Setting up templates for catalogue merge

[James E Middleton]

OK, still getting used to catalogue merge. My first project was easy; 44
unique pictures on 44 pages.

Now I am working on a new project.

Here's the set-up:

I have an Excel spreadsheet set up with seven columns and sixty rows.

In Publisher 2003, I set up a B4 page, using layout guides and margins to
make six rows and five columns.

I set a merge area that will repeat six by five.

I insert the text seven text fields in the merger area.

SO... This produces two pages ( 6 rows x 5 columns = 30 items x 2 pages = 60
items, each with seven unique lines of text. ) ALMOST perfectly.

When the merge is complete, the text boxes in the columns are touching, and
the rows are not evenly distributed on the page.

Since merge does 95% of the work, it's easy enough to select entire rows and
move them down the page, then select entire columns and move them across the
page.

However, I wonder if I am missing some basic concept or procedure to get the
items to distribute evenly on each page.

Thanks

 

[Mary Sauer]

I don't think you are missing anything.

When you place a field in the catalog block, it does not move, so if you have
text or a picture that are not consistent sizes in your database they will merge
differently but will be in the area you first placed the field. I suspect this
is the reason for your inconsistency in the merge. If you insert the pictures
in a field with a text entry the picture will remain inline.

I think mud is clearer than above.

 

[James E Middleton]

As usual, thanks Mary.

I played around with it a bit.

I set up the grids and guides and then put a catalogue merge area on the
page. What I want is a six by five layout. However, when resize the
catalogue merge area on the page to match the grid, it changes either to six
by four, or five by five. So I have to live with the size of the merge area,
I guess. Anyway, I put the text fields into the catalogue merge area,
resized them for an exact fit, formatted them and grouped them together. The
final output is much cleaner than it was in my original experimentation. As
I mentioned in my original post, since 95% of the work is done in merge, I
can't complain if I have to do a little tweaking to get the payout just
right. I'm just glad it's only 2 pages instead of 20!

BTW, do you know if merge got any better in 2007?

 

[Mary Sauer]

The catalogue merge has been improved a little. There is a dialogue now that you
can input how many merge blocks per page rather than having to do it manually.

I haven't created a real catalogue yet.