Thank you David! I’m including a blank right hand page in my data merge file. This allows the page numbering to do its thing.

That’s the goal. To have as complete an excel file to build from. I just need to teach my CSRs to focus on getting as much updated in one review as possible.

So I’m on the right track. Thanks for letting me type it all out. I think it helped me understand my own thought process better.

Thank you Massimo! I appreciate your insights. The script would be nice. I may try it if I can get it to load to my work machine, we’re always having trouble with our company creative cloud accounts.

I don’t think the second option would work either.

InCopy is always possible. But not for the help I would need. Though if I could get this data merge to work I won’t need help.

I don’t need to maintain the link with the data merge file.

I’m also wondering if I can just create them page by page too..there is adoption in the data merge to select individual pages. I may utilize that.

I’ll keep my eyes open for any other responses.

thanks
H

I’ve tried reply a few times now…so apologies if they all end up posting.

To answer Dwayne’s questions: The recent redesign was not from Quark to InDesign. The layouts have been in InDesign for many years now. When I mentioned Quark I meant the very original layouts were done there. The error message I receive Prompts me to respond to a detailed list of Tagged Text Errors. It gives me the option to Continue, Cancel or Save Log. The details make me think there’s something amiss with the paragraph style names.

Thank you Chris, I’ll share your response with my production manager.

Again thanks to all for your help. This is a weird one for me.

Be Well,
Holly

Hi David,

Yes it appears that when I open last year’s InDesign files and import the database files they import. When I’ve tried importing the same database files into the new layout (Same version of Indesign CS3) we get the warning/error. If they’ve used any third party plug-ins in the past I am unaware. I’m not really involved in the heavy production of the catalog so there may be elements of the process they use that I’m unaware of. I don’t have any reason to believe the exported data has changed. They’ve used the same database and methods for years here. The change was us re-designing the layout template in InDesign.

I’m learning quite quickly that tagged text is very much a pain lol. I will share your course link with my production manager. Our company does have a Lynda account and I did a search for tagged text but never came across your link. So thank you for sharing it. It may be the beginning of a new process for us. Your response is much appreciated!

I may have answered my own question. Text boxes based on template or copied from existing files retain the memory of their original layout. Thus developing inconsistent names for the assignments.

Sigh. For me it may mean recreating all of our masterpage items to eliminate existing memories.