How to Change Page Numbers in Microsoft Word for Printed Books
This lesson explains how to customize page numbering in Microsoft Word for both printed books and digital PDF editions. The primary focus is understanding how inside, outside, centered, and mirrored page numbering affects the final appearance of a professionally printed book.
Adding Page Numbers
The lesson begins by demonstrating how to insert page numbers through the Microsoft Word menu system.
The basic process is:
- Select Insert.
- Select Page Number.
- Choose the desired location.
- Apply the numbering format.
Once inserted, page numbers automatically appear throughout the document and update as pages are added or removed.
Inside vs Outside Page Numbers
One of the most important concepts for physical book publishing is understanding the difference between inside and outside page numbering.
For printed books:
- Inside numbering places page numbers near the spine.
- Outside numbering places page numbers near the outer edge of the page.
- Outside numbering is generally preferred for printed books.
- Readers can locate page numbers more easily near the outside edge.
The lesson demonstrates how page numbers alternate positions automatically when mirrored margins are enabled.
For most printed books, outside page numbering is easier for readers to locate while flipping through pages.
Standard Print Book Margins
The lesson reviews a common print layout used for self publishing and print-on-demand services.
Example settings discussed:
- Top Margin: 0.75
- Bottom Margin: 0.75
- Inside Margin: 0.75
- Outside Margin: 0.50
- Gutter: 0.13
- Mirrored Margins Enabled
These settings help create a professional layout suitable for physical books while accounting for the binding area near the spine.
Mirrored Margins Explained
Mirrored margins are frequently used for printed books because left and right pages serve different purposes.
When mirrored margins are enabled:
- Odd numbered pages appear on the right.
- Even numbered pages appear on the left.
- The inside margin automatically adjusts for binding.
- Page numbering can alternate automatically.
This creates the same appearance readers expect from commercially published books.
Removing the First Page Number
Many books do not display a page number on the cover page, title page, or opening section.
Microsoft Word allows users to:
- Hide page numbering on the first page.
- Begin numbering later in the document.
- Create different numbering sections.
- Customize front matter independently.
This is especially useful when creating professional books that contain title pages, copyright pages, acknowledgements, or tables of contents.
Print Editions vs PDF Editions
The lesson emphasizes that page numbering choices often depend on how the document will be distributed.
For physical books:
- Mirrored margins are common.
- Outside page numbering is preferred.
- Binding considerations matter.
For PDF or digital editions:
- Centered page numbers are often acceptable.
- Mirrored margins may not be necessary.
- Layout flexibility increases.
The appropriate choice depends entirely on the intended publishing format.
Always decide whether the document will be printed or viewed digitally before finalizing page numbering.
P.L.E.M. Academy Publishing Workflow
The lesson also explains how these Microsoft Word lessons fit into the larger P.L.E.M. Academy curriculum.
Students gradually learn:
- Microsoft Word formatting.
- Professional document design.
- Technical writing.
- Book publishing.
- Resume development.
- Digital communication.
Each lesson is designed to provide practical experience that can later be referenced on a professional resume or personal website.
Final Message
The lesson concludes by encouraging students to experiment with page numbering options, mirrored margins, and document layouts while creating both print and digital editions of their work. Understanding these publishing tools helps students create professional documents that meet modern industry standards.
Original Transcript
How’s it going everybody? I just wanted to uh do a quick video for one of my students here on uh the uh page numbers in Microsoft Word. So, let me show you guys how to change the page numbers here. And uh let me get my regular set up here so I can have the whole thing in the view. So if you’re um let me let me uh go page break page break page break. So generally you don’t have the page number on the first page but you go up here under insert over here in page number. This is a m I’m on a MacBook. If you’re on a PC it might be different but you hit page number and it says it’s on default it’s on the right side. So if I hit okay, now it’s showing on the first page and the second page and the third page on the right side. If I come up here to page number, I now go here and I go outside and now it’s flip-flopping or I can go page number, I can go inside. And you may switch that depending on what printing service or how you’re printing. When I manufactured my books myself, I had to do everything reversed from what the normal manufacturers do because when I was printing them um with my setup, the everything came reversed. So, I had to reverse it on here so it would come out normally when I published it through I had to do all these weird things of the PDFs. So, you might flip-flop it. Um this this student here is doing the print version of the book here. So [snorts] they’ve got the margins here under 0.75 0.75 0.75 and 0.5 and for the gutter 0.13 and then mirrored that is the standard for printing a book with like Kindle or audible or anything like that. So now the numbers here, if you see here, this number, this would be the first page on if you opened up the book, that would be the first page. You see, it would be on the left side, it would be on the inside towards the spine. That’s not really what we want if it’s a physical book. So we want it on the outside. So I put it on the outside and now it’s this would be the outside page when you open the book. And then this is the back of the first page. It’s now on the other side. So that’s how you work with the page numbers in here. And you may want them centered. You can do it anyway. You might just want to have them centered. If you’re doing like a like a PDF ebook, like you might have it centered and take off the mirrored stuff. So, this is how you um this is how you work with the page numbers. This is just a quick lesson for Plem Academy. This is this is how Plem Academy works. As you’re going through these lessons, I’m building the libraries and all of these things. And under the resume building certificate, this is where the instructions for uh Microsoft Word are. And I’m just filling it in right now. Also, if you guys come across a lesson that you need to know, just let me know. It’s it I’m filling this in every day, trying to stay ahead of all of you guys. And I I just I have a book signing event tomorrow that I’m getting ready for. So, um I’m doing this quick for a student that had requested it. And just so you guys know, if you’re Plum Academy students, then I can jump on here quick and show you guys how to do stuff while I’m filling it in. There’s going to be about 36 months of work, okay? A little bit of stuff for you to do every week over a long period of time. You can do it quickly if you want. It’s up to you. But the point is that you have multiple years of experience for your resume and it’s but it’s going to take me a long time to fill all of this stuff in. It takes a lot of work. But you’ll see the video. Listen, this video here will have will look like this and it will be organized in here probably on Monday. I um I do I work on Plem Academy usually Monday through Friday and I have book signings on the weekend. So uh if you have lessons generally I’m going to address them Monday through Friday during business hours. So anyway, so this is that’s how you do the page numbers. Just so you know, if you uh are up here again, page numbers, if you don’t want it on the first page, you can click that. You can also change it to the top page if you want and have it on the top however you want. You can format it whatever way you want. I just showed you what it looks like for standard print. And then I’ll also show you how to have a secondary copy for ebook as well.