Suppressing page incrementing

[Tony Ennis]

Note I did not say "suppressing page numbering".  I am formatting an old book where every so often (like every 6 pages) a plate was inserted.  The plate (and it's backside) do not count as 'pages' in the original book.  That is, you might see:  page #1, page #2, plate1, backside, page #3

Publisher would number the last page as page #5.  I am trying to keep my copy as true to the original as possible.  This means every few pages I have to use the section tool to reset the page numbers. It's a pain and is taking forever.  I am using a different master page for all the plates.  Is there something I can do on that page to say, "exclude this from counting as a page"?

[Old Bruce]

You are going to have to use sections and restart the numbering. So every six pages you insert a plate and it's backside then start a new section. Your plate and its backside are going to be page 7 and 8 then you start the next section with page number at 7. Lot of work.

[Tony Ennis]

Yeah, I'm done now. Took a few hours and the result feels fragile to me.

The section tool is annoying, too.  I don't like that it starts off in edit mode, and I don't like that any changes you make are instant and can't be UNDO'ed.  Consider that if you decide to renumber the pages, you click the radio button. They default to 1, and then apply it.  Senseless. Don't apply it until I type my new number.  Preferably, they should not do *anything* until I click "ok".

Anyway, here are 3 suggestions for the developers if they're reading this.

1. Improve the section dialog; it is too enthusiastic.
2. Let me right-click on a page and select "new section"
3. Add a "don't count this as a page" attribute. Plates are a thing.  Or, have multiple page number schemes so I can simultaneously number plates and pages, independently.

 

[Old Bruce]

9 minutes ago, Tony Ennis said:

Add a "don't count this as a page" attribute. Plates are a thing.  Or, have multiple page number schemes so I can simultaneously number plates and pages, independently.

 

Plates are a thing from the bindery stage of book publishing. 

I do like the second suggestion. Have the new section start on whichever page, left or right, that I right-click on. As it is set up now I get the left page all the time regardless of which page is highlighted.

[Tony Ennis]

24 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Plates are a thing from the bindery stage of book publishing. 

True, but I have here a tool which blurs the line between typesetting and bindery.  Are you suggesting I should print a document, print my images, and then manually shuffle them together?

I bet that if I pick the right signature size, all my images are on the same physical pages.  That way the binder would literally shuffle the plates into the printed pages, and then make the signatures.

[loukash]

1 hour ago, Tony Ennis said:

Add a "don't count this as a page" attribute.

Is that something like skyscrapers that by some metaphysical means of "magic" don't have a 13th floor or similar nonsense…?

[Tony Ennis]

"These aren't the page numbers you're looking for"  *waves hand*

[Old Bruce]

52 minutes ago, Tony Ennis said:

I bet that if I pick the right signature size, all my images are on the same physical pages.  That way the binder would literally shuffle the plates into the printed pages, and then make the signatures.

Actually they would be on the same sheet of paper, usually of a higher quality and printed with a much better printing method. It was a tradeoff between Printing Costs and Bindery Costs. The book you are remaking could have had the page numbers included in the Plates whether or not they were actually printed on the Plate page. I have seen books where the plates were included in the book's page count and I have seen books where they were not, the ToC would have them separately listed in order of appearance with no indication of the page numbers, the ToC would have them listed as between Pages x and y, the ToC would have them listed as being in Chapter 5. Tradeoffs.

The books with no page number for the plates would have been made for the "Illustrated" edition, then the publisher would use the same type to produce the regular edition, maybe even on a cheaper paper with a cheaper binding.

I don't think there was ever an actual convention for this sort of thing, a publishing house might have had a set of rules they followed or they just made it up as they went along, book by book.