OmniDocHow to add page numbers to PDF to skip the cover and blank pages
Papers, bids, and reports often require that the cover, table of contents, and blank pages should not be numbered, and the text should start from 1. This article gives the judgment method, the steps for segment number re-merging, and the exported checklist.
Key points of this article
- Before you start, write a page number list to indicate which pages are not numbered, which page the text begins on, and what the starting number is.
- When you just want to skip the first few pages, you can just set the "starting page" and "starting number" with the page number tool without splitting the file.
- When there are blank pages in the middle or different numbering formats are required, split the file into sections according to the page number table, number each section separately, and finally merge it in the original order.
- After merging, check the page number, starting number, blank page position and table of contents page number. If any problems are found, go back to the splitting step to correct them.
PDFs of papers, bids, graduation projects, and company reports often have such requirements: page numbers are not displayed on the cover and table of contents, and the blank pages in the middle are not included in the numbering, and the text starts from 1. If you directly add page numbers to the full text, the cover will show the number 1, and the page numbers of the text and the table of contents will not match. The reviewer will be able to spot the problem at a glance. Many people search for "how to remove the display of the first page when adding page numbers to pdf" and encounter exactly this situation; some also want to know how to separate and add page numbers when there are blank pages in the middle.
This article talks about how to skip the cover and blank pages and number only the main text. The core idea is to first write a page number table, split the file into several paragraphs according to the rules, set a starting number for the paragraphs that need to be numbered, and finally merge them in the original order. After reading, you will get a judgment method, a set of steps to follow, and an exported checklist.
It should be noted that OmniDoc's PDF editor provides operations such as splitting, merging, deleting, rotating, and rearranging pages, and can also export to Word. However, adding page numbers requires the use of a universal page numbering tool that supports "Start Page" and "Start Number" settings. The following method does not depend on a specific software and is equally applicable to similar tools.
Skip cover and blank pages plus page numbers? One sentence conclusion
If only the first few pages are skipped and the remaining pages are continuous, just set the starting page and starting number directly in the page numbering tool; if there are blank pages in the middle, or the front and rear numbering formats are different, split it into several paragraphs first, number the text paragraphs separately, and finally merge them.
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| Only the cover is not numbered, the rest of the pages are consecutive | Add page numbers starting from page 2, and set the starting number to 1 | No need to open the file, just set it up once |
| Use Roman numerals for front pages and Arabic numerals for main text. | Split into preparagraphs and body paragraphs, with different formats for each paragraph | It is difficult to have two formats coexist in the same file |
| If there is a blank page in the middle of the text, the blank page will not be counted. | Separate the blank pages without adding page numbers, and number the front and rear text paragraphs separately. | After unpacking, the text count is not affected by blank pages |
| Blank pages are counted in the page count but do not display page numbers | Keep in the original paragraph and exclude this page when selecting a range for page numbers | The page numbers are arranged consecutively, but the page does not display numbers. |
Before you start: Confirm these points first
- Source of requirements: Check the format requirements of the school, tenderer or unit, and write down which pages are not numbered and which page the text starts from. The layout requirements are the basis for judgment, and it is easy to rework based on feeling.
- Page Count: Count the number of pages each covers the cover, table of contents, abstract, main text, and appendices, and mark the blank pages separately. The page number table must correspond to the actual page order, otherwise it is easy to miss one page.
- Whether blank pages are counted: Some require them to be included in the number of pages, while others do not. This determines whether the blank pages should be left in the original segment or processed separately when splitting.
- Whether there are page numbers in the table of contents: If the table of contents has been written according to a certain number, the starting number should be calculated based on the table of contents. If the page numbers don't match up, this is usually the problem.
- Whether the original file is complete: Before splitting, make sure that the number of PDF pages is consistent with the original document, and the page order of the scanned document must also be read page by page. If you make a mistake in the first step, you will make mistakes in every subsequent step.
Operation steps for splitting, numbering, and merging
- Write a page number list: List in page sequence which paragraph each page belongs to, whether it is numbered, and where the numbering starts. For example, for a 30-page paper, the first 3 pages are the cover and table of contents, and the text starts from page 4, and the text starts counting from 1.
- Split file: Open the file in the PDF editor of the OmniDoc desktop client, and use the split function according to the page number table to divide the file into pre-paragraphs, body paragraphs and post-paragraphs.
