Data merge to pdf

I'm not sure if this is possible but my goal is to do a mail merge from a script and have them save out as PDF files on the fly.
My template has all the data fields linked and i can merge to a new document with no problems, but I want them to merge/export to a PDF rather than the new doc.
Any thoughts?

IN CS4, you can export the data merged template directly to PDF, without creating an intermediate data merge template file. This page should provide the information you need - http://help.adobe.com/en_US/InDesign/6.0/WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-6c3ca.html#W S579839EE-E3E2-479b-8A9F-3C65FB296C81 .

Similar Messages

Can i use data merge with pdf images in indesign?

Hi need to do a data merge but with pdf's not jpg or tifs. I am having the result with jpgs but not with pdf's.
Can i do it with pdf's?

in fact that is not a problem because i have both pdfs same size and orientated, the only thing is that i cannot use the pdf docs for some reason.
eg. in the csv file i have (this is not working)
Field 1                                      Field2
'@background                          '@page
Machintosh HD:bg1.pdf           Machintosh HD:page1.pdf
eg. in the csv file i have (this works)
Field 1                                      Field2
'@background                          '@page
Machintosh HD:bg1.psd           Machintosh HD:page1.psd
I would like to use the pdf file is there a different way to do so?

VDP / Data Merge - Multiple PDF's (1 record / 1 pdf)

Hello all,
2 part questions (second one I think is more file system related)
Part 1 - I have created a document in indesign and am using data merge. The merge works well but the PDF that is created a single pdf file with all my merged pages within it. I am wondering if there is a way to have mutliple pdf files created. If my data has 10 rows of information is there a way to run the merge and get 10 single page pdf files?
**nevermind pt 2...google search just turned up some good hits.**
Part 2 - If I can get the merge to be single pdfs is there a way to name the file based on a column of my data file? I am assuming that indesign cannot do this. I am a pc user and have not found a batch rename software based on variable data content.
Thanks in advance
Ren

ok so to better understand why I did it this way I will explain the situation. I work for a copier reseller and we carry many models. My goal is to re-brand our sample files and include as a footer the following information (filename / machine printed on / paper stock printed on). This method initally seemed like the right approach using variable data but I have changed my thoght since then and decided to used the combo box interactive filed which would eliminate the need for 50+ pdfs per sample.
My steps tho prior to changing my mind was as follows.
Variable Data Merge:
create my indesign doc and setup the data merge.
my data file had field for filename (which was part static and part dynamic), machine model and paper stocks.
exported the pdf (which is a single PDF with multiple pages)
Splitting the PDF to single page PDFs:
Open the multiple page PDF in Acrobat X and use the extract feature tools>pages
Select your location and the newly created single page PDF will created files using the following naming convention (original filename 1.pdf, original filename 2. pdf, etc....)
Renaming the PDF's
Since indesign uses row order from the data file to create the pages the multiple page PDF also has the same order as my data file. When I split the pages using the extract function the number scheme used my acrobat kept the files in order also (page 1 was file1, page 2 was file 2, etc....)
Using my inital data file (with my filenames that I have merged onto the indesign file) I created another spreadsheet copying the filenames onto a column (column B).
Column A consist of the filenames that the extract tool created (note that the file xtension needs to be listed also for both column A & B, in this case .pdf)
In Excel go to VBA (alt+F11). Goto insert>module.
paste this code:
Sub ChangeNames()
Const FILEPATH = "C:\Users\rsukhr01\Desktop\test" 'amend to location containing files
Dim r As Range, cell As Range
'identify range containing file names - assumes you hve a header in row 1 and then filenames below it
Set r = ActiveSheet.Range("A2:A" & Cells(Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row)
'loop thru the files and change their names:
For Each cell In r
Name FILEPATH & "\" & cell.Value As FILEPATH & "\" & cell.Offset(, 1).Value
Next cell
End Sub
Close VBA, goto view>macros and run the "change.name" macro.
This will rename the original file names (column A) to your new file names (column B). Also make sure this excel file is is the same folder as your files that you want to rename.
hope this helps...
also I will find out the source for the VBA macro and update to give that person credit.

