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Data and Styling
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Knowledgebase Data and Styling

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How to prepare a Microsoft Excel file for DesignMerge

This article describes how to export a Microsoft Excel file for use with DesignMerge software. The article covers all of the steps necessary to export a file in a format appropriate for all versions of DesignMerge software. PREPARE THE MICROSOFT EXCE...

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How to open a CSV data file safely in Microsoft Excel

If you are using Microsoft Excel to view or edit the content in a CSV (comma-separated value) data file for use with DesignMerge, you should take care to open the file without automatically changing any of its content.  When Microsoft Excel automatic...

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How to add a new field, or reorder existing fields, in your DesignMerge setup

This article describes the process of adding a new field, or adjusting the order of your data fields, for an existing DesignMerge DDF setup. When a new field has been added to a data file, or if the order of the data file has changed, you need to adj...

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How to use MPS Tags to style variable data

MPS Tags are a set of pre-defined style tags that can be included in your data files to control the styling of data as it is imported into a document (bold, italic, point size, color, font, etc). MPS Tags is an exclusive feature supported by DesignMe...

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How do I remove or modify Empty Fields, Empty Lines and Empty Table Rows?

This article describes how to modify your Variable Link settings to remove the links when an Empty Field condition is encountered, along with instructions for removing empty or entire lines when an Empty Field condition is encountered. The article al...

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How to use DesignMerge to delete empty table rows

This article describes the variable table features of DesignMerge, and the ability for the software to remove empty or flagged table rows during a merge session. This functionality can be achieved by adding the optional DesignMerge Pro Pack to your c...

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Punctuation and spacing control for empty variable links

Sometimes, you need to have word spacing between two variable text links, but only when *both* of the variable links receive data. Or, perhaps you need a punctuation mark to follow a variable text link, but only when the variable link receives data. ...

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I need punctuation or a space between two variable text links but only when they are not empty

To set up a DesignMerge job so that punctuation or a space appears between two variable text links when both text links are not empty, and does not appear if one or both of the text links are empty, please reference the following Knowledgebase Articl...

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Merged variable links display extra spaces

If a data file contains extra word spaces, these extra spaces will be merged into the document. DesignMerge will merge all of the characters that are in a field. Therefore, to prevent extra spaces from being merged into a variable link, the spaces ne...

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Line breaks disappear when merge?

Is a line break (line ending character) disappearing unexpectedly when you merge a document? For example, perhaps a line of text is automatically moving up to the end of the line of text that was above it. Or, vice-versa, a line of text is automatica...

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How to change the letter case of data

This article describes how to display data in a different letter case when it is merged by DesignMerge into a document. ALL CAPS or SMALL CAPS If you would like to display the data in All Caps or Small Caps, simply apply that InDesign formatting opti...

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Bulk Mail Sorting, CASS Certification, and Intelligent Mail Bar Coding

This article presents a general overview of bulk mail sorting and CASS Certification. The article is designed for those customers that are brand new to bulk mailing requirements, processes and terminology. ABOUT BULK MAILING AND BAR CODING If you are...

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Can DesignMerge format variable price data that is not in a dollar and cents format?

Yes, this can be achieved by adding the the DesignMerge Pro Pack to your DesignMerge Pro Software Order.   The DesignMerge Pro Pack provides a set of utility functions or modules that have been integrated with DesignMerge to perform various variable ...

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Format or style of a DesignMerge text link is changing unexpectedly

If the formatting or styling of a DesignMerge variable text link is unexpectedly changing after an update or merge, review the following conditions:  LINK RULE Is a link rule that applies a character and/or paragraph style assigned to this variable t...

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Data Files (ASCII or Unicode) and Meadows Software

DesignMerge software can import either ASCII or Unicode (UTF-8) text into InDesign documents. This document describes various features of DesignMerge software, and how they interact with standard ASCII text or Unicode data. TYPES OF TEXT Each of the ...

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What is a TransTable? Do I need a TransTable? How do I use a TransTable?

An Import TransTable, (a/k/a Import Translation Table), is a feature of the DesignMerge Pro and DesignMerge Catalog software packages that allows you to swap individual characters during a merge. This feature is most useful when importing a data file...

