Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Using Only Odd Page Numbers.

Using Only Odd Page Numbers

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 11, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365


Daniyal has some documents that he files in court, and those documents must have only odd page numbers on them. This doesn't mean that there should only be page numbers on the odd pages, but that the number on each page should only be odd. Thus, the pages would be numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.; there would be no pages 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.

The easiest way to accomplish this task is to use a compound field to create your page numbers. The PAGE field is normally used to add page numbers to a document, as shown here:

{ PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT }

You should modify the field so that it looks like this:

{ = { PAGE } * 2 - 1 }

Note that each pair of field braces is inserted by pressing Ctrl+F9. When you are finished constructing the field code, you can collapse it by pressing F9.

If you use these types of calculated page numbers quite often, you can select the collapsed field and assign it to an AutoText entry. That way you can insert it into any of your documents you desire.

You should also note that if you create a table of contents or an index for the document, page numbers in the TOC or index will still reflect the normal page range, including even numbers, instead of the calculated numbers. There is no way to get around this limitation.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (12726) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Using Only Odd Page Numbers.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Drop Shadows for Tables

When adding borders and shading to a document's elements, Word allows you to quickly add drop shadows to paragraphs, text ...

Discover More

Removing a Bulleted or Numbered List

If you want to convert bulleted or numbered lists back to regular text (so they appear just like the rest of your ...

Discover More

Dates Copied Incorrectly

Under the right circumstances, you may notice problems when copying dates from one workbook to another. This tip explains ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Triple-Spacing Your Document

Print your document with lots of space between each line by triple spacing it! Here are some quick and easy steps for ...

Discover More

Printing Non-Printing Characters

Serious users of Word often display non-printing characters on-screen so they can see them easier. If you want those ...

Discover More

Printing a Draft of a Document

Need to print a copy of a document but you don't care if it looks as "pretty" as you want the final printout to look? You ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.