Can I customize headers, footers, and page numbers in Storyloft?
TL;DR: Yes. Storyloft supports customizable headers, footers, and page numbers including alternating left/right headers, author name or book title display, chapter title headers, and professional chapter-opening formatting conventions.
Storyloft’s formatting system follows traditional publishing standards by default while still allowing authors to customize print layout details.
Full Answer:
Headers, footers, and page numbers are subtle but important elements of professional book design. Readers may not consciously focus on them, but these layout details strongly affect whether a book feels traditionally published or amateurishly formatted.
Storyloft’s print formatting engine automatically applies industry-standard conventions while also giving authors customization options.
Book formatting customization options in Storyloft include:
- Alternating headers for left and right pages
- Author name headers
- Book title or chapter title headers
- Custom page number positioning
- Header suppression on chapter-opening pages
- Footer customization
- Roman numeral front matter pagination
The most common professional convention in fiction is alternating running headers. Traditionally, left-facing pages display the author name while right-facing pages display either the book title or chapter title. Storyloft supports this layout automatically because it matches what readers expect from professionally typeset books.
Page number placement is also configurable. Storyloft supports:
- Outside-edge page numbers
- Centered page numbers
- Header-based numbering
- Footer-based numbering
- Suppressed numbering on selected pages
Professional book design also treats chapter-opening pages differently from normal pages. In most traditionally published books:
- The running header disappears on chapter-opening pages
- Page numbers are suppressed or repositioned
- Additional whitespace is used for visual separation
Storyloft applies these conventions automatically while still allowing customization if you prefer a different visual style.
Front matter sections — title pages, copyright pages, dedications, and epigraphs — also follow specialized pagination rules. Storyloft handles Roman numeral front matter numbering and transitions cleanly into Arabic numbering for the main manuscript without requiring manual section break management.
Why these details matter:
- They improve readability in print
- They create visual consistency across pages
- They align your book with traditional publishing standards
- They improve perceived production quality
- They reduce the “self-published” visual feel many readers notice subconsciously
In Word, managing alternating headers and chapter-based pagination often requires fragile section breaks that break easily during editing. Storyloft automates these layout systems inside the export engine, dramatically reducing formatting complexity.
Authors comparing production workflows often evaluate Storyloft alongside the best writing apps for authors when searching for professional print formatting and publishing-ready layout tools.
Sources:
- Storyloft Print Formatting
- The Chicago Manual of Style: Running Heads and Page Numbers