Importing Excel file into threaded InDesign frame

[DW Designer]

I am trying to import an Excel file into an InDesign file with a threaded frame. It is for a pricing book. I have not been able to figure out how to make the import keep the formatting from the Excel document. I have placed the file, and selected to keep the format, however, the data is imported in without the specified cell colors and fonts. The data is also not fitting to the frame.

I have gone the long way around, and physically made the changes, however, if I update the links, the file will convert back to the previous... HELP!!!

[BobLevine]

Way more info needed.

Version of InDesign, version of Excel, platform for each with very detailed info on how you are placing the Excel file.

Screenshots might help.

[DW Designer]

BobLevine​ - I am using InDesign 2017, and Excel 2016. I am using a file that was set up by a former designer. I have successfully imported the Excel file with the formatting, but all of a sudden, the table is importing with different row heights - only in a portion of the document...

[Eternal Warrior]

Sounds like you would benefit from using InDesign Styles to keep the document looking how it should. But like BobLevine​ said we need way more info to be of help.

[Laubender]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/dw+designer  wrote

… I have placed the file, and selected to keep the format, however, the data is imported in without the specified cell colors and fonts. The data is also not fitting to the frame. …

Hi dw designer,

several things here:

How are your import options for placing an Excel file?

Can you show a screenshot of your import options?

Is it a xls or a xlsx file?

Fitting to frame—I assume you mean the width of the table should equal the width of the text frame—is not an option here.

It will only happen if you add a table to a text frame by using InDesign's Insert Table or Add Table commands. Or if you convert selected text to table.

Regards,
Uwe

[Laubender]

Maybe also important:

Was the Excel file created and saved with MS Excel?
Or was it generated from a different app?

Maybe a conversion process from PDF to XLSX by Adobe Acrobat Pro DC ?
Maybe saved by an OpenOffice version?

Regards,
Uwe

[DW Designer]

This is a xls file...

[BobLevine]

Looks like you have some overset cells in there.

[Laubender]

Thank you for posting the screens.

Yes. Overset cells.

Did you check, if the corresponding rows are of fixed height?
Maybe the amount of inset values plus the fixed row heights are the culprit for the overset?

Text size could also be a problem.

Or applied Language so that a text cannot be hyphenated…

You can look up all formatting of the text in overset with the Story Editor Window.

Regards,
Uwe

[jane-e]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/dw+designer  wrote

I have gone the long way around, and physically made the changes, however, if I update the links, the file will convert back to the previous... HELP!!!

Since you have already "gone the long way around" and formatted the table in InDesign, do one more thing to make this work.

• Click in formatted text and create a Paragraph style from it.
• Click in a formatted cell and create a Cell style from it. A Cell style can include the Paragraph style.
• If there is table formatting such as lines and shading and space above and below, then click in the table and create a Table style. A Table style can include cell styles for the header and footer rows as well as for the main body rows, first column, and last column.

Now you won't lose your formatting when you make changes in Excel and update the link in InDesign.