"ghost" links in altered data-merged document

I created a catalog using Data Merge. After it was finished, I was asked to remove seveal of the items. I didn't go back to the database and remerge the document, because I'd already done a lot of minor revisions to the finshed document. After collecting for output, I noticed that all the photos that were removed from the finished doument are still showing in the links panel as missing. They show < > for the page, and "go to link" doesn't work.
I'd like to get these out of the Links panel to avoid confusion when the file is sent to the printer. Any ideas how to delete a link that doesn't seem to really be there?

Thanks, Peter
When I tried that, InDesign chocked on the resulting INX file. But that did give me the idea of using the "move pages" feature to move all 68 pages to a new document, and that got rid of the non-existant links.

Similar Messages

Create data merged document with data on every second page?

Is it possible to create a data merged document with the variable data only on every second page?
I have set up the pages with the variable data as a master page (on every odd page) with the text box and paragraph style all set up, and I have set 'override master page items' so the data can be placed, but InDesign seems to freeze up when I try to create the merged document?

There should be no problem doing the merge with a two-page master and a two-page template document with fields only on one page (and off the top of my head there's no reason to move them off the master page if that's where you put them). I think the problem here is that rachrachm already has a file of 500 pages (based on another thread asking how to apply masters to every other page).
It's potentially possible to simply place the data file (without the header row) as a text file and auto-flow through the master page frames (can't say for sure without seeing the files), or if the pages without the merge fields are the same just, remove all but the first two pages from the template and do the merge.
As I metioned earlier, though, this is a very inefficient method of producing that sort of document. A true variable data print flow would be better (you'd need to find a commercial printer who can do it with your data file), or the home version would be to make one single page file for the static content, print 250 copies (plus a few extras, just in case), then make a single page merge template, do the merge, and print that on the back of the already printed pages, or as a separate page. It is immeasurably faster to print multiple copies of a document than it is to print a document that has multiple identical pages.

Crazy colored brackets in InDesign data merge document

I did a data merge on an InDesign document I'm working on and I got all these crazy colored brackets embedded throughout my document. Here's a screenshot:
What the heck is going on?

From Post 4:
//EN_UntagAllXMLElements_ACTIVE_DOCUMENT.jsx
//Authors:
//Hans Haesler
//Gregor Fellenz
//Comments by Uwe Laubender
* @@@BUILDINFO@@@ EN_UntagAllXMLElements_ACTIVE_DOCUMENT.jsx !Version! Sun Dec 01 2013 09:38:21 GMT+0100
//See: http://www.hilfdirselbst.ch/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=506568#506568
//Data for testing: http://www.hilfdirselbst.ch/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=6654;
//Posted the links to this thread in InDesign Scripting forum:
//http://forums.adobe.com/message/4983121#4983121
//Green4ever
//"Untag Frame" menu action is invalid [CS5 Win XP]
//The active document:
var d=app.documents[0];
//Hans Haesler:
//Untag all XML-Tags with exception of the root element:
d.xmlElements[0].xmlElements.everyItem().untag();
//TO GET RID OF THE ROOT ELEMENT:
//Workaround by Gregor Fellenz:
//Add a new rectangle to the document:
var tempRect = d.rectangles.add();
//Tag the rectangle with the "Root" element:
tempRect.markup(d.xmlElements[0]);
//AND HERE IS TRICK:
//Remove the rectangle:
tempRect.remove();

Page Numbers Not Appearing in Data Merge Document?

Hello, hopefully someone can help. I am pretty new to InDesign but learning a lot. I am creating a member directory of about 200 pages (about 2800 records merged from .csv to InDesign 6). Everything is working fine with the merge, except generating the page numbers. I tried adding page number at the bottom of the page to the master BEFORE merging. But if I do that, it greys out the "multiple records per page" option when trying to perform the Data Merge (using "Create merged Document"). So, I tried adding the page number to the A-master AFTER creating the merged document, but the page number is not appearing on any of the pages. There must be a way to do this, can anyone help?
(FYI - to generate the auto page numbers, I am going to the Type-Insert Special Character-Markers-Current Page Number, and placing that within a text field at the bottom of the page. Thanks in advance. )

