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Is there a function to automatically number stickers 001-300?

Oct 30, 2009 11:42 AM

I am working on a project that involves printing 300 county registration decals, which will each need to have a different number, from 001 to 300. Obviously it would be quite a pain to have to retype the number 300 times and save/print the decals as 300 different files. It is not just a number in the bottom right hand corner like a page number, rather a large number in the middle of the sticker.

Does anyone know of an auto-number function or plug-in that would allow me to do this in Illustrator without individually changing the number 300 times? Help! I need an answer soon or I will have to number them manually to complete this order.

Thanks!!

Heather

4106 Views 4 Replies Latest reply: JETalmage, Oct 31, 2009 3:36 AM

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1. Scott Falkner,

Oct 30, 2009 12:00 PM in reply to HeatherWilderart

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Do you have InDesign and a spreadsheet program (Excel or Numbers)? If so, place the AI file onto a master page in InDesign and, while still on the master page, format a number in a text frame until it looks right. Make the text frame tall enough for only one line of text at that size. Delete the text but keep the text frame. Go to page 1.

Use your spreadsheet program to generate a column of numbers from 1 to 300, then export that as a text file. Now place that file into InDesign and hold Shift as you click on the text frame on page 1. All 300 numbers will pour in creating 300 pages. Export a PDF or print as needed.

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2. Mylenium,

Oct 30, 2009 1:56 PM in reply to Scott Falkner

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Neat trick...

Mylenium

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3. Scott Falkner,

Oct 30, 2009 5:21 PM in reply to Mylenium

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Actually, it's even easier than that. Why didn't I just suggest putting automatic page numbers on the master and creating 300 blank pages? Not enough sleep I suppose. 3-month old baby.

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4. JETalmage,

Oct 31, 2009 3:36 AM in reply to HeatherWilderart

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If you don't use InDesign, or if the numbers need to be more graphically embellished than is possible in InDesign, you might take a look at a couple of the AI Javascripts described here.

The SerialNumbers script populates a selected textFrame with a sequential list of paragraph-delimited numbers with or without a prefix:

The NumberedCallouts script creates additional sequentially-numbered individual textframes, styled like the original:

To semi-automate production of a set of highly-stylized sequentially-numbered text objects, the SerialNumbers script can be used in conjunction with the TextVariablesFTROU script described here to create Variables Palette DataSets that can then be batch printed or exported.

JET

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