InDesign CS2 Data Merge with some pics

Hi,
The issue is there are 22 records in the tab-delimited text file and only 5 have photos that need to be displayed - the picture frame will be deleted after the merge on those that don't have images.
When I do a preview, all the records display properly with those that have images displaying in the correct record.
However, when I merge the document, images come into those picture frames that aren't supposed to have them. eg. record 1 has no pic and is correct, record 2 has image from record 3, record 3 has correct image, record 4 has image from record 3, record 5 has image from record 6, record 6 has correct image, record 7 has image from record 6, and so on - it appears that picture frames of the records in-between are filled with images from those records around it.
Does anyone know why this is happening? When on the preview everything is as it should be.
> The picture frame is an anchored object in the text frame.
> For those records that do not have a picture that record field is blank (except for the tab character as the delimiter)
Thanks in advance
Ben

You can make three separate ID files and then combine them into a book. The book file is merely a super set of the individual ID files.

Similar Messages

  • 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.

  • Can I data-merge with different masters?

    I have a project that has three different page layouts and the choice of layout is data dependent.
    Conceptually what I want is for the 10th field in my data record to tell InDesign which master page to use before merging the data from that record.
    Can such a thing be done with the standard data-merge facility?  Is there an affordable (<$100) third-party solution?  Could this be done with a script?

    Conceptually what I want is for the 10th field in my data record to tell InDesign which master page to use before merging the data from that record.
    Triggering a master using data merge... no, at least not from InDesign only. VDP software such as XMPie (i pick this because I have used the trial version) can do this, BUT it doesn't fulfil the next requirement of being <$100, and I don't think you will find ANY VDP solution for that.
    Instead, I would suggest an alternative. Rather than triggering a master page, I would suggest making a frame in the background of the page that uses a data-merge image field, so if you are changing letterheads mid-stream based on the data in the job, this will work. The catch is, there's no way indesign's data merge will trigger this by itself based on the data in the file. Instead, the data would have to include an additional field that reflects the relevant page background, and if using an excel spreadsheet to make the data, would require some creative if/else statements.
    So it is possible. It slows down the processing of the file tremendously, and I'm not sure how many records are being merged.
    So far as is it scriptable? Yes, most things are scriptable in InDesign. Is someone going to volunteer to prepare such a custom-script for nothing... unlikely.

  • Can I use InDesign's Data Merge for more than just address labels?

    I am a Graphic Designing working on a new science exhibition in Melbourne, Australia.
    I'm trying to streamline the way we import our label content into InDesign (currently cut and paste from Word which is slow and leaves room for error). I've been going down the path of having a macro developed which converts the Word content into a csv file so I can then import this into InDesign through data merge, however the import is falling over.
    Through testing we can conclude that data merge doesn't like paragraph breaks, en-dashes and apostrophies (and possibly more we haven't come across) and will only import data up until one of these items occurs in the data. We've tested a number csv file formats however we can't find a solution.
    Has anyone come up with a solution for this? My macro developer would be keen to get a hold of a working csv file that deals with these issues...
    Thanks!

    I have done what you are describing, with Word & InDesign, on a daily basis, for years. Word is not the best choice for this kind of workflow, of course, but if I had to choose between placing Word & doing a data merge with CSV, I'd be torn. Neither one is really the tool for the job. XML import would suit you better, but if you're already midstream in VBA development, there's no point in trying to describe why placing carefully styled RTFs and clearing overrides is better than writing VBA to clean up Word files and turn them into CSV.
    (Look at style mapping in Import Options when placing a Word file for future projects.)
    (Also: it's not extra codings that you want to apply in VBA, it's purging Word-specific "Symbols" and just using true Unicode values for em dashes and other typographical symbols.)

  • Data merge with images! cannot get it to work

    I have set up my spread sheet like i usually do for a data merge with an extra column  for the images with i called '@images-
    my images i named the following way
    Macintosh HD:Users:myname:Desktop:test:imagesqrcode_AberdeenENG.png   it didnt work
    i tried
    Users:myname:Desktop:test:imagesqrcode_AberdeenENG.png  it didnt work
    i tried with slashes
    i placed the images in the same file as my in design file and just named it qrcode_AberdeenENG.png that still didnt work
    doesn anyone out there have a solution

    Try placing the images in the same folder as the source file (the .txt file).
    Then you should just be able to use the exact name of the image (no path required).
    I wrote this up in a blog post many years ago (but it hasn't changed):
    http://indesignsecrets.com/data-merging-part-2.php
    I went back to my source files for this example, and it still works in InDesign CS6.