Here is a screen shot. I have placed it on the A-Master. See Screenshot#1. Screenshot #2 shows Page 70 with no page number (and no other pages have page numbers that I can see. Thanks for your advice on fixing....
Sorry, here is screenshot #2, (with personal details redacted but the records are there behind the grey boxes):

Inconsistent placement of anchored text frame in data merge document

Just writing up this bug so that anyone else who encounters it can find out what's going on with less head-scratching.
It seems that InDesign's data merge feature gets confused when there are anchored objects in a text frame that's anchored inside another text frame, which can result in:
exported PDFs that don't match the InDesign preview when viewed in Acrobat (so, nasty surprises on some pages after exporting)
InDesign previews that - bizarrely - show differently depending on whether you navigated to the preview by hitting the arrow keys in the Data Merge box or by entering a number.
(sadly I can't provide a file for confidentiality reasons - but the problem point had multi-line data merge entries, a text frame that was anchored in another text frame of equal width, and anchored images and text frames in this anchored text frame)
There were certain entires where, if I navigate to them in the preview using the 'next' and 'previous' keys, there was 4mm less space between the nested text frame and the previous line than if I navigate to it by entering the number. Exporting as a PDF through data merge used the variant with more space.
Re-working the area in question so that the nested text frame wasn't needed seems to have removed the problem (but loses the ability to vertically align these elements in a fixed size frame that is in the text flow).

You didn't say what version of ID, or whter a single or multiple record per page merge, but the Preview is known to be buggy for multiple records since CS5 and might be for single records as well.
I have an annual directory that is built by data merge with one section in each listing as an anchored frame, and I've never had a problem, but it's not as complex as your description, nor do I ever merge to PDF (though I've heard here from several users that it's more reliable).
One thing you might want to try is merging without the preview step, but do it from a "fresh" file by copying and pasting your placeholders into a new document. If the problem is with the preview it seems that it "infects" the file and even merging without touching the preview button may not work.

Export data merge document records as seperate files

I've seen quite a few threads about this matter and Indesign CC 2014 still doesn't seem to be able to do it.
I'd like to export a data merge project (in my case 600 books of 50 pages with photo's and text) to seperate pdf's. I could generate new documents or make a single pdf and breake these up, but I'm afraid this will be either buggy or very time consuming (having to save 600 files manually). So I'd hope Indesign could get a native feature to automatically save 600 seperate files. A plus would be if the file name could be defined by a data set variable from the same document.

This forum is actually for discussing the merits of new feature requests rather than an official channel to submit a request to the team. For that, use Adobe - Feature Request/Bug Report Form and make as strong a case as you can for why this will benefit a large user segment.

Crazy long rip times on Data Merge Documents

Hello Everyone,
I am digital printer and I am running to a strange problem with Data Merge. I am making a post card for a customer that needs addresses added to them. I do these kinds of orders all the time and usually I can just place the post card in Indesign cs6 and use date merge to apply the addresses. Typically this works easily and without any fuss. However I just created a new card in Indesign. Exported it as a pdf and then placed it back in indesign for addressing. Now when I try to print my card it is taking an hour and a half to rip the file on my Fiery Command Work Station. Typically a job like this will rip in no more than a minute or two. Does any one know what might be causing this? I have tried flettening the pdf in photoshop to maybe help simplify the file but no luck. I designed the card in Indesign cs6 on a mac running 10.7.5 and I am using Command Work Station 5.5 on Fiery , printing on a Xerox 700 digital press.

Absolutely not.
(1)     PDF/VT-1 files must also be PDF/X-4 files. The “create PDF via distillation of PostScript” method precludes this since PostScript supports neither live transparency nor color management.
(2)     The efficiencies of PDF/VT-1 require use of Forms XOjects and Image XObjects in the PDF file. That requires direct PDF creation that you get from PDF export. This is not available via any route that uses stink'in PostScript as an intermediary.
(3)     Adobe most strongly endorses PDF creation from InDesign via the export function, not printing to PostScript and distilling. Such PostScript is optimized strictly for printing and not for PDF file creation.
          - Dov

InDesign CS5 crashes when documents that have tables are sent to data merge.

I have several documents that I have been using for the past 6 months that have tables on some of the pages and when I go to data merge them, CS5 crashes. When I remove the tables, they merge just fine. Some of these documents have to have the tables, so not havaing tables is a problem. I have even tried redoing the tables in Excel, Word & InDesign, but that doesn't seem to work. Is there a setting or something that I am missing?