InDesign CS5 Data Merge to PDF Problem

Hello,
Need to make 2500 tickets, data merging a csv file causes indesign to fleeze up. When I try export to PDF, it creates the pages but does not merge the date, instead it just leaving the data field. What do I need to do to get the numbers to appear on the tickets when exporting to pdf?
Kinda in a time crunch!!
Thank you!!
Mac Pro
2.66 Quad
8GB ram
Mac OSX 10.5.8
InDesign CS5 7.0

Hi Jeff, thanks for the reply.
There are no comma's in the csv it is just numbers 0001-2500. The numbers are all that need merging.
When I go to preview, everything is perfect and all the numbers show up where they are needed, however, when merge and export the correct number of pages are generated but the numbers are replaced with the data field (<<nbr>>) instead.
Thank you for your time.

Data merge to pdf - unusual result

No matter what I do, I can't get InDesign to merge the content of my piece AND the data correctly.
My project is simple. I'm making a postcard that is exactly half the size of a sheet of letter paper. There's a .25" margin.
I created the text box that is exactly the correct size that shows where the address fields should be...
When I do a document merge, the resulting .indd file is correct. However, when I attempt the same data merge by selecting "export to pdf", the resulting file is way way off.
See attached files. The pdf doesn't even have two address fields, let alone a mirror of the content.

Always use the camera icon to attach an image. This is something that needs to be fixed. I was attaching files via the attach link and FAIK, they never load. Stay queued forever.
When you merge the data you should have a new ID doc. So if your original doc was mydoc.indd, the merged doc should be something like mydoc-1.indd. Export this to PDF. Should work.

Data Merge - Export PDF Spreads

I'm working on a fairly simple design, with complicated output.
I'm designing a lanyard, and it's portrait.
Page size is 71mm for first page, 74.5mm for 2nd page, 74.5mm for 3rd page.
Naturally I used the Page Size tool to make the pages the size I wanted.
When I put them in a spread they were the wrong orientation - and I didn't want to work in a rotated spread.
I used the Page Tool to move all the pages underneath each other.
They appear under each other in the main view, in the pages panel they appear side by side, not one on top of each other.
I then wanted to add crop marks - but for some reasong the Spreads crop marks, i.e., the fold marks don't generate.
I added them manually at 3mm - and added a bleed of 5mm (will go back and add a slug for the fold marks) but for now.
Everything is kinda done - but I wanted to add a Data Merge.
This is where things failed miserably -
How can I make a Data Merge with Spreads for this layout?

Flex - data merge to PDF document

We have a requirment to get the state form from the web site,
later the created application in flex will be a data entry for the
user to enter data. After complitation of data entry and submission
to database, data should merge to the given pdf document and show
it to user for printing.
Your help will apperciated.
NM

Hi,
Please have a look at the PDF generation capabilities of
LiveCycle Data Services or Alive PDF. Please find more details at
the URL below.
http://www.adobe.com/products/livecycle/dataservices/
http://alivepdf.bytearray.org/
Hope this helps.

InDesign Data Merge / Image Frame Options

Hi! I am learning Data Merge and am trying to set-up some product sheets using it. I have done pretty well so far but have an issue with the way images are importing into the different image frames. There are a few different image frames on the layout (main product image, tech drawing, tech icons, etc.), and I need each image frame to have different frame options set.
So far using the general "Frame Fitting Options" for each has worked for all imported images except for my tech icons (which I can get to import correctly if I choose "Content Placement Options > Fit Frames to Images" from the Data Merge side menu --but when I do this, it applies to all image frames on the page and not just the one selected (which does not work overall).
Is there another option to get the icon image frames to "Fit Frame to Image" automatically without using the Content Placement Options from the Data merge menu? Is there a way to use the Content Placement Options so it works for individual frames vs all on the layout?
Any help is much appreciated!
Liz