  • Tip for Data Merge with Multiple Records (labels, etc.)

    I have seen many InDesign Data Merge questions about how to create sheets of mailing labels, especially the problem of getting only one label per page, when you need 30 or more.
    Adobe's instructions are poor and incomplete in that InDesign doesn't step out the records from a data source - it steps out the FRAMES that contain the data field placeholders.
    That is why you only need to place a text or image frame once on a single page - during the datamerge, InDesign will create the additional FRAMES for each record, and it will create the pages required to hold them.
    You do have to set the desired spacing on the
    If you create the frame on a Master page, ID allows you to update the data source (when it changes) in the Data Merge tool panel.
    These are very nice and robust features, but the documentation for them is confusing to many people.
    You will find more great in-depth help  for Data Merge, with screen captures and attachments, here in the forum.

    For a multiple record merge you need one set of placeholders, then set the margins and spacing in the merge options so the positioning is correct.
    Warning: Using Preview in a multiple record merge will corrupt the file. If you press the preview button, Undo after looking at the preview, then merge without using preview.

  • Quick contract gig: Data Merge with inDesign

    My client has a small college directory created with inDesign, and a spreadsheet of contact info / headshots. They would like to perform a data merge so they can ready the directory for print.
    Please contact me if this is within your wheelhouse!
    Paul

    You can make three separate ID files and then combine them into a book. The book file is merely a super set of the individual ID files.

  • 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?

  • Data Merge with InDesign doc that's 4up

    I've just experimented with an InDesign document that we want to print 4 up (postcard) and we'd like our addresses to merge and print in the mailing area. When I've tried it, however, it's putting the same address on each of the four cards. Any way around this? The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is to split my excel address list into four equal groups, name them each a different name (addresses 1, addresses 2, etc) and then add the merge information for each doc on each on of the cards.
    Doable? or no?
    Susan

    Unfortunately, the designer before me (I work at a print shop) lost the manual. I've searched the web. I've followed the instructions in InDesign help and also Excel help. I've tried numerous times to do this, changing different parameters hoping that it will succeed. As for putting only one placeholder on the page, it's not cost effective in printing to print a postcard one up on a digital printer. Tons of wasted space. FYI... data merge may be new to me, but no need to be flip about your response. I've been a designer for over 27 years, certainly no newbie.

  • Data Merge with Indesign

    I am trying to create a large catalog.  I have 3 very different product types that require different info, and therefore I think, completely different templates.  I was thinking that I will need to create three separate data merge templates/ merges, but then I would like to combine them all into one indesign book.  Is there an easy way to do this without copying and pasting all of the products from each into one main book?
    Thanks!

    You can make three separate ID files and then combine them into a book. The book file is merely a super set of the individual ID files.

  • Data merge with football tickets. Printing causes out of memory errors. Can only print 10 at a time!

    Here's the deal. Printing football tickets for the local high school. 10 tickets per 8.5 x 11 sheet. All black and white. I couldn't data merge into one whole document of tickets because it was failing to do that. So, I end up with 3 documents. First two have 50 pages of tickets and the last has 37 pages.
    When I go to print, I can only print 10 pages at a time or InDesign straight up crashes or I get an "Out of Memory" error which is bull because I've got plenty of ram available (unless it's complaining about lack of HD space for some reason)
    Incredibly frustrating.
    Each ticket has 3 images on it. Two of the images are the same. Those two images are about 103kb .ai files. Very very simple. The other image is a TIFF that is about 76kb. So there are 1000 .ai files / document and 500 TIFFs.
    Here's a video I took of it ripping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCjvdmXuaYs&feature=c4-overview&list=UUf_1UFp80YLZJfCyIxXEg kg
    Also, when printing, I have the Send Data set to Optimized Subsampling instead of "All". That's not seeming to help.
    Any thoughts?
    IDCS 5.5
    OSX 10.8.4

