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Question

How to Use Data Merge for Multiple Layouts in InDesign

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
September 8, 2024
3 replies
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I have a list of 250 records in excel and including different images to prepare an auction booklet, all data has a typical format but different information.

is there any way that I can use data merge to have a different layout for each record, for example the first page showing the images on the right and the text on the left, the second page showing the flip of the image to have it on the left and the text on the right.

or any other suggestion to help doing so?

How to

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A

abdulla_4095Author

Participating Frequently

I guess no direct way to let the Data merge recognizes layout based on the raw sequences , only what comes to mind is to have seperate columns in the data for each page aligned with the layout required.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

I guess no direct way to let the Data merge recognizes layout based on the raw sequences , only what comes to mind is to have seperate columns in the data for each page aligned with the layout required.

By @abdulla_4095

No, there isn't, and like I've said earlier - it's either one long table or bunch of the same looking business cards / leaflets.

Have you tried my idea with InLine / Anchored Objects?

A

abdulla_4095Author

Participating Frequently

Dear @Robert at ID-Tasker

Actually I haven't try Ancored object as our designer not too much aware about how it will work , but I have tried my last method of having double coulmnes for the records and we creat one Mater A and it has two layout with each has different record data and it seems worked fine so far.

attached the resukt of single record in each line with one layout (one way direction of the camle and the text box)

L

Laubender

Community Expert

Hi @abdulla_4095 ,

hm… could you show a screenshot of the result of a single record (of one single row of data in your Excel file) ?

FWIW: It's possible to set up a template for data merge starting with a spread of two pages, one left, one right to the spine.

With a resulting InDesign document after the merge that is showing a multiple of two-page spreads. One spread for each row of data.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

A

abdulla_4095Author

Participating Frequently

Dear @Laubender

Thanks for passing by. I have attached the screen shot for sample of the original data from coloumn A to I which title in orange color, another picture for the assumption of the data in one line but double columns orange and blue where orange for even records and blue for the odd records.

I have tested on Microsoft publisher by such way and it it works fine as attached in PDF file and how I was looking to have it in Adobe Indesign.

I will drop the file to our designer to test it again on master A and master B I hope temporary will work.

new_test_two_sided.pdf

L

Laubender

Community Expert

Hi @abdulla_4095 ,

well, I see no issue at all to set up two pages in the first (and only) spread of a datamerge template document.

To mirror the image one could set the graphic container frame to -100% for the width, so the recieving image after the merge will be the way you want. But I'm not sure if this will be the right set up for you, because from your screenshot of your data I see that two different (?) images are used, like 562.JPG and 561.JPG. Initially I thought that only one image file is used, left from the spine and again right to the spine only transformed by -100% in width…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

Unfortunately no - DataMerge can be used to either built one long table - or same template filled with a different data - same style "business cards".

Or... maybe... but I can't check right now - as long as DM would be able to fill Anchored Objects - you could do Multi Record Layout and use Spine Alignment for Anchored Objects.

A

abdulla_4095Author

Participating Frequently

Dear Robert

thank you for your reply. I will search for options maybe i will find something . I am thinking to split the datas into extra columns in excel sheet and to run master page A and different layout in master page B.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

It won't work that way - you can't have multiple layouts during DMing.

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