- Check the number of pages in each paragraph: Check the number of pages paragraph by paragraph to confirm that there are no missing pages or duplicate pages between paragraphs.
- Add page numbers to the text paragraphs: For the text paragraphs that need to be numbered, use the general page numbering tool to add page numbers, and set the starting number to 1. This paragraph contains only text, counting from its first page.
- Handling blank pages: If the blank page is not counted, save it as a separate paragraph without adding a page number; if it is counted but not displayed, keep it in the original paragraph and exclude the page in the page numbering tool.
- Connecting page numbers of multiple paragraphs: When the text is divided into multiple paragraphs, the starting number of the subsequent paragraph is equal to the last page number of the previous paragraph plus 1 to avoid duplication or broken numbers at the continuation.
- Merge and save: Use the merge function of the PDF editor to merge each paragraph back into one file in the original page order and save it as the final version.
Check each item after completion
| Check items | How to see | What to do if there is a problem |
|---|---|---|
| Total pages | The number of pages after merging is consistent with the original manuscript and page number list | Go back to the splitting step and compare the page number table to find the extra or missing pages. |
| Cover and Table of Contents | Turn to the cover and table of contents and make sure there are no Arabic numerals. | Check whether page numbers were added to these two paragraphs by mistake and reprocess the paragraph. |
| Text starting number | Whether the page number displayed in the body of the first page is 1 | Adjust the starting number of the segment and re-export |
| Blank page location | The blank page is in the correct position and there is no extra page number. | Adjust the split point against the original to remove the mistakenly added numbers |
| Connection page number | Whether the page numbers at the intersection of segments are continuous. | Modify the starting number of the back segment, that is, add 1 to the last page code of the previous paragraph. |
| Table of contents page number | Spot check whether several catalog entries are consistent with the page number of the text | If it is inconsistent, because the directory is generated before the page number is changed, the directory can be regenerated. |
If you are typesetting after exporting to Word, the number and number of pages may change accordingly. It is recommended to do a complete check on the final PDF before delivery or printing.
# Core comparison
| Method | Applicable situation | Matters needing attention |
|---|---|---|
| Directly set the start page and the starting number | Only skip the beginning, cover, etc., and the rest of the pages are continuous | When there are blank pages in the middle or different formats, they often have to be adjusted repeatedly. |
| Segmented, numbered and merged | The front and rear formats are different, or there are pages that need to be processed separately. | There are many steps, so check the page number at the connection. |
| Page numbering after exporting Word | You need to continue to modify the text in Word | The number of pages may change, and the page number should be rechecked on the final version. |
# which method is suitable for you?
- only the cover is not numbered : set the start page directly and check it once. There is no need to open the file. - the front page is in Roman numerals : it is processed according to the segmented method, and the numbering format of the front paragraph and the body paragraph is set respectively. - there are many blank pages and complex structure, such as papers with appendices : first write the page number table, then segment it, and then check it one by one. - the content will also be modified *: finalize the content first, and then split and add the page number to avoid invalidation after the change.
# frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Do not open the file, can you directly skip the first page to display the page number?
Sure. If only the cover is not numbered and the rest of the pages are continuous, add them from page 2 in the page numbering tool and set the starting number to 1. Segmentation is needed only if there is a blank page in the middle, or if the format is different.
2. Should the blank page in the middle be counted as a page number?
Look at the requirements of the school or unit. If the number of pages is counted, the blank page will be left in the original paragraph, but the number will not be displayed; if it is not included, it will be removed separately, the text will be numbered separately, and the starting number of the back paragraph will be followed by the page number at the end of the front paragraph.
3. Can the scanned PDF be handled in the same way?
Yes, the method is the same. The page order of the scanned piece is more prone to error, so it is recommended to look through the page by page first and confirm the position of the cover, catalogue and blank page before writing the page number table. If you need to select text, you can first use the OCR function of the PDF editor to process it and check the recognition results.
4. What if the page number in the catalogue is inconsistent with the text?
Make sure that the page number of the text is correct, and then regenerate the catalog. The catalog is usually generated before the page number is finalized. after the page number changes, it will not match, and regeneration can generally be solved.
# Summary
First write the page number table, and then decide whether to set the start page directly, or segment number and then merge. Check the number of pages, the starting number, the location of the blank page, and the page number of the catalog to make the PDF number meet the requirements of the cover, catalog and text.
