Roman page numbers in a project report, the easy way
Universities usually want the front pages numbered i, ii, iii and the chapters starting again at 1. In Word that means section breaks, “link to previous” and page-number formats — which break easily when a team edits the report. Here is a simpler way.
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The usual rule
The title page counts as page i but no number is printed on it. Certificate, declaration, acknowledgement, abstract and contents follow as ii, iii, iv… Chapter 1 starts at page 1 in ordinary numbers, usually at the bottom centre.
Doing it in Word (if you must)
- Put a Section Break (Next Page) — not a page break — just before Chapter 1.
- Double-click the footer of Chapter 1 and turn off “Link to Previous”.
- In the first section, set Page Number Format to i, ii, iii; in the second, to 1, 2, 3 starting at 1.
- Tick “Different First Page” in the first section to hide the number on the title page.
The easier way
Keep the front pages as one file and each chapter as its own file. The report assembler joins them, numbers them correctly, builds the contents page with the right page numbers and adds bookmarks — no section breaks needed.
Step by step
- Save front pages as one file and each chapter as its own Word or PDF file.
- Name them in order: “00 Front pages”, “01 Chapter 1 Introduction”…
- Open the report assembler and choose all files.
- Say how many files are front pages and press the button.
- Download one PDF with i, ii, iii and 1, 2, 3.
Questions
Is the contents page automatic?
Yes — chapter names come from the file names and page numbers are worked out for you.
Can I keep my own contents page?
Yes, untick “Add a contents page”.