Mail Merge to print Envelopes using an Illustrator CC file.

[TheInvitationPlace]

I imported a cvs file (saved from an excel file with a bunch of addresses) using the Variables window. I have a text box in Illustrator with multiple lines of copy, as in a standard address layout for variable envelope address printing. I want just the first line of text to be just one variable (Name); the 2nd line of text to another (Address); then the 3rd line of text to 3 variable (City, State, Zip). When I highlight just the first line of type then click Make Text Dynamic" to one variable (Names) it grabs all 3 lines of text. Isit even possible to have one text box have multiple variables involved. I eventually need to Save them as a multiple page pdf. Also, what do I do about blank fields?

[CarlosCanto]

No, it's not possible to assign 3 variables to 3 paragraphs in 1 text frame. You have to break your text frame in 3 one-line frames.

blank fields? Empty strings should work. 

[TheInvitationPlace]

If I did multiple text boxes that could work with the 1st line for the envelope which is the "name" field, the 2nd address line field but how would that work with the 3rd line?...which needs to be "City" with a comma after, then "state" then "zip"  (all on one line like a typical envelope address....and since each word is a different length based on how many letters are in each city name or state that changes the length of the line, where the comma falls & these lines needs to be centered line over line, not flush left. What program would I need to use to make that happen? Does In-Design work for that? or is there a script for Illustrator I could download & import/install?

[Silly-V]

Do you have a screenshot of the artwork in question by any chance? I'm just curious to see if a script could be developed or if any native solution would serve as some workaround.

[TheInvitationPlace · Accepted solution]

Here you go...hope this helps. I actually just changed my Adobe CC account to add InDesign & it's working BEAUTIFULLY!!! I think I like InDesign waaaay better. I'm more text based anyway vs graphics based. I do like having both because of the flexibility with vector images in Illustrator but InDesign just made this "mail merge" a BREEZE!!! Holy moly...what a difference.IllustratorInDesign

[Silly-V]

Oh yes, InDesign does best with the text!

[Tech nut]

I know this is an old thread but there's and easy solution and it may help others who are similarly situated. 

To have three data points formatted with a comma after the first one I suggest making the city, state and zip all one value in a spreadsheet.

Start with a copy of your original data. Now, if the name, street, city, state, zip are in columns A-E then in cell F2 enter...

=C2&", "&D2&" "&E2

The result in F2 will look like Los Angeles, CA 90001. Copy that down to the last record on your sheet.

From there, simply copy column F, highlight column C, select edit/paste values only (from the toolbar). Delete columns D and E and save or download as CSV.

Now instead of five fields you'll only have three, and they'll be formatted precisely as you described above. 

Hope this helps.