Easily Automate Text and Images with InDesign Data Merge

#indesigntutorial #datamerge #adobe #adobeindesign #learnindesign #businesscards

Data Merge is a really helpful tool in Adobe InDesign that allows you to pull data from an excel list to automate and batch create designs. In this video: Easily Automate Text and Images - How to InDesign Data Merge

Overview of Steps:
If your design is ready, identify the fields that your design needs.
• Create a spreadsheet in Excel or in the Numbers App on Mac OS with the fields that need to be populated.

TIP: Provide the fields needed and have your client gather the information from their records to take it a step further and make it easier for you.

• In my Example, the fields needed are Name, Title, Phone, Email, & Image.
• Format the information exactly how you want it to be display in your design
• Next, Save As or Export the spreadsheet as a CSV. This is really important or this process will not work. If you’re using Excel on a Mac make sure you manually select Comma Separated Values (.csv) that’s further down the options and not the first option that reads CSV UTF-8 (.csv)
• Open your design file in InDesign
• Locate your Data Merge tab with this icon - if it’s not in your current workspace you can open it by going to Window - Utilities - Data Merge
• Inside the Data Merge tab click this hamburger icon to reveal the options and click on “Select Data Source” and select your .csv file and click Open. The fields will then appear in the Data Merge box as seen here.
• With the Type Tool (T) selected, highlight a field to link. In my case, I’m going to start with the “Name”. Once the text is highlighted head to the Data Merge tab and simply click on the corresponding field. In this case I’m going to click on Name in the Data Merge tab.
• You’ll notice it changed the text in my text box to include "Name" these Angle brackets or greater than less than symbols around the text. This is good because it indicated my text box is linked to a data path.
• I’ll go ahead and do this step to the rest of my fields.
• Once all the text boxes have been assigned, I can now preview my design. Find the preview checkbox inside the Data Merge tab to preview and navigate through all the data by using the left and right arrows next to it. If it at looks right, we can proceed to exporting our merged and completed design.
• Exporting to PDF
• Inside the Data Merge tab click on the hamburger icon to show the options and click on Export to PDF - In this case I want to export All Records - and I’ll make sure my my bleeds, crop marks and other output settings are selected. Next lick Export - Select a Destination - SAVE

If you found this video useful, id appreciate if you drop a like and subscribe for future videos about creative graphic design.

See you on the next video and remember to stay creative!

00:00 - Intro
00:26 - Getting Started with the Spreadsheet
01:20 - Text Data Merge Setup
02:12 - Image Data Merge Setup
03:16 - Troubleshooting Image Data Merge
04:07 - Exporting a PDF of Merged Design
04:57 - Outro

[trocmari]

Finally a tutorial that shows problems in data merge and how to solve them!! <3

[josef]

Hello my friend, today is May 18, 2024 and I'm gonna start a new job in 10 days where, what you show in this video is a FUNDAMENTAL starting point for me because I didn't have an idea that you could do that in InDesign. Thank you!

[sofiatravesi]

you saved me literally HOURS of work! From the bottom of my soul: thanks!

[PostyshevsBureau]

Спасибо из Владивостока. Полезное видео.

[PEAKG-Mark]

Great video, thank you! Exactly what I was looking for.

[elizabethlotus]

This was a great video! Thank you so much for posting this tutorial.

[LockeZeRo]

Really great video, I worked with Data Merge on a previous job and couldn't remember how it worked. This is great as either a reminder of the tool, or an explanation for new users. Well done!

[BBogue]

I've been trying to figure this out! Thank you!

[sionanenrois]

This is great - well explained and easy to understand. Thanks!

[dazzyd]

Thank you - just what I was looking for:)

[lucier]

Smart, clear to make this easy. MANY THANKS!

[georgerichardson]

Super clear and useful tutorial - thankyou for making this !

[seanopenshaw]

Dude, that is so sick! Thank you 5, 000, 000! I'm going to look like a frickin' rock star!

[Artistramd]

Hi, this worked! I use Variable Data sometimes at work, mainly with lots of numbers for floor stickers, simple black text on white background. I was looking to see if Variable Data is easier in InDesign or Illustrator. I think I've found my answer with your tutorial. Well done, Sir. Automatic New Subscriber! Thank you so much!

[AnaJulia-wmpl]

anjo muito obrigada você mudou minha vida

[hannablom]

Wow, this is brilliant- you really deserve sooo much subscribers! 🙏
Can you make data merge into like an action/script where the exporting happens directly (or something) to automate even more? Or should I ask firstly if actions even exists in Indesign? I'm more used to Illustrator and have just started using Indesign, but data merge sounds like such a time saver.
Also- do you know of a way to automate hyperlinking in any way? I'm speaking about hyperlinks between different pages, boxes or numbers within a bigger document and not the hyperlinks used for a link to a webpage. Meaning, if one need to hyperlink hundreds of things, is there a way to do it fast and automated?
All the best and thanks for great content 👍

[jeansienkin]

It not only works with .csv but also with .txt, in my case, I had to save as UTF-16 Unicode Text (.txt) with Excel to make it work with Khmer language because the regular .csv option does not seem to allow special characters / foreign alphabets.
Edit: Just realized that it actually works with .csv as well if you click on the import options beforehand and specify UTF character encoding instead of the default ASCII.

[davidsvanholm]

Thank you for a great video. Do you know if it is possible to have a python program (or some other script) telling InDesign to update a documents data source and export images?

[nicolesy]

Do you know if this is possible if the image frame is on a Parent page? I have a large document (1000 pages), and each page has an image frame that comes from a Parent page, but the merge only seems to work if the image frame is on the actual page. I really don't want to copy/paste the same image frame to all of my regular pages.

[ekkojoe]

Hey this is fantastic. Sorry total newbie here. How do I create 'the path' for the images. You look like you just copy and paste. This clearly isn't the case. Again apologies, how do I create the path for the images? Thanks