Page numbering
Encyclopedia
Page numbering is the process of applying a sequence of numbers (although, sometimes the pages are identified not by numbers but by other symbols, like letters : a, b, c, …, z, aa, ab, ac, …, zz) to the pages of a book or other document. The number itself, which may appear in various places on the page, can be referred to as a page number or as a folio. Like other numbering schemes such as chapter
numbering, page numbers allow the citation
of a particular page of the numbered document and facilitates to the reader to find specific parts of the document and to know the size of the complete text (by checking the number of the last page).
term has fallen out of favor in recent years).
In books, some pages of the front matter and back matter are numbered, but the numbers are not always printed on the pages. Publishers are not consistent about how they number the pages of their books. Some publishers stick with the default numbering of the tool they are using, which is typically to number the first page of the front matter as one and all pages after that in a consecutive order. When publishers wish to distinguish between the front matter and the story, the initial title pages are not numbered, the front matter is numbered using small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) and the first page of the story or main content begins with one. The title page of the story is not numbered, but if a story is broken into multiple parts (Part I, Part II, etc.), the title page for the section may be included in the numbering but not shown of the page. The first page of Chapter One would then be numbered as page three rather than page one as would be the normal case.
The fifteenth edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (p. 33) calls for the beginning of the text to begin with the Arabic number 1, while the front matter that precedes it is to be numbered consecutively with lower case roman numerals. If the front matter is extensive and a second half-title page is included, it is to be numbered as the first page and its verso as page 2. If a part title is included, it is to be included in the same numbering as the text. Page numbers do not appear on part titles.
such as PDF are normally paginated
and numbered in the same way as their printed counterparts.
While reading devices for reflowable documents such as EPUB
e-books may display page numbers, these numbers change from device to device depending on factors such as the size of the display and the selected font size. This makes them unsuitable for citation purposes. To remedy this problem, Amazon Kindle
e-books contain what are called "location numbers", that is, numbers in the margin of the electronic text that indicate where the corresponding page begins in the printed version of the book.
Chapter (books)
A chapter is one of the main divisions of a piece of writing of relative length, such as a book. Chapters can be numbered in the case of such writings as law code or they can be titled. For example, the first chapters of some well-known novels are titled:*"The Boy Who Lived" – Harry Potter...
numbering, page numbers allow the citation
Citation
Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source . More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source (not always the original source). More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated...
of a particular page of the numbered document and facilitates to the reader to find specific parts of the document and to know the size of the complete text (by checking the number of the last page).
Numbering conventions
Even numbers usually appear on verso pages, while odd numbers appear on recto pages. In the printing industry, in cases where odd numbers appear on verso pages and even numbers on recto pages, this is referred to as "non-traditional folios" (in the past, it had been referred to as "Chinese folios", however this non-politically correctPolitically Correct
Politically Correct may refer to:*Political correctness, language, ideas, policies, or behaviour seeking to minimize offence to groups of people-See also:*Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, book by James Finn Garner, published in 1994...
term has fallen out of favor in recent years).
In books, some pages of the front matter and back matter are numbered, but the numbers are not always printed on the pages. Publishers are not consistent about how they number the pages of their books. Some publishers stick with the default numbering of the tool they are using, which is typically to number the first page of the front matter as one and all pages after that in a consecutive order. When publishers wish to distinguish between the front matter and the story, the initial title pages are not numbered, the front matter is numbered using small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) and the first page of the story or main content begins with one. The title page of the story is not numbered, but if a story is broken into multiple parts (Part I, Part II, etc.), the title page for the section may be included in the numbering but not shown of the page. The first page of Chapter One would then be numbered as page three rather than page one as would be the normal case.
The fifteenth edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (p. 33) calls for the beginning of the text to begin with the Arabic number 1, while the front matter that precedes it is to be numbered consecutively with lower case roman numerals. If the front matter is extensive and a second half-title page is included, it is to be numbered as the first page and its verso as page 2. If a part title is included, it is to be included in the same numbering as the text. Page numbers do not appear on part titles.
Electronic documents
E-books and other electronic documents published in a non-reflowable formatReflowable document
A reflowable document is a type of electronic document that can adapt its presentation to the output device. Typical desktop publishing output formats like PostScript or PDF are page-oriented, so are not generally reflowable , whereas the world wide web standard, HTML is a reflowable format.The...
such as PDF are normally paginated
Pagination
Pagination is the process of dividing information into discrete pages, either electronic pages or printed pages. Today the latter are usually simply instances of the former that have been outputted to a printing device, such as a desktop printer or a modern printing press...
and numbered in the same way as their printed counterparts.
While reading devices for reflowable documents such as EPUB
EPUB
EPUB is a free and open e-book standard by the International Digital Publishing Forum...
e-books may display page numbers, these numbers change from device to device depending on factors such as the size of the display and the selected font size. This makes them unsuitable for citation purposes. To remedy this problem, Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
e-books contain what are called "location numbers", that is, numbers in the margin of the electronic text that indicate where the corresponding page begins in the printed version of the book.
See also
- Book designBook designBook design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, and sequence of the various components of a book into a coherent whole....
- Intentionally blank pageIntentionally blank pageAn intentionally blank page is a page that is devoid of content, and may be unexpected. Such pages may serve purposes ranging from place-holding to space-filling and content separation...