Any way to link excel graphs/charts when placing in InDesign?

[cmckenzie-industryinsight]

Any way to link excel graphs/charts when placing in InDesign? The excel graphs may be updated a few times after the files are placed in indesign.

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[Barb Binder]

You can link spreadsheet files if you set it up in Prefs:

This may also be of interest

InDesign Secrets: Linking a table to an Excel spreadsheet for easy updating

Unfortunately, InDesign cannot directly read the Excel charts and graphs, only the worksheets.

[cmckenzie-industryinsight]

thanks, I knew it can do spreadsheets, just looking specifically about the charts/graphs.

[Barb Binder]

Did you see my final line?

Unfortunately, InDesign cannot directly read the Excel charts and graphs, only the worksheets.

This thread may provide more detail, but comes to the same conclusion.

Indesign & Excel Charts, Graphs tables

[cmckenzie-industryinsight]

thanks, I had seen that too, but noted it was from 2010 so I wasn't sure if anything had changed since then. Doesn't look like it!

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, not yet.

Remember that you can add features to the wish list:

Wishform - Adobe InDesign

[jane-e]

Please, please fill out that wishform—the InDesign team does read it.

Illustrator has a graphing feature that came out in 1993. If you want to use it, you export your Excel file to txt, then import it to Illustrator and create a live graph. Keep it live — don't ungroup it. When your data changes, make a new txt file, import it into Illustrator and the chart updates.

Along the way you have placed the Illustrator file into InDesign and are updating that link. Post in the Illustrator forum if you want more info on how it works.

I am pushing for Adobe to create a brand new Adobe Graphs software package that wows us and can work with InDesign and Illustrator.

[Sandee Cohen]

jane-e wrote:

I am pushing for Adobe to create a brand new Adobe Graphs software package that wows us and can work with InDesign and Illustrator.

Totally agree!!!

There was some sort of live graph thing that was web based, but I heard the words "web based" and was turned off.

We need a real desktop product! But I worry that desktop software is not something Adobe wants to do.

[Laubender]

Sandee Cohen wrote:

… There was some sort of live graph thing that was web based, but I heard the words "web based" and was turned off.

We need a real desktop product! But I worry that desktop software is not something Adobe wants to do.

Hi Sandee,

yes this Creative Cloud based service CC Chart—integrated with Adobe Illustrator—was killed after some month (or a year?) in beta stage. There wasn't much on InDesign's side. Just placing graphs designed in Illustrator and finally finished by the web service and stored with CC Library. And all in SVG or PDF format and with RGB color, if I remember right.

You were not able to change design details with InDesign. It was "only" live with Illustrator and that also meant, that scripting support was next to null. No tool I would use if I need to get out hundredth of graphs based on e.g. data from Excel sheets…

Regards,
Uwe

[WiRXMAN]

I'm bumping this thread again to see if anyone came up with something to work this. I have a client who would love to be able to update a created inDesign file with new numbers when they come in.

One way I can think of is just setting up an Excel file with the charts/graphs in it pulling data from the worksheet, and then they just copy/paste the chart/graph into the inDesign file. Only issue with that is they like to print out their report with the updated values afterwards, and this wouldnt give them the best result I am guessing.

[BobLevine]

Copy/paste works fine as long as you stick with solid colors.

I'm locking this thread, though. It's been answered and nothing's changed. If you want to file a feature request, do it here: Adobe InDesign Feedback