Within the data merge, the frame fitting options apply to all frames that contain variable images, so if you want one variable image to fit image to frame, and another variable image to preserve its size, that cannot be done in the main file, but by manipulating the resulting merge file as P Spier suggests. With Data Merge, there are 8 ways an image can fit inside a frame - see the linked pdf: http://colecandoo.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/framefit.pdf
This is further complicated when importing ai or pdf images that contain different possible sizes to import (e.g. trim box, bleed box, bounding box, etc). If the "show import options" dialog box is used when placing an image into a data merge file, the settings used in those import options are maintained in the file for the importing of any pdf/ai files via the data merge. What this means is that a data merge containing pdf/ai images can go haywire quickly if the import options change.
There are some tricks that can be used to control a size of an image in a data merge, provided the images are pdf/ai. If images are being placed by bounding box size in the import options, a way is by drawing a no fill/stroke box behind (or on another layer) of the pdf/ai - this will be used to define the actual size of the image, instead of the top left/bottom right of the image. Similarly, if images are being placed by media box, a similar technique can be used by making the illustrator artboard the size used to define the incoming image size.
There are also other ways to control the way an image grows/shrinks when importing via the data merge. I have written about that elsewhere, but the trick relies on using making the variable image an anchored object in a larger text frame and controlling its coordinates with text and textbox formatting (e.g. top/bottom/center align; left/right/center, or tab position): Centering “fit frame to images” using InDesign CS6 | Colecandoo!

How to create multiple editable PDFs from data merged Indesign file

Hi
This is quite complicated but I'm hoping someone can help me and hoping I can explain it too!
I am working on a project for a client. She wants to send 150 people a 6 page PDF with fields to complete and return to her.
She has an Excel spreadsheet with some of the fields completed already so these will be Data Merged into InDesign CS6.
The short version of the question goes like this:
Can you automate the process so that once all the data is in the InDesign file, it can then create a PDF every 6 pages all in one go?
For those still interested, the long version of the question goes like this:
I have created 3 pages in InDesign with fields to complete and used the 'Data Merge' facility to add the Excel info.
I have created 3 more pages with blank fields to fill in.
Then I have made all fields editable using the 'Buttons and Forms' facility in the Interactive menu.
Then I have created an interactive PDF. Then I have opened that PDF in Adobe Acrobat X Pro and saved it as 'Reader Extended PDF' and 'Enable Additional Features'
I now have an Editable PDF with half the fields filled in and half blank to be filled in and this can be saved and returned.
Now, this would be great if it was only one or two. But I need to create 150 different versions and this is just for the Pilot study. If all goes well, this will go to 5,000 people and I can't be creating 5,000 seperate PDFS!!
At this stage, I am just focussing on the 150. So again, going back to the original question, is there a script that could be written either to break up the 1st PDF every 6 pages into 150 different PDFS? Is there even a way of extending that script to Save as Reader Extended etc? Is there a simple idea that I'm missing? Are there any ways to do this? I can use 'Created Merged Documents' to make 150 x 6 pages in Indesign so can anything be done from there?
Any advice greatly appreciated
Thanks
G

Hi Akash,
1) Pass the three header data in header table. 2) Pass all the item data in item table. here explain where you struck.
Regards,
Madhu.

PDF- Filename automated from labelscript (after data merge)

Hello,
first of all I'm quite new in javascripting... but some simular scripts I have found on the internet could provide a solution for my problem.
What I've done is the following: I've used Data Merge and created a 200-paged file with 1 label on each page. Each label has a labelnumber.
What I could do is export the file - split it up in 200 different pages - rename each file to the specific labelname. Seems a lot of work and this job I need to repeat about once a month.
I looked for a solution and came to these discussion: http://forums.adobe.com/thread/289666http://      http://forums.adobe.com/message/3178412#3178412
What I want to create is a script that I can run every month after I have updated my 200 labels and overrides all the pdf-files of the old labels.
With the different scripts I have found I constructed the code below.
The script works, it prints to multiple pdf's which have the correct labelnames, export is according to the requested presets, but the CONTENT of each label is the content of the FIRST label (first page).
I have tried a lot of thing (trail&error) but as I said, I'm quite new to this matter...
So.... I can use some help or advice on this one.
Thanks in advance,
Dheart
function getLABEL_A(page) {
          for (var currentTextFrameIndex=0;currentTextFrameIndex<page.textFrames.length; ++currentTextFrameIndex) { // Iterates over frames
               if (page.textFrames[currentTextFrameIndex].label=="LABEL_A") // if label is LABEL_A..
                    return page.textFrames[currentTextFrameIndex].contents; // ..returns text frame contents
          return null; // if not found, returns null
var LABEL_A;
     var pagesList=app.activeDocument.pages;
     for (var currentPageIndex=0;currentPageIndex<pagesList.length;++currentPageIndex) { // Iterates over pages list
          currentPage=pagesList[currentPageIndex];
          LABEL_A=getLABEL_A(currentPage);
          if (LABEL_A!=null) { // If we have a LABEL_A - PDF file name-
                var export_preset = app.pdfExportPresets.item("[Smallest File Size]");
               app.activeDocument.exportFile(ExportFormat.pdfType,"F:/.../"+LABEL_A+".PDF",false,export_ preset); //.. and save the file
          } else {
               alert("Page number "+currentPageIndex+" NO LABEL_A");
               alert(LABEL_A);