    I just ran a sample on my laptop.
    AI file, duplicated, is 284k. Image is roughly 200k. The CSV has 2054 records, and the merged document with 10 per page is 250 megabytes. PDF is just under 50 megs.
    This laptop has only 4 gigs memory but has a lot of free disk space. It took a good amount of time to do the merge, a bit longer to create the PDF-X1a PDF.
    Mike

  • Data Merge with books

    I am working on making a book with InDesign and have prepared with data merge a sequence of images to appear on each right page. If I create a merged document, it works fine as long as the target is a single document. I have many documents I wish to apply the sequence to, in a book. If I try to make a merged document with the book, it only merges a single document. How can I apply data merge to the entire book? This is urgent.

    I think you should back up and describe what you're trying to do with more detail. What Data Merge does is it creates a new InDesign document. If your document is already done and you want some way to add an image in the whitespace of your right margin on each page, then Data Merge (at least by itself) is not the tool you want to use. Have you tried it yet? Try a really simple data merge. Make a CSV with a few values, then
    1) Start a blank InDesign doc
    2) Select your data source from the Data Merge panel
    3) Insert your placeholders
    4) Create Merged Document
    5) ... and watch as Data Merge makes a brand new document with your merged data. You can't use Data Merge if the chapter INDDs in your Book file are already complete.
    So, if you already have a Book file and a bunch of completed chapters, then Data Merge won't work for you, without some additional steps. Maybe we can suggest a workaround? That will be hard right now, but if you tell us more about how you are using your Book file, and how many chapters you have, and et cetera, then perhaps we can come up with something better than:
    1) Start a blank InDesign doc
    2) Select your data source from the Data Merge panel
    3) Insert your placeholders
    4) Export to PDF
    5) Open your first chapter file
    6) Make a new layer for your image (optional)
    7) Use the MultiPageImporter script to import just the pages you need for your first chapter from the PDF you made in no. 4 above
    8) Save your chapter
    9) Open your next chapter file
    10) Go to no. 6 above, and repeat the cycle until all of your chapters have your right-hand-images
    So, yeah, that would be a lot of work for a large book. But it would be less work than placing your images manually, right? We might be able to suggest something that takes even less work if we knew what you were doing.

  • Indesign CS3 Data Merge "Merge Records" Command. Help?

    I'm looking to automate the merging of a mountain of records. I have 587 tab-delimited text files with 40 records each. I want to process these via Data Merge using a single pre-designed template with built-in placeholders and variable data fields, including a variable barcode graphic. In the end, I want to create 704 multi-page, 6-up per page, indesign files with merged data, and 704 multi-page PDFs.
    Here's where I am at. Using a combination of AppleScript, TextWrangler and InDesign CS3, I am able to set up a loop where I can open the single template, save it to a new file with a new name, change its data source to the appropriate text file, and as a test, make a PDF of the template using the correct export preset. What I cannot seem to do is get the template to perform a "Create Merged Document...".
    In InDesign CS3's AppleScript dictionary there is a command called "Merge Records" under the Data Merge section. It appears to do exactly what I am after. But when I try to use it (and the good Lord knows I have tried numerous permutations), it only returns errors like "Adobe InDesign CS3 got an error: active document doesn't understand the merge records message."
    Anyone know what I am doing wrong? I have set up a separate AppleScript for testing purposes that opens up the template, saves it under a new name, and attempts a "merge records" command. Here it is. Maybe someone smart out there can tell me what I am doing wrong.
    set templatePath to "Welch_Jobs:0_JOBS:280019_Churchill:WPC FILES:Workup:280019_6up_master template.indt" as text -- the main template file that will be modified, saved with a new name, then merged with its data to create a new merge file
    set newTemppath to "Welch_Jobs:0_JOBS:280019_Churchill:WPC FILES:Workup:goody.indd" as text
    tell application "Adobe InDesign CS3"
    open file templatePath
    tell active document
    save to newTemppath
    merge records
    end tell
    end tell
    I have this feeling that this is a command that is actually unsupported. Google searches have been fruitless except for one poor soul who can't get it to work either. I have, however, seen that a similar JavaScript command exists called "DataMerge.mergeRecords". If it is impossible to do this via AppleScript, is it possible to make a JavaScript that will do it, and access the JavaScript with a "do script" command in the main AppleScript? If so, how would I accomplish this? What whould the JavaScript look like, and where do i need to put it?
    I would greatly appreciate any help you, dear reader, can give me on this.

