Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. 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: Two Page Numbers per Physical Page.

Two Page Numbers per Physical Page

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 14, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021

It is not unusual to need to print information on half sheets of paper. For instance, you may need a page size of 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" for your document. This is a handy size, as you can get exactly two pages on a landscape-oriented letter-size piece of paper. You can easily use Word's column feature to set up your document to print in two columns on the paper, and then cut the paper in half after printing.

The problem comes in when you want to print page numbers on each of your mini pages. Word calculates page numbers based on the physical page, not on some virtual page you may want to set up. There are ways around this particular problem, however.

The solution is to follow these steps:

Do not use columns to set up your document, unless you want columns to appear on each of your mini pages.
Place your page numbers in the page headers and footers as you normally would.
Make sure the Layout tab of the ribbon is displayed.
Click the small icon in the lower-right corner of the Page Setup group. Word displays the Page Setup dialog box.
Make sure the Margins tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Margins tab of the Page Setup dialog box.

Click the Landscape option.
Using the Multiple Pages drop-down list, choose 2 Pages Per Sheet.
Adjust page margins as desired.
Click on OK.
Print your document as normal.

Word takes care of placing two pages on each physical page printed.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8060) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Two Page Numbers per Physical Page.

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. Learn more about Allen...

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