Designer Pages

In most word processors, the basic unit of design is the paragraph. By contrast, in LibreOffice Writer, the basic unit is either the page or, more often, the two-page spread. This structure can be confusing for new users, who can struggle to find design elements like headers or footers. Writer takes pity on newcomers to an extent and puts some elements in the menus as well as the page styles. However, when only page styles are used, Writer becomes more of a layout app than an word processor, which makes editing easier as well.

Page Logic

Professional page design is based on a two-page spread of left and right pages, because that is what you usually see when reading a book. Although your document might be designed to be read online, a two-page spread is still the most economical display on today’s widescreen monitors. When writing, you can display a two-page spread by clicking on the icons to the left of the Zoom control on the bottom right of the Writer screen.

Custom pages can be designed for special purposes, such as the horizontal display of a map. However, most pages will be one of three styles: a first, left, or right page. A first page begins a document or chapter and usually signals its style in some way, such as a recurring image or starting halfway down the page. A first page is followed by a left page, which is followed by a right page, and then a left (Figure 1). This sequence is used by default, but can be changed in the Next Style field on each style’s Organizer tab. To restart the sequence, add Insert | Page Break and apply the necessary page style. You should also add a page break to insert another style, which will replace one of the three standard styles, and another page break to return to the original structure after a custom page. In all these circumstances, not using a page break will simply make all following pages use the last applied style.

Figure 1: The page sequence in LibreOffice Writer.

Sometimes, only one page style follows the first page. Usually, though, left and right pages are used, with margins, headers, and footers mirroring one another.

Page Dimensions

A page style's Page tab sets the general look of a page (Figure 2):

• Paper Format: In North America, the format is usually set to Paper or sometimes Legal, while A4 is used in Europe. You can also choose dozens of other sizes or else define a User size as shown in Figure 2.
• Margins: Theories about margins can become elaborate, but your main concern should be to avoid a cramped look and to provide blank space for the book binding in the middle of a page. The outer margins should be wide enough for readers to hold the book without their hands covering the text.
• Page layout: Typically, right and left are selected, but there are other options.

Other settings can usually be ignored. For instance, the gutter is the space left for binding, but it is simpler for design purposes to make allowances to add the gutter to the inner margin of each page. If printing hard copy, consult your publisher about the gutter size.

Figure 2: Basic page settings.

Area

You use the Area tab to set a page background. By default, a page background is assumed to be white, but you can provide a colored or patterned background here. Just be sure that the text remains readable.

Designing Headers and Footers

Headers and footers contain information about the document. A page style may have both, or one, and may contain detailed information or only a page number. You can format each page style’s header and footer directly from Insert | Header and Footer. However, to keep design as simple as possible, add page styles rather than direct headers and footers.

Headers and footers each have their own tab, but offer similar options (Figure 3). Once either is turned on, the other options can usually be ignored. There are not too many cases, for instance, when you do not want a header to go from margin to margin or to specify the header height. You may want to click the More… button to add a line to separate a header or footer from the main text. Adding a shadow is a legacy option that should be avoided unless you intend a retro 1990s look. Once a footer or header is created, paragraph styles for each appear that can be customized to complement or contrast with the main text.

Figure 3: Headers and footers have the same options, differing only in location on the page.

Typically, each header or footer has three or less pieces of information. This information can be typed manually on one page that uses a style, or filled automatically with a field. Tabs are often used to position information, but show an annoying tendency to slip. Instead, use a one row table with as many columns as needed. From Insert | Field, you can populate the footer or header of any page style. Probably the most-used fields are Page Number, which can be followed by a period, or Page Count, which can be followed by the total pages. Other common fields include Author, Chapter, and File Name. You can also use Heading paragraph styles to create what are called running headers and set the field Insert | Fields | More Fields |Document | Chapter Name to Level 1 to have the header or footer update automatically whenever the chapter name is changed.With a long document written over a period of time, you might want to use one set of fields while writing and replace them with others in the finished document.

Columns

If a page style has multiple columns, you can set the number on the Columns tab (Figure 4). For most paper sizes, more than three columns can look ragged. Columns can be set to a few standard layouts at the top of the tab or with an exact measurement further down. Separator lines can be added between columns, but tend to look old fashioned. Blank spaces between columns tend to look cleaner.

Figure 4: The Column tab has several options for setting column widths.

Footnotes

From the Footnotes tab, footnotes can be designed quickly, with details like the appearance of the line that separates the footnotes from the main text and the distance between the separator from the notes (Figure 5). The radio buttons at the top of the tab dialog, Not Larger Than Page Area and Maximum Note Height, can also be useful in design. You may chose to ignore this tab and use endnotes instead.

Figure 5: The Footnotes tab offers detailed design options.

Final Notes

The Transparency and Borders tabs can largely be ignored. They are only available due to LibreOffice’s code reuse.

With entire books written on the topic, much more can be said about page design than covered here. In the end, any design is largely a matter of experimentation. These notes should be enough to get you started.