Wow, this is a cakewalk…amirite!? Step 2: Prep and Finalize Your SpreadsheetĬarefully organize your variable data in a spreadsheet like MS Excel or Mac Numbers. LEARN MORE Step 1: Open the InDesign File You’d Like to Data Merge. If you’re using a presorted mailing, save yourself from a migraine and let us handle the merging process. This type of mailing requirements is less complicated than a presorted mailing like Standard Presort or Presort First Class. Some computers have a harder time handling the merging process and the last thing we want is to find out you’ve been pulling your hair at your desk in a panic.Īlso, please note that this example uses First Class postage. In fact, depending on file size and variable data list length, you might be better off just sending us the spreadsheet to populate for you. PLEASE NOTE:Before we begin, let us preface this tutorial by saying that you don’t have to set up your files for data merge before sending us your file to print digitally. To continue to extend that empowerment to you, we put together a tutorial on how to merge variable data in InDesign. We are fans of empowerment through understanding here at Delzer. Data merging is just one of the many things you can accomplish with this program. InDesign is a powerful desktop publishing software application that has so many capabilities it’s sometimes easy to overlook what all it can do. This process automatically populates a document’s fields from a CSV file produced in a spreadsheet like MS Excel or Mac Numbers. It's free.If you’re familiar with the differences between offset and digital print, you’re aware that digital print is best for projects that:Ĭontent that’s constantly changing, such as mailing addresses, is handled using variable data merging. Still don’t believe it’s easy to create a data merge in InDesign? Seeing is believing! Click here to interact with an online simulation and I bet you will soon be convinced. Click the Fly Out menu again and choose Create Merged DocumentĪ new, merged document will be created that is a merge between the data in your data document and the InDesign target document.Click the data fields to insert them into the InDesign document.Īll you need to do now is merge the document.Now you will add the data fields to the InDesign document. This is where you select the data document file as your data source.Īs mentioned earlier, the items in the first row of the data document appear in the Data Merge palette as data fields. You create the target document in InDesign as you would create any InDesign document-except you add data-field placeholders that will serve as a conduit between the InDesign document and the data document.Īfter creating the target document in InDesign, it's a simple matter of merging the data document with the target document. Keep in mind that the first row of your data will become the HEADER row in your data and will translate into Data Fields in InDesign.Īfter you finish creating the data document, start InDesign and create a target document. Separate the data by pressing the TAB key on your keyboard. But if you want an easy test document, type the data in a word processor like NotePad. You can use just about anything to create the data. The process for creating a data merge in InDesign is surprisingly simple. For instance, if you wanted to create certificates, the names you want to appear on each certificate would be typed into the data document. ![]() ![]() ![]() The data document contains the information that changes from document to document. Or, read the steps to success below:Ī data merge consists of three parts: a data document, a target document and a merged document. Believe it or not, you can perform complex data merges in InDesign CS 2 that allow you to create form letters, certificates, envelopes and mailing labels out of raw data.Ĭlick here to interact with an online simulation that will teach you how.
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