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• • June 7, 2018 at 11:13 am #104245
    M T

    Member

    I am creating knitting patterns and would like a consistent look to them. I have created my master pages and I have the text in Word documents with consistent style names between Word and InDesign.

    Some of the sections of the text need to be in separate text frames that do not flow into other text frames. This is akin to having different sections in a recipe: name of recipe, ingredient list, notes, timings, directions, nutritional information, etc.

    My first thought is to manage this through a data merge. This presents a couple of main issues (and probably more once I actually try it):
    – Clearly, I cannot do that from a Word document.
    – I understand that the data merge function cannot handle multiple paragraphs. Several of the fields would need to have multiple paragraphs.

    It seems to me that this should be a really simple thing to do. In fact, I would have thought that this type of situation is exactly what a layout software is designed to handle. However, I am having a difficulty coming up with the best approach.

    I have seen a Lynda.com class on laying out magazine articles where the instructor places the text into InDesign and then cuts and pastes portions into various text frames. This seems like a very unintuitive way of working, but is the only example I have seen of bringing one file into InDesign and putting it into multiple frames that do not flow.

    Can anyone recommend an easy and consistent way to do this?

    Thank you

  • June 7, 2018 at 2:18 pm #104248
    Michel Allio for FRIdNGE

    Participant

    Hi,

    It could be simple but no time for studies for free!

    If nobody helps you, you always could contact me!

    Best,
    Michel, from FRIdNGE
    michel.allio.fridnge@gmail.com

  • June 7, 2018 at 2:57 pm #104249
    Graham Park

    Member

    Post a screen shot of what you are trying to do and someone might be able to help.

    • June 8, 2018 at 9:19 am #104256
      M T

      Member

      Hi Graham,

      I have put together basic idea of what I am trying to do: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nov4h8kd6waf524/Screenshot%202018-06-08%2012.14.55.png?dl=0

      Basically, I have a single Word document. When I bring it into InDesign I would like the title to go into the text frame for the title. I would like the various next sections of the file to go into the appropriate next text frames, complete with appropriate formatting. Designer name into the designer name frame. The next section would be a description that would need to go into another text frame. Then a materials list would go into the next text frame, and so on.

      I would like the template in InDesign to self populate with the text. As I said above, data merge seems to be the simplest solution except that the files will always be in Word (not in a database or spreadsheet). A more important limitation is that many of the “fields” would have multiple paragraphs and as far as I understand, data merge cannot handle that.

      Does this make my inquiry more clear?

      Thank you.

  • June 8, 2018 at 1:24 pm #104259
    Colleen Shannon

    Member

    M T

    Have you looked into using Keep Options in your Paragraph Styles? (You can start text in next frame, etc.)

  • June 8, 2018 at 2:03 pm #104261
    M T

    Member

    Colleen,

    Thank you for the suggestion.

    The styles are not the issue, it is placing the text into the appropriate text frames that is the issue.

  • June 8, 2018 at 3:54 pm #104263
    M T

    Member

    Having given it more thought, perhaps the simplest thing would be to find a way to have the text move to the next text frame every time a certain condition is met. Or to have some paragraph styles begin new text frames.

    Is there a way to do that?

  • June 8, 2018 at 10:35 pm #104264
    Graham Park

    Member

    You don’t need to make a text frame for each element.
    From your sample layout you need three frames, 2 text frames (firts one with one column and the second with three columns) and 1 image frame.
    The two text frame need to be threaded so the text will flow.
    Make the styles follow each other in the correct order eg PATTERN TITLE follow by PATTERN NAME followed by DESIGNER NAME etc.
    You will need to make an extra couple of styles to ensure the text will sit correctly, eg two different DESCRIPTION TITLE styles.
    The reason for the two similar styles is when you want the text to move the the new text frame for column put lot of of SPACE BEFORE in the style, this can be 100pt try it it works,
    Then the styles will come in the follow correctly, no need for lots of messy text boxes for each piece of text.

  • June 8, 2018 at 10:48 pm #104265
    Graham Park

    Member

    The part of setting the FOLLOWING styles will allow you to select the text and then apply the first style and APPLY THEN NEXT STYLE
    You would just ned to do this in a couple of places where you have multiple lines of the same style.
    For you sample I needed to do this in three places and it is all done.
    Try it an see how yougo.

  • June 11, 2018 at 7:54 am #104280
    M T

    Member

    Thank you everyone for your responses.

    I found a really easy way todo this: I threaded all the text boxes so that all the text would flow through the entire documetn. Then, in Word, I inserted a column break every time I wanted to have text move to the next threaded text frame as opposed to just flowing to the next one when the current text frame was full.

    When I place the Word document, the text now flows through the whole document and new sections begin in new text frames as I had hoped.

  • June 11, 2018 at 8:18 am #104281
    M T

    Member

    I found an even easier way to do this.

    Create a Paragraph Style for the headings that you want to start in a new frame. In “Paragraph Style Options”, the dialog box that opens when you double click on a paragraph style name, navigate to the “Keep options” tab.

    At the bottom of this tab there are several options for “Start paragraph”. Choose “In next Frame”. It is that easy!

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