Coupon Code Line Text Update

[Ink Monstr]

I have an InDesign file that a previous colleague had made for use in creating percent off coupon cards.

I'm wondering if there's a way to easily automate the copy, paste, save process of updating each random number/letter coupon code for each specific card that needs to be saved.

It appears as though they would go to a text file, copy the random string of number/letters, paste it into one line of text in the InDesign file, and then save out to a pdf for printing...which seems horribly inefficient when you have to repeat this process 500 times.

Any help would be more than greatly appreciated!!!

[pixxxelschubser]

There are two possible quick ways:

1. use Numbering list (in paragraph format)
2. use Data Merge (with external table)

and the last solution:

• write a script for your own requirements

Have fun

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

Hi pixxxel! Happy New Year To You! (… and to the op!) 

Could the op show us a screenshot?

(^/)

[Ink Monstr]

Just trying to batch the code change. I have a word file with the 500 codes that I can manipulate in whatever way I need in order to get the batch to work.

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

Hi,

What is masked? The same 2 items on each page or different items per page?

(^/)

[pixxxelschubser]

Hi Obi, best wishes for you too.

Ink Monstr​

Data Merge.

Use a tab delimited TEXT instead of your word file and prepare you INDD (see screenshots below)

*.txt

*.indd

Have fun

[Ink Monstr]

Awesome! Thanks. I don't think I'll be needing to change anything other than the code itself so what I will most likely do is create a master page with all of the basic text and then create a new page for just the code itself.

Is there a way to use the method you're describing to change the code in separate pages? Or would this change need to be done on one page? The reason I ask is because how I will go about saving them out will depend on if the change can only be done on one page or if I can have it create 500 different pages with unique codes in order to save one large pdf.

Hope that makes sense. Appreciate the help!

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

If only code to be changed, just create on the master page, on a layer "Code", a "main" text block

and just have a single current page [see your Prefs. to have an "pages" automatic creation!]

Just import your Word file clicking in the current text block and it's done!

(^/)

[Ink Monstr]

Awesome. Any chance you could provide a slightly more detailed step by step for this? I get the gist but am unsure as to where some of those preferences are located and how to import the word file

[pixxxelschubser]

You can create a merged document with all codes at different pages by pressing the bottom left Button in Data Merge palette.

Create one PDF with all pages and/or split the PDF (with Acrobat Prof) in several pages.

Have fun

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

pixxxel,

Let's do very simple here! 

(^/)

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

Simply:

Create a doc.

On Master pages, create text blocks on 2 layers.

Red: Static text (the same on each page, as you said!)

Blue: For "Code" texts

Masking "Red" layer and selecting the 2 text blocks:

Go to the Prefs panel / See: Redistribution intelligente:

Go to the current page (only one page):

On the left side, the "Code" text you will import (.doc, .docx, .txt or excel file):

About the "Code" para style you could use, you could play an auto-numbering:

Import your text:

Done!

In other cases, pixxxel's way could be really better!

(^/) 

[pixxxelschubser]

I think it, too.