Hi, I have this ssue
I add a table to a data merge document
I can create a merged indd document ok
however if i try to export direct to pdf without creating the interim indd document CS5 crashes
CS5 7.04
Windows 7 SP 1

Using Data Merge to Create a 508 Compliant Document

I've been tasked to create a 508 compliant document from an existing InDesign document. This is a document that uses Data Merge to fill in a form along with 2-3 photos, and a location map. Each photo and the map need to have Alt Text descriptions. I know how to apply Alt Text in the structure panel. I would like to add Alt Text to these graphics in the document I am using to create the merged document. When I do so then create the data merged document it drops all of the Alt Text. Does anyone know a remedy for this problem?
I appreciate any input. Thank you.
-Ben

Australia doesn't have section 508 so I'm not quite sure what is required by law... but if it's a line of type such as a description, should be do-able.
Two ways:
1) If the images have a description or a title in the IPTC metadata, the data merge frame containing the image could simply have a caption containing either the description or title on another layer (that is possible from captions) and then that layer is toggled on/off depending on what output is required
2) Much the same as above, but instead of using the IPTC metadata, this uses an additional field in the datamerge database. A textbox is put above the image (again, in another layer) and that textbox contains the description from the datamerge database. Just as in the previous solution, the layer is toggled on/off depending on what output is required.
Or am I barking up the wrong tree and need a layman's definition of what section 508 requires?
Colly

InDesign Data Merge w/Multiple Page Document

I am working to print a multiple-page newsletter, and printing the mailing information using a Data Merge in InDesign CS4 (PC), with the intent of printing this in-house to send to our members. (My office has been doing this successfully for years using Publisher, but I insisted we update to InDesign.)
I have the document ready, and I have the Data Source information (set up in tab-delimited (.txt) text format).
After I have selected the Data Source (Window > Automation > Data Merge), inserted the Data Fields, and then Created Merged Document, I wind up with multiple versions of the Document; one for each person we are sending the newsletter to!
I was working with our printer technician to solve the issue, but his sources told him that the only way to do this was by using one document as the newsletter master and another document as the Data Merge document, and doing a little magic thru the PostScript driver in the printer.
(Specifically: the document is letter-sized, set to print as a booklet. The work-around involves copying and pasting these pages into a new tabloid-sized document, creating another blank tabloid-sized document that has only the Data Merge info in the proper place, printing the cover with this Data Merge separately, loading that into a drawer, and printing the new document and wrapping it with the pre-printed cover.)
1 - What am I doing wrong that gives me over 800 InDesign documents for this newsletter?
2 - Is there a way for me to print this without the work around?

That is what Indesign does when it does a data merge, it creates copies of the document and there's no way to change this. Have you tried exporting to PDF (In CS4 you can do this in one step from the original) and printing? I've never had anyone confirm it definitively but I'm pretty sure that the PDF created will be an 'optimized' one, meaning that when it sends it off to a compatible printer the images will be sent once and cached, with only the text that changes being sent separately.
Definitely worth comparing it to Publisher for speed anyway, Office programs can merge straight to the printer, but in effect they're doing the same thing. There are programs out there for doing far fancier stuff than data merge, probably the best is XM Pie, but unless you've got a printer that recognises their language they're a waste of time in this circumstance anyway.

Is there a way to name the .indd files created by a data merge with values in the CSV file

I have a data merge document that is set to single Record per Document page and 1 page per document. In my CSV file I have a field for Part Number. If I run a data merge with 10 records I end up with 10 .indd files. I need a way so that the resulting .indd files are named the same value that is in the Part Number field.

Loic has provided a link for my original piece, and I've written up some follow-up pieces for indesignsecrets.com:
http://indesignsecrets.com/data-merging-individual-records-separate-pdfs.php
http://indesignsecrets.com/data-merging-individual-records-separate-pdfs-part-2-scripting. php
So there are several ways to get unique name PDFs from an indesign Data Merge. However, none of these 3 articles will truly answer your question of how to get unique indesign filenames using the database. I can see a practical purpose for this as merging business cards directly to PDFs is great, but I can be guaranteed that while on proof, there will be alts to the business cards that need to be done outside the merge, meaning specific records need to be exported to indesign files for further manipulation.

