![]() ![]() In this example I am using Microsoft Excel in Windows however, these steps should be similar to Numbers in Mac OS.Īdd any data you’ll need in the data merge onto the spread sheet.įor any content you do not want duplicated on the page, add it to the master page. This could be an introduction or an image etc. To data merge an image we need to place the link to the image in the CSV file and provide the heading In Excel this should be typed as The ‘ provides a resolution to an Excel bug where it doesn’t recognise by itself. Make sure you have your headings across the top and records underneath as shown.Įxport your data to a CSV format (comma delimited file). If you have multiple sheets of data try and consolidate them to one. If not the different sheets will be separate CSV files. #2 Open up your prepared InDesign file – this should include your designed master pages. You can use master pages for the layouts and content you don’t want duplicated on the same page. Anything that is going to be data merged needs to be on the main page otherwise it won’t work. #3 Set up your data merge design – use paragraph and character styles to make changes later on easier. The data merge design is something that will take tweaking to get right. At this step we just want to create the design and layout. So use text boxes, tables, image boxes, lines, colour etc. Make sure to use paragraph styles and character styles to allow changes to be made in future updates to the document. Finally make sure to group everything so the design layout is maintained. #4 Optional: Change any text boxes to Auto size height, width or both under text frame options. Text Frame Options contains a few features such as Column width flexibility, balancing, Inset Spacing, Vertical Justification, Baseline options and Auto-Sizing. This is accessible from the top menu under Object – Text Frame options. The content from the excel file that we are using has variable content length. For example Project 1 has a short project description and Project 2 has a long project description. InDesign can adjust the size of the text box so that no text becomes overset. To do this we go to Text Frame options – Auto size and select (for the purpose of this design) Height only. We want the text to flow downwards so also select the arrow pointing downwards underneath the Auto-Sizing drop down. #5 Select CSV file to be merged in InDesignĪlong the top menu, go to Window – Utilities – Data Merge and a new panel should pop up. Click the further options button and click “Select Data Source”.įrom here select the CSV file and click open. There should now be a list of data field titles. #6 Put your data field titles in the design – make sure it’s on one page only. Now start adding the data field titles to the design. If not, change the paragraph or character styling as necessary and create a new style from it by highlighting the text and clicking “Create new style” This will insert placeholder text which will be substituted in the merged version of the file with a record.Īs part of your design you should have styles already. #8 Optional: Put in an image – generic image sizing can be applied at the data merge. We also want to add an image to our design. As part of the CSV we imported an image link. InDesign will automatically link to that image. Add the image placeholder to the frame by simply clicking the frame and then clicking the data field title. #9 Create Merged Document – select multiple records on drop down for records per document page. Go to the data merge panel, click the drop down and select “Create merged document”. Under “Records per Document Page” select “Multiple Records”. ![]()
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