Importing Excel Cells Into Existing InDesign Tables?

[dougs82250006]

Hello

I'm trying to convert a product catalog (made in InDesign CC) into a price list, by adding a column at the end of each table with the price.

For this column, I want to import data from a linked excel file with the prices, so that updating the pricing will be easy.

I know you can create tables from excel files but can you add excel data to an existing InDesign table?

Any help would be much appreciated!

[BobLevine]

Unfortunately, there’s no way I know of to do this. You could try aligning a second table to the first and doing it that way, but it’s probably more efficient to do the entire table in Excel. Without seeing the layout and how large the file is it’s really difficult to recommend one over the other.

[dougs82250006]

Thanks for the response!

It's a 130 page catalog with most pages having at least 5 tables on it, so it's not exactly a small task.

So do you feel the best way to it is to just redo all the tables in excel and place them into the file?

I'm also having some trouble when I import tables, the style isn't the same as what I already have in the file.

Where would the setting be for the text styles when you place the table, I can choose a table style, but the font isn't what I want.

Thanks for the help!

[BobLevine]

Paragraph and character styles are included in the table/cell styles.

[dougs82250006]

My issue is when I go to place my excel file, it doesn't give me the option to choose my character or paragraph style, only my table style, but it's clear that it is using one of my existing character styles. So how can I edit this? I don't see anywhere on the table style settings where I can pick which character and paragraph style the table style uses.

This is what I see when I go to place my excel file;

[JonathanArias]

how about if you set your excel document first. bring in all of the tables and rows content from the indesign document in to that excel table, add the column and pricing to it the way you want it to match. now you have the excel document you will use going forward.

Go back to indesign, and import that in replacing everything. now you have the updated indesign document and an working excel document to link and just update when needed. you will have to adjust your styles, but now everything matches.

[dougs82250006]

Thanks! That's what I'm planning on doing, I'm just trying to find the most efficient way to import the data so I don't have to make a million style changes every time I place a new table.

[JonathanArias · Accepted solution]

bring the table in, and apply your table style next. in the table styles set up all of your character styles for header, footer and body.

You than can select the rows and columns and convert to header, rows and body.  now that is all set up, when you update the linked excel sheet things will sync. You have to tell indesign which are the headers, body and footers so it knows going forward.

Everything you will ever want to know about tables is here ( Diane Burns goes over everything):

InDesign: Tables