Scripting a file name change as a data merge element.

My goal of the work being done with InDesign is to utilize the Data Merge functionality of InDesign and the, already available, ability to create a new document per record in your data source where the docuement name is changed based on data contained in the data source.
A very simple example of this would be the following:
EXAMPLE
======================
Given the following data source in excel:
First_Name
Last_Name
ResultingFileName
George
Smith
c:\A45.pdf
Mary
Lopez
c:\C99.pdf
Steve
Barns
c:\tmp\XM96TR.pdf
Along with a simple two text box InDesign documents, I would perform a standard data merge with First_Name linked to one text box and Last_Name linked to another. By setting the “Record Limits Per Document” to 1, I would end up with three different documents. By default, the documents would be named Untiltled-1, Untiltled-2 and Untitled-3.
Untitled-1 would contain George and Smith. Untitled-2 would contain Mary and Lopez and Untitled-3 would contain Steve and Barns.
At this point in time, I would run the new created script, which would do the following:
            Rename Untitled-1 to A45 and/or save Untitled-1 as C:\A45.pdf
            Rename Untitled-2 to C99 and/or save Untitled-2 as C:\C99.pdf
            Rename Untitled-3 to XM96TR and/or save Untitled-3 as c:\tmp\XM96TR.pdf
I am open to modifying the manner in which the data merge source is created. For example, separating the path and the file name into separate columns. In addition, I am flexible in putting preset information and/or file save types into the data merge document.
Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]
Thanks in advance for the help.
Matt

Hi Matt,
I think it’s better to use an XML-based approach for your task.
I’ve never scripted Data Merge process, but I don’t see a straightforward way of doing it. May be you can create the 3rd textbox on pasteboard or a non-printing layer, which will contain the file path from ‘ResultingFileName’ field, and the contents from which can be used for naming & saving the current file and exporting it to pdf-file. But this approach is so clumsy.
Instead, you’d better to keep your data in excel file, or even better Access or some other database program.
Export the data from it in XML-format.
Then import it to an InDesign file and process it by script. XML support is very powerful in InDesign: you can process your data by xml-rules. I once made a script for a newspaper, which processed data for classified ads. The script applied all formatting, changed colors for different headings and placed images.
Kasyan

Data Merge Not Displaying Images

This is my first go using Data Merge and so far so good. I have my master template set up and have successfully merged data from my csv file into a multi-page data merge document.
For reference I am using ID CC and Windows 7
My problem is data merging images.
My csv is set up using '@image as a header, and I am using a relative link in the below field (/image-folder/image.jpg)
ID recognises the image header and shows 'image' in the data source, but when I assign it to my frame nothing is displayed. I have the fitting set to fit the frame.
My path seems to be correct, as if I change it, my image does not appear in the layer palette.
I am not seeing the image when I hit 'preview' in the data merge palette, or when I perform the data merge itself.
Really in need of some help!

Try creating a new blank document containing a single graphics frame. Drag the 'image' entry from the Data Merge panel on to the frame. It should now show <<image>> within the frame (see screenshot). See if data merge works now.
If not, another thing to check is the separators in the file path in your csv file. To get the correct path, place a test image then go to the flyout menu in the Links panel and select Copy Info > Copy Platform Style Path.

Data merge issues in InDesign CS4

Hello
I'm having an issue with a data merge document that I've made. The issue I'm having is when ever I "update content in data fields" items are deleted off of the page. I have rebuilt it several times but always get the same issue, any ideas?
Cheers
Jack

That's a feature I have not used, but could not replicate.
It seems for that feature, you have set up a merge doc with the fields on the Master Page? (preferred method) and created the merged document, edited the data source, gone to the Data Merge Panel and selected Update Content in Data Fields? That generated a log of updated records on my machine with the new data.
More info needed on your process.

Data Merge with Lookup

i need to create a date merge document that includes a lookup field.
What we need is for one field to be a dropdown with list of all the options, when one of the options is selected the rest of the fields in the document is populated with the relevant information

That is not what data merge does. Think about it more along the lines of a mail merge.
I think you’re going to need to do this in Acrobat at a minimum and perhaps even LiveCycle.
I’d pop over to the Acrobat forum and see if anyone there has any scripts to help automate this.
Bob

"ghost" links in altered data-merged document

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