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Indesign repeating entry with data merge - have tried many ways

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
December 24, 2021
4 replies
3229 views

Hi there,

I have a csv file with 450 rows. Each page in my InDesign doc should have 2 entries.

I am using InDesign CC 2022 and a UTF8 csv file.

The preview looks fine with multiple records on one page and about 250 pages in total. I paged through all the pages to make sure.

When I do the actual data merge, it goes fine for the first 6 or so records and then InDesign starts repeating the same last record over and over until the end of the document (ie 250 or so times).

I am not certain why this is happening. Does anybody have any ideas? I have tried addign the file as Unicode but it doesn't do anything at all. I even tried taking out all the foreign characters but that didnt help either.

I have added a sample file of my data.

Thanks a million if you can help and Happy Holidays.

Liz

Sample.csv

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Peter Spier

Haven't tried Data Merge with any recent version of ID, but for years the preview feature has been buggy, showing exactly the problem you describe. The bad news is that once your file is damaged in this way it generally cannot be fixed, so you need to recreate the template file.

I generally advise to forget about preview altogether and just do the merge (it's quick for most reasonable amounts of records) and if there's a problem, just abandon the merged file and fix your template. If you absolutley feel you need to run the preview it is essential that you immediately UNDO before you run the real merge or you will corrupt your file again.

Peter Spier

Correct answer

Community Expert

Haven't tried Data Merge with any recent version of ID, but for years the preview feature has been buggy, showing exactly the problem you describe. The bad news is that once your file is damaged in this way it generally cannot be fixed, so you need to recreate the template file.

I generally advise to forget about preview altogether and just do the merge (it's quick for most reasonable amounts of records) and if there's a problem, just abandon the merged file and fix your template. If you absolutley feel you need to run the preview it is essential that you immediately UNDO before you run the real merge or you will corrupt your file again.

LizatworkAuthor

Participating Frequently

Dear Peter, Thank you so much for helping me out. That solution worked! Just created a new template. Phew I thought I would have to be working over Christmas on this thing!!

Merry Christmas Everybody!!

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Community Expert

What's your system?

LizatworkAuthor

Participating Frequently

Windows in fact.

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Community Expert

I'm not experiencing the same issue. Your sample file merged fine on 2 entries per page for me (CC2022 Mac). I don't see anything in particular that's out of place in your data.

LizatworkAuthor

Participating Frequently

But after record 6, you see no repeats at all? Because I get repeats until the end of the document.

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Community Expert

No repeats for me, no.

manal shanableh

Legend

when you create the data merge, spicify that you want multiple records,

From multiple records layout play around margins ad spacing unntill you got just 2 records on the page.

always check the multiple records preview to check the results.

LizatworkAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hi there,

Thanks for helping out this evening.

I have done that and I had two records placed nicely in the page, one underneath the other. It just seems to go wrong with the merge from the 6th record and it doesnt really matter what is in record 6. I have tried several sample files with different orders. From 6 it repeats the same record 2 x on the same page until the last pages, about 200 pages.

😞

Really frustrating because I have done it now so many times and in so many ways.

Liz

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