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_e_s
_e_s
Known Participant
March 23, 2023
Answered

Cannot place .xlsx spreasheet

  • March 23, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 546 views

InDesign 18.2.1

MacOS Ventura 13.2.1

 

Attempting to place an .xlsx spreadsheet goes no where - freezes about 3/4 of the way through process.
(left for longer than 10 minutes, nothing changed, still stuck at same point).

 

If I export the .xlsx from Mac Numbers it won't place at all (get the error 'Cannot place this file') (original file was made with Microsoft and supplied to me).

 

I have 'Create Links When Placing Text and Spreadsheet Files' enabled, as well as 'Show import options'.
I have tried disabling both - same thing happens.

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer BobLevine

Placing fake Excel and Word documents has always been a problem. Open the file in Excel and save it from there. 

2 replies

BobLevine
Community Expert
BobLevineCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
March 24, 2023

Placing fake Excel and Word documents has always been a problem. Open the file in Excel and save it from there. 

    _e_s
    _e_sAuthor
    Known Participant
    July 20, 2023

    Thanks, but you're missing the part where I said the original file that I had problems with *is* an Excel file, supplied to me. I only opened a copy in Numbers to see if that changed anything. 

    Brad @ Roaring Mouse
    Community Expert
    Brad @ Roaring MouseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 24, 2023

    Try save it as an older version of Excel and see if that helps (.xls).

    As far as Numbers is concerned, it writes the XML of the .xlsx format in a slightly different order than what InDesign is expecting. If you need to use Numbers, Try export it as .xls (advanced), which it seems to like.

      D
      dooalot
      Participant
      July 20, 2023

      Just jumping in here becuase I've had the same issue with excel spreadsheets... the main issue is that the only way I can place them is if they are the older .xls format... but I cannot export to that format from Numbers (doesn't give me the option, just exports to .xlsx.

       

      Here's a question. Why the $#@^%$# can we not place a Numbers file into InDesign? I mean if Numbers is supposed to be Mac's answer to Excel, you'd think it would be made to work with Adobe software on a Mac platform. Clearly I am missing something important.

      BobLevine
      Community Expert
      BobLevineCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 20, 2023

      Yes, you're missing the fact that the number of Excel users is exponentially larger than Numbers users. MS Office, for all of its warts, is still the industry standard. If you don't have Excel you are in the vast minority.

       

      Your beef is with Apple Numbers and its substandard file export.

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