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Need Help Merging Variable Data in Illlustrator

Boudica

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
Doing 1032 storage unit plates. These will be printed on 4x8 ACM sheets (210-up) and sent over to be CNC cut. It’s going to be about 5 sheets.

I’ve got my sheet layout ready, I’ve got my csv file ready… now, how do I merge the unit numbers into the little text boxes I have carefully laid out?


I have to do this in illustrator (not the RIP), because I will have 5 print files, and 1 cut file – that needs to match the print files.


I’ve got most of this figured out – but every time I think I’ve got it, I end up with a sheet of all the same unit number. Help! I’m having a hard time believing that I need to bind 210 text boxes individually – for 5 sheets. Kinda defeats the whole reason for doing this with variable data merge.


I’ve found several YouTube tutorials, but what I’m finding isn’t quite like what I’m doing. I need to merge 210 variable numbers onto a sheet - one artboard.
 
Boudica

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
Is there an easy way to bring the existing layout I created in .ai into indd? I tried placing it, but it's all one linked file - can't edit the text. Ack, do I have to start all over?

It's been a few years since I've used indesign - back in my catalog and booklet days.
 
R

rossmosh

New Member
Illustrator deals with variables in a terrible way. I have a script which makes it more manageable, but it's still done poorly, especially for a job like this.

If I had to do this in Illustrator, I'd set up the plates going across the 4 feet only. I'd make a unique variable for each of the plates. (Name1, Name2, Name3, Name4...NameX). I'd setup my Excel CSV file to match. Then import the data.

Then I'd open a new document. I'd split screen the two and basically copy from my "variable" page into my blank page. I'd do this over and over again, using paste in place and the move function to make sure everything moved exactly the right distance.
 
I

iPrintStuff

Prints stuff
Would do this in indesign, if you drop a box that’s the right size of your artwork into your desired sheet size, when you go to merge choose multiple record layout and it will merge as many as it can into your max sheet size then make new sheets for you.

Or data merge your finished finished plate size, get the 1000+ page PDF and then in onyx make a custom sheet size and onyx will step it into sheets for you.
 
S

S2S

Premium Subscriber
I vote data merge thru indesign as mentioned above....
but as a fall back and if its simple and you just gotta stay in illustrator...try the threaded text in illustrator ....
 
V

Vinyl slayer

New Member
I'm trying the data merge in INDD, and it's taking FOREVER to merge. I come back and look, it's making some progress but... geez. A few minutes maybe, but hours?
 
WYLDGFI

WYLDGFI

Merchant Member
Have to do in indesign....once you do that, create the Multipage PDF and rip from that. You should be able to set up your multipage as iPrint stated. We do rips like that all the time...but clients give us the ready made PDF's.
 
C5 Service&Repair

C5 Service&Repair

New Member
If by chance you're printing on a Roland, VersaWorks has a built in module that will do this perfectly.

In Illustrator it's pretty straightforward using the Variables window.
 
James Burke

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
I've had tremendous success with SignLab. I was able to layout and plot nearly 2,000 paver stencils over the last three days...each one with totally different text.

I run them in sets of 240 @ 12 pcs per page, and it only takes 30 seconds or so to populate all 240 into each batch. As you can see, they vary from one to three lines of text.

Sometimes, we'll do a rendering of the brick with a text overlay onto a photo. It also takes about the same amount of time.

JB

New Picture.jpg
 
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I

iPrintStuff

Prints stuff
Anything that isn’t variable should be set up on the master page. It’ll merge a million times faster and the file will be 1/1000th of the size.

Learned that the hard way doing wedding invites for a friend. Merged the names and the output PDF was 120MB, changed it up and put all the stuff that’s not variable on the master page, merged and the same PDF file was 640kb after the merge. Merged a whole lot quicker too.
 
V

Vinyl slayer

New Member
iPrintStuff said:
Anything that isn’t variable should be set up on the master page. It’ll merge a million times faster and the file will be 1/1000th of the size.

.
Click to expand...

Understood. There is actually no artwork to go with this - just the variable data itself, which is just a storage unit number (x1032). I set up the Indesign doc with a page size of 6" by 2.5", with 210 pages (the number of tags I can get on a sheet). This should be so simple, I just don't get why it's taking so long.

I put the text box on the master page, and that is the only "artwork" involved. Until I can generate all the numbers. then I'll figure out how to get all that into the layout for printing and CNC.
 
James Burke

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Val47 said:
Understood. There is actually no artwork to go with this - just the variable data itself, which is just a storage unit number (x1032). I set up the Indesign doc with a page size of 6" by 2.5", with 210 pages (the number of tags I can get on a sheet). This should be so simple, I just don't get why it's taking so long.

I put the text box on the master page, and that is the only "artwork" involved. Until I can generate all the numbers. then I'll figure out how to get all that into the layout for printing and CNC.
Click to expand...


I'm up for a challenge if you want to send the file. Let me know the output format.


JB
 
V

Vinyl slayer

New Member
I was going to out put pdfs, and figure out how to place them into Illustrator. Thank's for the offer, but I really do need/want to figure out how I can do this with the software I have. This will be an ongoing thing, and I need to be able to create and prep quickly. Once I figure this out. Thought I had it, but when I get to the actual merge.

You offering to try to recreate what I'm trying to do in Indesign and tell me what I'm doing wrong? :)
 
C

ColorCrest

All around shop helper.
Boudica said:
It's been a few years since I've used indesign - back in my catalog and booklet days.
Click to expand...
From your past of catalogs and booklets, do you recall “FrameMaker?” It’s a database for page layout and especially long documents and catalogs.

It’s not that one wants to merge data to a graphics or page layout app, but merge graphics to a data app. Variable data printing is often handled by using certain database software such as FileMaker. It overcomes the particular stumbling block of page setup you’re having with Illustrator and InDesign.

At this point, you might download the 45 day FileMaker trial, then return here to ask how I can step you through setup in just a couple of posts.

In any case, I think FireSprint.com and WYLDGFI should find the attached interesting.

VariableDataPrintSetup2.jpg
 
V

Vinyl slayer

New Member
could I output a grid like that, that I could place into a 48x96" artboard in Illustrator? Where they are all evenly spaced?

Edit: scratch that question. looking closer at that screen shot answered my question.

I think I will look into Filemaker - THANKS!
 
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