    Well, did you look at the dictionary?:
    merge recordsv : Merges records and produces an optional overset report.
      merge records
    data merge
        output overset report file alias or
    text] : The path to the file in which to store the overset report.
    Note also that it's part of the Preferences Suite, not the Datamerge suite. Do you see differently?
    Anyhow, you're clearly not calling it with a data merge parameter.
    I also have a suspicion that it needs to not be inside a "tell active document" but it probably doesn't matter.
    But my AppleScript is rusty.

  • Need to create a directory in inDesign using data merge

    Need to create a multi paged document that contains fields with persons pix, name, address, and phone number.
    It will be alphabetized and searchable using an index.
    I want the end result to be a multi-page pdf.
    Is data merge the tool to use?
    Or please suggest some other application, mac please!
    Any advice...
    Lisa-renee

    Yep, Data merge can do that.  You'll want to make multiple records per page, have a look at the help here and report back with specific questions if you have them.
    You need to get your document that you're merging from sorted first though, there's a script here that will help you arrange your images.

  • InDesign CC data merge is slow and crashes

    Is there a way to create a data merge in Indesign for a large number of records, and not have it freeze?  I am on PC, using a new computer. I tried reducing the data source to just 6 columns and 5 rows as a test, but it still got hung up. I tried unchecking create overset, and I also tried creating merge to pdf, and .indd. So far any merge I have tried/tested has been unsucessful.
    the client wants serial numbers on a small sticker like product to place on their inventory.
    4000 serial numbers, 6 times each, and I set up a file with 300 per sheet
    Is this possible, or will another program handle this?  OR Is there a script, OR am I doomed to to input the serial numbers myself, with the copy/paste and find/replace as my new best friend?
    The numbers are not in numerical order, a typical number is WFC100652.

    I was having the same problem while trying to do a merge of 7,000 records.  The computer would run slow and the program would crash after a hour of so. I then did the 500 records at a time, but that was taking to long and its ridiculous to have to do that in the first place.  I checked my data file as suggested on the message boards and it was fine, with no errors found.  I tried a workaround and to my amazement, it worked fine.  I realized that the program didn't crash when I did a preview of the intended merge.  What I did was, on the DATA MERGE tab, I did a PREVIEW of my merged data.  I checked through the "merged" documents and they looked fine.  I was even able to change a mistake that I found.  I then choose EXPORT TO PDF from the pull down menu (instead of CREATE MERGED DOCUMENT) and it created my PDF of 7,000 merged documents fine in less than 2 minutes.  I was then able to open up the PDF and print it out without any problems.  Since then, i've done jobs of 8, 9 and 12,000 records without any problems using the PREVIEW method.

Maybe you are looking for

  • Office 2013 Professional + Office 365 Home Premium - what happens?

    I am currently using Office 2013's Excel where I have access to Power Pivot and Power View. This is a perpetual, non-subscription version of Office with the Professional Plus product key. I am considering purchasing an Office 365 Home Premium license

  • Can not update my system and not able to repair disk

    I havn't used my macbook pro for about a year, and recently I need to travel to another place and need it with me. I see in AppStore that there is an update for my ios, I downloaded it, and run the install. however, when updating my system. I run int

  • Is iPad Mini with Retina display screen a gorilla glass?

    Is iPad Mini with Retina display screen a gorilla glass?

  • Can I use PGP WDE on a wireless time machine drive?

    I have a new MacBook Pro with PGP WDE that has just been installed. On my old MacBook Pro I have been using Time Machine to wirelessly back up to an external hard drive attached to my airport express; so, the backups have been performed over Wi-Fi. I

  • Best way to implement particularly Bex query

    Hi all, we are on Hana 7.31 and we have a particularly request about Bex. We have a DSO with the monthly income, the key are the ID (User ID) and 0calmonth, as ex ID   calmonth    income A1   012014       10000 A1   022014       10000 A1   032014