Data merge don't export all pages of Document

[1adruck]

When you have a Doc with 4 pages and spreads, the exported file will only contain the page-order 1,2,2,4. Page 3 won't be exported. 

[Eugene Tyson]

Can you please supply screenshots of your issue and what your setup is, what the result is and what the expected result should be.

[drx_ander]

Here a short documentary of this issue

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Just for clarification - are you:

A) DataMerge -> INDD file -> Export PDF

Or

B) DataMerge -> PDF?

[drx_ander]

DataMerge to pdf. 

Cause there are about 1.000 adresses and the indd will contain over 4k pages. A pdf can do that easily.

[Thunder-Lightning]

Hi,

Just throwing out a suggestion here, have you tried splitting the spread since your final PDF contains single pages only?

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Just throwing out a suggestion here, have you tried splitting the spread since your final PDF contains single pages only?

By @Thunder-Lightning

I think the problem is with the DataMerge itself - and it looks like a bug:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/data-merge-don-t-export-all-pages-of-document/m-...

[Thunder-Lightning]

okay, thanks.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

DataMerge is used to BUILD documents - not to export them?

[drx_ander]

I have to export to a pdf. Why I shouldn't do it?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I'm not saying that you can't - it's just the title of your post. 

[drx_ander]

Sry, I didn't thought the right way. 

Problem explaind at previous post.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Maybe that's the problem - something goes wrong when PDF is exported directly by DataMerge - can you try the A) route? 

Or try to split your source data file to a smaller chunks? 500 records? 200 records? 

[drx_ander]

The A-Route works. But the time to create a 4k page indd file takes way too long. Also by splitting.

It also works with single pages. Due to customer-data the possibility of errors are too high.

This is only a small example. Somtimes I have documents with more than 5k data-entries.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Everything takes time... 

Any chance you could do those Tasks overnight? 

Otherwise, maybe it would be cost effective to just get additional machine - just for Tasks of this kind? 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Or... If it's just a "plain text" - maybe you could do it in Acrobat? 

Or use some 3rd party solution, that will take PDF and add your text in the right place? 

[drx_ander]

That would work in some cases. A view years ago, a very good 3rd party solution existed: 'Smartstream Designer'
But since 2019 Adobe didn't support it any more. Older versions of InDesign aren't available any more to run this addon.

For me it's always a workaround with datamerge, because the functionality is compared to smartstream designer very poor.
Another 3rd party addon is Meadows Design merge pro. But this one is really expensive... about 5k €

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

If you work on a PC...

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Another idea - do you have to add / modify anything else in those files - or just add "footnote" somewhere?

If the latter - then, instead of building 4k / 5k page documents - you would need a solution, that will just replace contents of this "footnote" and export the PDF...

And even if you would need to update more info in the text - still pice of cake - can be done in at least two different ways:

A) hidden layer that will be copied and filled, 

B) tool would open INDD template file, update info and export PDF, close INDD file and start over. 

[Colin Flashman]

Looks like a bug to me - I've tried to replicate the fault in IDCC2022 on English (UK) install on a Mac OS Bis Sur 11.7.10 but cannot replicate the fault.

Have you tried making a new 4pp document with placeholder text on all pages and variable textframe on the last page like your sample, and tried the same export setup on that? My hypothesis is that the document demonstrated is corrupted, so I'd like to rule this out first.

That's interesting about the HP Smartstream Designer plug-in. I'd learned it years ago but never used as part of a real-world project, so it languished... I can see other posters elsewhere on the Adobe forums have said the same thing - have you been able to reach out to Hewlett Packard for an answer?

I also share a separate opinion to Robert here and use - and advocate - for exporting documents rather than building them. If the data is right upon export, then creating a merged InDesign file is double handling. Note that I say this from my experience as a printer who regularly has to make variable data in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, rather than using data merge for catalogue work. I do also use data merge to set up business cards en masse and use my own data merge to single record script to export dozens of indd files that are named after the recipient (rather than untitled1.indd etc and rename them) and then make minor edits as they come in... but for direct mail I would do exactly what 1adruck has set up.

[drx_ander]

According to your suggestion for replicating the error, here is the weired one:

If I place a small extra textfield on any of the middle pages, the error doesn't occure any more.

But this issue comes always, when you only put full side pdf inside the document without any other objects.

I think HP said, they don't support Smartstream Designer any more. The last IND-Version supportesd was 2018.

Meadows Design Merge is similar to Smart Stream Designer.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Meadows Design Merge is similar to Smart Stream Designer.

By @drx_ander

And it's €5k - once or yearly? For the basic or full version with all the bells and whistles? 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Colin Flashman 

I'm pretty sure @1adruck and @drx_ander is the same person - just two accounts?

[drx_ander]

Yes. Second account (Stock only) was active during opening the thread. Sry 4 that

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Yes. Second account (Stock only) was active during opening the thread. Sry 4 that

By @drx_ander

No problem at all.