Headers and numbers

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Level 1

4 points

Headers and numbers

I don't know how to forward a complaint to Pages. I don't know if anybody will care about this message.

But at least I want to express my deep frustration at the way Pages works with these simple things as headers and page numbers.

There is no consistency between what appears in the user manual and what happens when you try to apply their instructions.

I like Pages, I insist in using it, but every time I have to finish a book, I have to transfer it in Word if I want to put headers and numbers.

I went through this for 3 books already. I will not start my next book in pages, I will switch to Word directly

This is a shame.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 11.2

Posted on Mar 28, 2021 8:41 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Emilio159 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 28, 2021 12:40 PM in response to VikingOSX

Viking OSX

Thanks!

Here below what I was writing to the Community!

Operating system:

macOS Big Sur v.11.2.3

{ages: 11.0 (703.0.94)

I have a book complete. 309 pages. Ready to be sent to the publisher.

A) Page numbers

1) Interior (main text, 309 pages): I managed by sheer luck to create a section at the first page of the first chapter, and put the numbers in the right slot. All numbers are there, up to last page.

Problem: When instruct Pages to hide the number on first page of the first chapter, all numbers disappear

2) Interior (introductory pages, 8 pages): I want to number them with romans, from I to VI.

Problem: I tried to create a section and start the numbering of the six pages, I can't. Say that is not so important, I can put the numbers manually.

B) Headers

I want to place my name as header on the left pages, and the name of the book on the right pages, even though I would prefer to have the name of each chapter on the right pages, but that seems an impossible dream.

I have been trying for two days, to no avail, the behavior of Pages is not consistent.

For example:

I pull down the menu from the menu bar, select "Put number" (why there is not a selection for headers and footers?) go to the sidebar, select headers and footers, then type the header, hit enter, and since I selected that the left and right pages are different, the header should appear on all left pages. It doesn't.
I f I go to the first page of the first chapter and instruct Pages to hide the number, all numbers disappear.

Before this book, I had the same problems with two previous books, that I solved exporting the manuscript to Word, redoing the pagination there. Words moves my photos, unbalances the interior text, but it is far easier in handling headers and numbers.

I don't want to do that! If I must do that export to Word with this book, next on (I have two more to publish)......

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Answer 2

Mar 28, 2021 12:36 PM in response to Emilio159

With the slightest exploration, you would find a Provide Pages Feedback menu item in the Pages application menu. That is what the Pages product team reads, as they do not read nor participate in these user-only supported communities.

If you are still reading the Pages '09 User Guide and trying to apply it to Pages v11.0, you will simply go nuts. There is a current Pages User Guide for Mac that is applicable to current releases of Pages. It is far from an exhaustive documentation effort though.

You insist on using Pages which makes you do more secondary polishing work in Word because Pages does not guarantee that its translation process on export will be compatible with Word. Better to use Word once and entirely skip Page's translation mischief. It is not a shame to use a proper word processing application that gets the job done efficiently.

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Headers and numbers

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