How can I define the page margins on Numbers 5?

I need to format and determine the page margins on numbers 5, and it doesn't show the page tile till the print preview. How can I see where the pages end and begin, and how can I set their sizes before? I checked all the posts and the latest information on this from numbers 3. Can anyone help?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.6)

Posted on Aug 20, 2018 4:52 AM

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5 replies

Aug 22, 2018 5:48 AM in response to Yellowbox

Thanks Ian,


It's clunky, and "kind-of" works.. I tried it, the program doesn't allow for precise positioning, it keeps moving the image off where it should be positioned, and when exporting it adds its own white edge where the design should bleed off the page.


Thank you for the explanation, it helps in knowing on what position the page breaks.. solved another issue. 🙂


So far the best solution I've managed to accomplish is to copy the data tables into pages and adjusting the background design there.. it has been the most reliable...


Regards,


WogOne

Aug 21, 2018 12:18 PM in response to Yellowbox

Hi Ian,


I just want to create a template for our financial documents, and the background design (Company Letterhead) is meant to stay on the page - so I want to be able to define the print area so I can fit my design in the background and the data table over it. So when I save the design into PDF adheres to the page layout. I can see how numbers fits the data tables when you force it to fit the page, but the background design will always fall off the page, is there a fix for how I can define an A4 background design as a template?


Regards,


WogOne

Aug 22, 2018 5:41 AM in response to WogOne

Hi WogOne,


Edit: I forgot about the page margins. You may have to subtract margins from the page size 😊.


Open a blank Numbers document from Template Chooser.

Menu > File > Print (command P) to see the Print Setup Panel.

Printer & Page Size > Choose A4 if it is not already A4.

User uploaded file

Page Orientation > Choose Portrait or Landscape.

I chose Portrait (210 mm wide, 297 mm tall).


Click on the "Done" button bottom left of the Print Setup Panel to return to the editable document.

Menu > View > Show Rulers.

From the vertical ruler, drag an Alignment Guide (yellow line) to exactly 0 cm on the horizontal ruler.

(Yes it is strange that the page size is in mm and the rulers are in cm. Ho hum...)

Drag another Alignment Guide to exactly 21 cm.


From the horizontal ruler, drag an Alignment Guide to exactly 0 cm on the vertical ruler.

Drag another Alignment Guide to exactly 29.7 cm.


This will test your patience to get the Alignment Guides exactly at any position 👿.

If you find this too fiddly, you can err on the safe side and set the Alignment Guides slightly inside the page margins.

User uploaded file

Insert your background design and resize if necessary to make it fit between the Alignment Guides.

Arrange > Send to Back.

Save as Template.

When you open that template to create a new document, the rulers will no longer show. Type command r if you want to toggle rulers on and off.


The Alignment Guides do not print.


This method will work for the first page only. Numbers does not have Section Master objects as in Pages.


Regards,

Ian.

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How can I define the page margins on Numbers 5?

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