Thx for the reply, indeed this is a solution for consecutive numbering, however, the numbering is following another 'system' and in this case the numbering is given randomly.
Anyway, trying a lot of things, gave me a working script!!!
The script exports a multipaged indesign file to single-paged pdf files. The namegiving of the pdf-files is automated and follows a labelscript (textlabel) on each page.
function getLABEL(page) {
          for (var currentTextFrameIndex=0;currentTextFrameIndex<page.textFrames.length; ++currentTextFrameIndex) { // Iterates over frames
               if (page.textFrames[currentTextFrameIndex].label=="LABEL") // if label is LABEL..
                    return page.textFrames[currentTextFrameIndex].contents; // ..returns text frame contents
          return null; // if not found, returns null
var LABEL;
     var currentPage;
     var pagesList=app.activeDocument.pages;
     for (var currentPageIndex=0;currentPageIndex<pagesList.length;++currentPageIndex) { // Iterates over pages list
          currentPage=pagesList[currentPageIndex];
          LABEL=getLABEL(currentPage);
          if (LABEL!=null) { // If we have a LABEL PDF -file name-
              app.pdfExportPreferences.pageRange=String(currentPageIndex+1); // set up the export range..
                var export_preset = app.pdfExportPresets.item("[High Quality Print]");
                 app.activeDocument.exportFile(ExportFormat.pdfType,"F:// fill in destination"+LABEL+".PDF",false,export_preset); //.. and save the file
          } else {
               alert("Page number "+currentPageIndex+" without LABEL box");
               alert(LABEL);

Why does an InDesign document exported to PDF using data merge result in very different sized PDFs?

I've got a small sheet that I update on occasion and use data-merge to add people's names to the sheet. It's very much like an invitation where every invite has a different name on it. I use the data merge feature to select a list of names and then they get inserted into the document. Then I use the Export to PDF command in the data merge window to create a pdf that has all of the invitations in one big file. They are four-up per page on letter sized paper. Sometimes I print 2000 of them and the resulting PDF is about 2mb, sometimes I print 1000 of them and it's 20mb. Document, settings, method of issueing the commands to output the files are all the same. The only difference is the list of names and those are all almost identical in length. Anyone know what could be happening?
One clue is that it takes about a minute to run when the result is going to be a small file and about 5 or more minutes when the result is going to be a large file.
My guess is that sometimes it includes a copy of the images once per page, and sometimes it only includes them once per document, but I'd love to know why and how to control that. Thanks.

And you verified that the links panel shows everything as up-to-date?
The only other things I can suggest at the moment are the standard two trouble shooting steps: Remove minor corruption by exporting and Replace Your Preferences

In Design Data merge into separate pdf files with variable data name

Hi all, thank you for taking the time to read this.
Here's what I have.
I've created a file in indesign using a 65 page document.
With this document I've set it up to have specific data in certain areas with data merge. I have that part setup and it works fine.
When I go to export PDF it creates one massive pdf document with all the variable data in it. However here is the scenario I would like.
1. Indesign to create a separate pdf file for each record. So in this example it would be 100 different 65 page pdfs since it should have different pdfs for each record and there are 100 records in the csv.
2. The pdf should be named after each variable record. For example record one says name "Joe", record 2 name "Frank". So it should create joe.pdf, frank.pdf etc.
How can I accomplish this?

