Is there a way to list words or numbers coming from the same Excel cell in Adobe InDesign Data Merge?

Answer 1

Adobe InDesign's Data Merge feature allows you to merge data from a variety of sources, including Excel files, into your InDesign document. However, Data Merge in InDesign is primarily designed for merging entire records from a data source rather than extracting individual words or numbers from a single cell in Excel.

If you want to list words or numbers from the same Excel cell separately in InDesign, you may need to preprocess your data before importing it into InDesign. Here's a general workflow you can follow:

Separate the words or numbers in Excel: You can use Excel functions like Text to Columns or formulas to split the contents of a cell into separate columns based on specific delimiters (e.g., space, comma). This will create separate columns for each word or number.

Save the modified Excel file: After splitting the contents into separate columns, save the modified Excel file.

Prepare the data source. In InDesign, set up your data source using the modified Excel file that now contains separate columns for the words or numbers.

Design your document: Create your InDesign document, including the placeholders where you want the words or numbers to appear.

Set up the data merge: In InDesign, go to the "Window" menu, select "Utilities," and then choose "Data Merge." Click on the "Select Data Source" button and choose your modified Excel file.

Customize the Data Merge: In the Data Merge panel, you can map the columns from your Excel file to the appropriate placeholders in your InDesign document. You may need to create multiple text frames or use other techniques to display the individual words or numbers correctly.

Generate the merged document: Once you've set up the data merge options, click on the "Create Merged Document" button. InDesign will generate a new document with the data merged according to your specifications.

By splitting the contents of the Excel cell into separate columns before importing it into InDesign, you can then use the Data Merge feature to display each word or number individually in your document.