said it had to be a software issue and pointed out the Different First Page box was checked as the default. Anyway, he finally got my document right by putting the page numbers on all pages, then removing the one on the first page by using the unlink page feature. At least now I can send the document in. I will have to format all my future documents the same way, so I'll let you know if I have trouble in the future. Thanks so much again. I am always open to suggestions.
  - Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP
    MVP
    Jun 15, 2022
    It sounds like you had a Section Break between the first and second pages.