Seen below, there could be two tall, skinny columns which would merge independently of one another, each from its own tab-delineated reference sheets. Am I missing something here?Īs an alternative, I wonder if it's possible to create separate data-merge FIELDS within the very same page. I've tried using other programs to accomplish this (MS publisher, MS access, Adobe Illustrator, etc.) but Indesign comes the closest to doing what I need. I just can't imagine that there wouldn't be a program out there somewhere that could merge pictures and names from a reference document to a pre-set layout like this one because although the participants change, the seating layout remains the same week to week. I'm seeking alternate methods of creating this visual because I create these quite frequently and take quite a bit of time to do so. Previously, I have made placeholders individually and moved both the picture and name of each couple manually into each box for each speaking engagement (they happen frequently and in great numbers: as many as 7 rooms at one time- that means I make tons of these and have sunk tons of time into this ineffective method). These are high-profile speakers who do expect these visuals, but who are unwilling to alter their seating arrangement to a grid. Let me tell you just a bit more about the project: the final document is a visual seating chart for the speaker in a room of about 20 couples. This is not the exact layout I'm looking for, but note the variability in the final product. Though this is not what I want, I get the clear impression that this is what data merge is designed for.īelow is more what I'd like to do. Image below is what I am experiencing so far: the left-hand side is a placeholder which duplicates according to the settings I select in the "multiple records" tab of the data merge folder. Roadblock: Only the grid option is available, that I can see.īelow are some images describing what I'd like to do and what I've experienced so far: Goal: create a non-grid style seating chart with picture visuals. csv or the final merged InDesign file, if you still hapen to have double or tripple word spaces.I'm running into some design roadblocks that I'm convinced cannot be dead ends. Sounds complex, but it is pretty fast and easy once you get the hang of it.ĮDIT: Do a find/replace for multiple spaces and convert them to single spaces in the. Then you can just datamerge this single column. Then delete the original colum A/B/C as the new column D has the merged title/name. One can then copy the formula and paste special (formula only) onto all the records (row 2 to 1300 etc). This formula will put a word space between each column. (Presuming that A1 is the title and B1 is the given name and C1 is the family name). Use the formula to combine row 1, column A/B/C into the newly inserted working column. So insert a new column to work in (say column D). In Excel/OpenOffice/NeoOffice the formula to merge three columns together is as follows: Another way that I have dealt with this is to combine the title and name fields in the spreadsheet, before doing the data merge.
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