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I've written nearly sixty novels. Before those novels are sent to the publisher, I will sometimes do a bit of formatting to make other people's lives a bit easier. For example, I will often add page numbers to the manuscript, so it's one less thing the person in charge of the formatting has to do -- but that has not always been a simple process.

Fortunately, with the release of LibreOffice 7.6, the developers have added a new Page Number Wizard for Writer that greatly simplifies the process of adding page numbers to your document.

Also: How to install the latest version of the free LibreOffice office suite on Linux

With a simple, single window, the new Page Number Wizard strips away the confusion of adding page numbers. From that wizard, you can:

• Configure the position of the page numbers
• Modify the alignment of the page numbers
• Mirror on even pages
• Include page total
• Change page number style

Prior to the introduction of the Page Number Wizard, you had to insert the page number into the document and then jump through various hoops to get the page numbering styled and configured as needed. It was often a confusing process and didn't always wind up with the best results.

Also: How to create a LibreOffice template

Now, however, adding page numbers to your documents and manuscripts is very easy in LibreOffice. In fact, it's so easy now that anyone can add page numbers successfully.

Let me show you how.

How to use the LibreOffice Page Number Wizard

What you'll need: The only thing you'll need for this is LibreOffice 7.6 installed. You can use any supporting platform (Linux, MacOS, or Windows). As long as you're working with the latest iteration of LibreOffice, you should be good to go. 

Also: How to add fields to a LibreOffice document

To find out which version you're using, open LibreOffice, click Help > About LibreOffice, and verify the version number in the popup window. If you're using any release prior to 7.6, you'll need to upgrade.

1. Open LibreOffice

The first thing to do is open LibreOffice Writer. If you already have a document that needs page numbers, open that document. If you don't have a previously created document, you can start with a blank one. Either way, adding page numbers is the same process.

2. Open the Page Number Wizard

To open the Page Number Wizard, click Insert > Page Number. 

The Page Number option lives near the bottom part of the menu.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/

3. Configure your page numbers

When the Page Number Wizard opens, you can configure the page numbers exactly how you want them. In the popup, you'll see a preview of what the page numbers will look like. 

Also: How to customize the LibreOffice UI to best fit your style

It's a fairly rudimentary preview, but it works all the same. Once you've configured the page numbers how you want them, click OK and you're done.

Configuring page numbers is now much easier than it was before.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/

The new Page Number Wizard takes away so much of the guessing work that accompanied the previous process of adding page numbers. Now, I don't have to second guess myself or struggle to get the page numbers exactly how I want them, as it's all contained within a convenient, single-window wizard.

If you're curious about what other new features have been added to the LibreOffice Office Suite, make sure to read the full 7.6 release notes.

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