I don't know if this script works in CS4 or not:
http://indesignsecrets.com/page-exporter-utility-peu-5-script-updated-for-cs3.php

Merge data and a PDF file?

Hi,
I´m trying to render/merge data into a PDF file using FormServer (7.0) and .NET. I notice that if I use the xdp version of the pdf, FormServer will return a pdf with the merged data. However, I cannot acomplish this if instead of a xdp file document I use a pdf file (dynamic 7.0 created with livecycle designer 8).
This works:
String sFormPreference = "PDFForm";
String sFormQuery = "ExpenseClaim.xdp";
This doesn´t woks:
String sFormPreference = "PDFForm";
String sFormQuery = "ExpenseClaim.pdf";
Isn´t it possible to merge data directly into a PDF using FormServer. I rather use a pdf file instead of a xdp file, because, a xdp file will need to be converted to a PDF file. Thus it will spent more time accomplishing the merge.
Thank you

Try using PDFMerge as the transformation.
Chris
Adobe Enterprise Developer Support

Make Data Merge import certain page of pdf or indesign document

I don't know if it is possible but can you make Data Merge import certain page of pdf or indesign document, this would be great addition for indesign

Here are a couple of questions that might help understand what might need to be done to achieve your request:
* How do you propose to identify the desired page(s) within a PDF and an ID document, so the merge field placeholder knows how to find it?
* How do you propose to keep track of the page if they're re-ordered in an updated document?
* What if the identification marker is within text and flows to a different page - would you want to retrieve the original page (before the reflow) or the new page to which the marker would have flowed?
Perhaps the scripters could comment on the possibility of scripting these.
Regards,
Peter
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices
aybekDes wrote:
I don't know if it is possible but can you make Data Merge import certain page of pdf or indesign document, this would be great addition for indesign

IDCS6/IDCC MACOSX 10.6 and up: Inability to create tagged PDF during "Export PDF" in Data Merge

I have a rather odd question concerning an obscure feature of InDesign but have to ask it concerning a somewhat over-engineered solution to an ongoing problem. I will try to give an abridged version but forgive me if I ramble...
I have a solution that splits a large PDF based on bookmarks in the document. The InDesign file doesn't use bookmarks itself; but has paragraph styles that have been tagged using the expert tagging feature of the paragraph style. Once in Acrobat, I am able to make new bookmarks from structure and voila... bookmarks that were based on tags.
For this solution to work, a checkbox in the General window of the export PDF dialog box called "Create Tagged PDF" needs to be checked
This checkbox is normally available when exporting PDFs from InDesign. However, when attempting to export PDF from the Data Merge panel, the dialog changes.
The parts highlighted in green I expect to change; but the red change is unexpected and for my purposes, fouls up what I'm trying to do.
I should stress that if the data merge file is merged to one large new InDesign file, then this problem doesn't happen. However, the amount of data that I'm dealing with (tens of thousands of records) would take too much time and be double-handling.
Is this greying out of the checkbox a glitch; is it intentional; or am I missing something?
Concerning alternative ways of making bookmarks from a data merged PDF:
I have tried using manual bookmarks applied to form fields and only the actual words that were made as a bookmark appear in the PDF;
Merging to a new InDesign file is not an option given the record lengths that I work with (from 10,000 - 100,000)
Acrobat does have a way of automatically tagging an untagged document; however the results have been less than desirable so far.
There are a few third party applications for Acrobat that allow dynamic bookmarks based on type in certain positions, but many of these applications are Windows based. Mac compatible PDF-SAM looks promising but have had no testimonials on whether or not tasks like mine are possible.
Colin

Can also confirm that too Uwe. I thought those particular issues may just have to do with using the default [High Quality Print] setting... but no, Create Acrobat Layers and Include Hyperlinks can't be done regardless of how sophisticated the options within the export Adobe PDF dialog box (during data merge) is.
I know this is a user-to-user forum but from time to time I see Dov Isaacs on here and was hoping he may have some insight. Even if the answer still remains that it can't be done, at least I can then consider more alternatives for this uncanny and frustrating procedure.
Colin

Data merge to pdf

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