Adding page numbers to your Microsoft Word document is an important way to enhance readability and navigation. While basic page numbers get the job done, you can make them more visually appealing with some simple formatting. This article will walk you through the process step-by-step.
Why Add Stylish Page Numbers?
Before jumping into the how-to, let’s look at some of the benefits of stylish page numbers:
- Enhanced aesthetics – Plain page numbers look boring. Stylish numbers with formatting like colors, borders, and custom fonts make your document look more polished and professional.
- Easier navigation – Formatted page numbers stand out, making it simpler for readers to quickly flip to specific pages.
- Reinforce branding – Customizing fonts, sizes and colors allows your page numbers to match other branded elements like headers, footers and text styles.
Now that you know why stylish page numbers matter, let’s look at how to implement them in Word.
Step 1: Insert Basic Page Numbers
The first step is to add simple page numbers:
- Click the “Insert” tab in the Word ribbon
- Click “Page Number” and select a location and alignment
- An automatic page number will appear on each page
This provides a basic numbering scheme we can now format.
Step 2: Change Page Number Font
To alter the font:
- Double click inside the header or footer where the page number resides to enable editing
- Select the page number
- Click the “Home” tab
- Pick font family, size and formatting options from the ribbon
Some good stylish font ideas include Brush Script, Monotype Corsiva and Edwardian Script.
Step 3: Add Page Number Borders
Adding borders frames the page numbers, making them pop:
- With page number selected, click “Home” tab
- Click the drop-down under “Paragraph”
- Select desired border style, color and width
- Click between border previews to apply
Dotted and double line borders work well, just ensure width is not too thick.
Step 4: Change Number Format
To further customize page numbers:
- Right-click the page number, choose “Format Page Numbers”
- Pick number format, starting number or other options
- Click “OK”
Some formats to try are roman numerals, alphabetical or starting numbering later in your document.
Step 5: Match Header and Footer Styles
Finally, make sure your new page numbers match other headers and footers:
- Format headers and footers
- Align fonts, sizes and formatting
- Ensure styles complement each other
Consistent formatting makes your document design look intentional.
And that’s it! With these simple steps you can transform bland page numbers into stylish design elements that enhance reader experience. Test out different fonts, borders, colors and formats to see what works best for your particular document.
Bonus: Add Custom Page Number Images
If you want to get really fancy with page numbers, inserting custom images will take things to the next level. To do this:
- Design or find a page number image
- Size and crop images to conserve space
- Position images near page text numbers
- Adjust text wrap settings as needed
This lets you integrate visual elements like logos and icons into page numbers.
Conclusion
Stylish page numbers in Word don’t have to be complicated. A few small tweaks makes an ordinary document look extraordinarily professional.
Hopefully this step-by-step guide provided some creative ideas to inspire your own custom page number formatting. Don’t be afraid to experiment until you find a look aligning with your brand style.
Enhanced page numbers improve both aesthetics and usability – so put these simple skills to work in your next Word document!
