The Easiest Way to Number Pages in Open Office

When writing a multiple-page document, adding page numbers gives it a professional look and ensures that pages are read in the correct order. In Open Office, you can create a cover page and begin numbering from the second page. You can also create page styles, insert a footer box, and insert page numbering and format page numbers. The Open Office training tips page provides illustrations with screen shots to help you add page numbers.

Create Page Styles

• 1

  Open a text document in Open Office. Select "Format," then "Styles and Formatting." Click the "Page Styles" icon. Right click anywhere in the blank section of the box and select "New." This will open a new window.

• 2

  Type in a name for the page style you are creating, such as "Content," in the first box. Select the "Footer" tab and turn the footer on by clicking the box to select it with a tick. Click "OK." This will add the new page style to the existing list in the styles and formatting box.

• 3

  Create a cover sheet for the document by repeating Step 2 and name the new page style "Cover."

• 4

  Place the cursor in the cover page and double click the page style named "Cover" in the styles and formatting box. The page style name "Cover" appears in the bottom status bar to indicate that the style has been applied.

• 5

  Insert a page break to stop the page style for the cover sheet from being applied to the whole document. With your cursor at the end of the text on the cover page, select "Insert," then "Manual Page Break." Select "Page Break" in the dialogue box. In the style drop down list, select "Content" (or whatever the page style was named). Select "Change Page Number" and ensure that number "1" appears in the box below.

• 6

  Place the cursor in the first content page and double click the page style named "Content" in the styles and formatting box. The page style name "Content" appears in the bottom status bar to indicate that the style has been applied.

Add Page Numbers

• 1

  Click in the first footer box. From the Menu bar, select "Insert," then "Footer (default)." This will insert a footer box at the bottom of each page and will be used to contain the page number.

• 2

  Select "Insert," then "Fields," then "Page Number" from the menu bar. Page numbers will be added in sequence to all pages in the document after the cover sheet. If desired, type the word "Page" before the number "1" in the first footer box. This will ensure that all footers read as Page 1, Page 2, Page 3 in sequence.

• 3

  Highlight the first page number. Click the "Center" icon on the menu bar to display page numbers in the center of the page. Click the "Align Left" or "Align Right" icon to display the page numbers on the side of the page. This changes the format on all subsequent footers.

• 4

  Save the document.