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Why are zeroes dropped from merged prices?

DesignMerge does not modify data except in cases where the DesignMerge Price Styling or Rules feature has been applied. If zeroes are dropping from merged prices, please check the following: Confirm you have not assigned a DesignMerge price style th...

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InDesign Type Contextual Controls may cause InDesign to hang or quit unexpectedly

Some customers have reported system lockups that are related to the InDesign feature called Type Contextual Controls.  You will know this feature is enabled if you see a little 'o' icon that appears briefly next to the cursor while you are editing te...

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How to reference external files and file paths in your data fields

DesignMerge software supports the import of external variable data graphics, articles, InDesign documents, and other file types. In your data file, you can specify a reference to these external files by the file name, or by the full path to the file....

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Pictures are not sized or positioned or printing as expected

When DesignMerge imports a variable picture, the picture will first be sized and positioned as it normally would if you had used the InDesign Place command to import this picture into the picture frame, and then the variable picture link's settings w...

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How to include variable text links in a variable Article file

Both DesignMerge Pro and DesignMerge Catalog can merge a text file into a text frame and then will also merge any variable text links that have been included inside that text file. This document discusses how to include variable text links in a text ...

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Working with Embedded Links for Data Import, Comparison, Styling, and Slip Sheets

DesignMerge software supports a unique feature called Embedded Links. An Embedded Link is a way to import data taken from a different Variable Link, and to place that data anywhere in the middle of the data you are already merging. The Embedded Link ...

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What styling will be applied to text imported by a variable article link?

Several factors determine the styling of text that is imported by a variable article link: how the variable link is being used in a document, the format of the text file, InDesign settings, and DesignMerge settings. For more information about variabl...

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CopyFit is wrapping lines (allowing a line of text to break to a new line)

Whether a line breaks depends upon the formatting assigned to that text in the document as well as the CopyFit parameters that you have selected to fit that text. For those using the latest version of DesignMerge and CopyFit, you can select the CopyF...

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Unexpected results when using a Link Rule to apply character or paragraph styles

A link rule can apply a character and/or paragraph style to a variable text link. Then, when data is merged into a text link that is using this link rule, the result will be similar to placing that plain text or formatted text in a text frame and app...

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How to preserve variable text links when converting a document to an older version (About DesignMerge Tag Converter)

The DesignMerge Tag Converter Utility allows you to convert DesignMerge variable text links in an InDesign document to MPS Tagged Text. Additionally, this utility allows you to convert MPS Tagged Text representing DesignMerge variable text links in a...

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CopyFit changes are not resetting between records

DesignMerge provides a CopyFitting feature that can be applied during a merge session to adjust text automatically to fit within an area. DesignMerge also provides the ability to preview or test data being merged into a document before you commit to ...

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Tagged Text data is not merging as expected

DesignMerge allows you to merge Tagged Text into a variable text link. The variable link will translate the tags that are in the imported data. This allows you to embed styling information in the data to override the styling that has been applied to ...

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How to display Middle-Eastern Unicode text correctly in InDesign

To display text in a Middle-Eastern language correctly in an InDesign document, apply the Adobe World-Ready Composer feature. This feature can be applied to variable text as well as non-variable text. For more information, please see the following Ad...

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Merged variable link is unexpectedly empty or displays data from wrong field or wrong record

If a merged variable link is unexpectedly empty or displaying data from the wrong field or the wrong record, review the following conditions:  Variable Link Assignment Settings To review which settings are assigned to the variable link that is becomi...

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KB Style Guide Reference

Style Guide Reference This document describes the general style guide for KB articles, and is presented as a general reference example. Each KB article should have a descriptive title that conveys to the user the content of the article. Each KB artic...

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How to import Rules to a new document

Since Rules are a component of a DDF, it is not possible to import Rules alone. However, it is possible to import a DDF from one document to another document. This imports all of the components of a DDF, including Rules.  To import a DDF from one do...

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How to automate placeholder assignments using the Convert Text Pattern to Variable Links utility

This article describes how to automate the assignment of Variable Links to text ranges in a document that have been identified using a specific pattern. The approach documented here can be useful for working with documents previously tagged using a d...

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