Mac Indesign CS3 and Variable data.

[Jecclr2003]

Another day, another new way to reinvent the wheel.

We have a job that just came in that's going to be a doozy. It's a 2 sided postcard with each side having the mailee's name and address as variable data. There's a problem, I haven't the slightest clue how to to do variable data!!!! (I'm prepress/designer, what the hell would I know about direct mailing?!?)

I see that CS3 has a plugin built in for data merge, but no clues how to use it or to make it do something of this magnitude. It's going to be a list of about 500 names, I don't know HOW the names are going to be pulled in yet though.

Help me maintain my position as "program guru" and temporary hero! I KNOw there's gotta be a way to make this happen, I'm just not smart enough to figure it out!

[bgardner]

Hello -

I feel your pain, but learned how to do this the hard way

This is actually very easy

I can help you through it - if you want email me directly at brian@arvestpress.com

Its done through the data merge Script in Indesign CS3

It has to be an excel spreadsheet though, then it gets exported to a txt file

then in indesign, you make a text box and tell it where to put each record, with the postcard design being on a master page.

Email me the file and I can help you out

[Jecclr2003]

Bah, it's boiling down to this issue being more of a HARDWARE issue than software.

Due to this being VARIABLE it's not going be printed on a conventional printing press, but a digital press. The issue comes from the fact that it's double sided and the thickness of said stock will be too much for the digital press to handle duplexing for.

It can be done, but we need a monster printer that's just way out of budgetary reasoning for as LITTLE of this type of thing as we do.

EDIT: I can think of ways to make it happen and WORK, but I can't overcome the limitations of the press and I don't think the customer would want to pay for all the billable hours I'd need to charge for it to happen

[bgardner]

What kind of digital press is it???

You can run it through then manually duplex it.

Do you have imposition software???? We use preps here, and we can set up a sheetwise imposition, and it will have the correct cards back up the correct front

Do you have software for that???

[twitch5253]

Hello -

I feel your pain, but learned how to do this the hard way

This is actually very easy

I can help you through it - if you want email me directly at brian@arvestpress.com

Its done through the data merge Script in Indesign CS3

It has to be an excel spreadsheet though, then it gets exported to a txt file

then in indesign, you make a text box and tell it where to put each record, with the postcard design being on a master page.

Email me the file and I can help you out

So, start with an excel SPREADSHEET not a workbook (worksheet) ...whatever...... ?
I want to number raffle tickets sequentially with a '00' prefix. But the prefix doesn't show up. Thanks

[bgardner]

Yes, Make a spreadsheet with your numbers in excel, and Put the numbers in the way you want it, then save the spreadsheet as a csv file

That is what will get imported into Indesign

[Cory Smith]

The first time I did a merge like this, I found the indesign help to be an excellent resource as well. Once it's laid out, it's a pretty simple process.

[Vee]

So, start with an excel SPREADSHEET not a workbook (worksheet) ...whatever...... ?
I want to number raffle tickets sequentially with a '00' prefix. But the prefix doesn't show up. Thanks

In order for the numbers to print w/ 00 in front of the others, you need to format the cells as "text". In Excel, Right click - format cells - in the number tab choose text. Done.

[Lukas Engqvist]

For a quick start chack out theIndesigner episode on automation.
The InDesigner » Blog Archive » Episode 43: Data Merge (VIDEO)

[eskopdl]

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