Data Merge Help

[RubyWatkins]

Hi there, I'm trying to format a document for Data Merge in InDesign, they are envelopes. Before I did the data merge, I had done all the formatting of the envelope in how I want it to look, after I merge, the text is out of place, it created the space for the 2nd address line for those envelopes that didn't need it, even though I checked the box so it doesn't include the blank space some of the text runs on to a new document, mainly the zip code, and I can't adjust the data for the recipient name without it hiding or removing the rest of the information such as the address lines and zip code from the envelope, it just disappears, lastly, the file should have created 102 envelopes, but instead created 300+ with multiple blank envelopes in between every one of them. Can anyone provide any suggestions as to why this happens?

[Mike Witherell]

Did you build many text boxes or just one? One textframe with several datamerge entries in it should work better and be self-adjusting.

[RubyWatkins]

In the original piece, I used 1 text box, so when I tried again a second time around, I had made multiple text boxes for each merge field, doing it that way had seemed to have worked out better but it took me nearly 2 hours to adjust the text in all 103 envelopes, in mainly the name field, as it was script calligraphy font, and for the address box that held two merge fields, address line 1 and 2 it still added space for Address Line 2 on envelopes (even after I checked the box for it to not do that) I didn't need it, which was most of them. So just a lengthy time of formatting. I'm sure there is a better way, this was my first time using the data merge & InDesign in general.

[SJRiegel]

Can you provide a screen shot of the pre-merge InDesign document (with hidden character showing), and of the DataBase, showing the headings and some of the addressees? I suspect some of the issue may be caused by return characters inside your data cells.

[RubyWatkins · Accepted solution]

Yes, you are correct, I discovered that yesterday, after doing some research, there is a red + displaying on the box, so I was able to locate the text. I made the text box as large as I could make it when formatting before the merge so the calligraphy font would fit inside the box when merging, I still had to go and adjust each one, this happened to most of the envelopes. I'm sure there is a better way, this was my first time using the data merge & InDesign in general.