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paull56682333
paull56682333
Participant
January 5, 2022
Answered

Merging rows in Indesign

  • January 5, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 1057 views

I have an Excel file with over 2,000 entries going over 13 columns, the 13th column is a description which needs to run underneath the other 12 columns. I can do that in Excel fine BUT when I copy and paste the text or import it from Excel to Indesign to be able to turn it into a table that description ends up in column 1 rather than running across all the columns. So I then have to merge that row for it to get the result I want. I have over 1,000 rows to merge and cannot select more than one alternate row at a time. This doesn’t take hours it takes days. Has anyone come across anything like this before or anyone got any solutions. Note to Adobe: Please fix this next time, either an option to select more than one alternate row at a time or something in the setting up of a table. Thanks

Correct answer Dave Creamer of IDEAS

That's all way above my pay grade, where would I get a VBA script or a plugin? Thanks for taking the time to look into this, it drives me nuts, the full indesign document ends up about 140 A3 pages of one giant table and it is the most mind numbing job to merge all the description rows.


Click on my profile name and you should see my email. 
If you want to send me your Excel file, I'll see what I can do. 

2 replies

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 2, 2025

This thread is over 3 years old--I suspect the OP has moved on. However...

1. I don't this this would work for the OP's problem. Merging after would work after moving the last column under the appropriate row. 

2. Excel (and other Microsoft apps) have a "copy me" macro option. Then the macro can be edited (with some googling) to step-and-repeat for each row.

3. I don't see how this option would solve the OP's problem.

4. DocsFlow is for Google Sheets, not Excel. WordsFlow offers 1-way Excel editing, but that can be done with InDesign's Table & Cell styles. InData would do what the OP wants. (All products from Em Software.)

 

I'm not sure how the solution to OP's problem could be added as an InDesign feature. 

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 5, 2022

Just to confirm--is it a 13 column or a merged row under the 12 columns?

Have you tried placing the Excel file?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
paull56682333
paull56682333Author
Participant
January 5, 2022

the excel file comes across with 13 columns, the 13th column contains a description which has far too many words to fit within one column so it needs to run under the other 12 columns.  In Excel I can do an equation so that it moves the 13th column underneath all the other columns but when I bring it into indesign and turn it into a table it appears as "1.jpg"  (don't worry its in column 2, its only there as column 1 all needs to be bold). "2.jpg" is how it needs to end up when I "merge" the description row BUT as I say there are over 1,000 of these rows and I have to click and merge each one individually. I've just had a go at "placing" the Excel file and thats actually worse, ha, it loses the description completely. What I need is somone who knows Excel inside out and Indesign inside out.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 5, 2022

What is the equation? 

What happens if you copy the data in Excel to aa new worksheet, paste values, then import that worksheet?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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