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If I told you that InDesign has offered the ability to make variable bar graphs since CS2 without the use of a plug-in, special font, or GREP style, would you believe me? It’s true! All you need is an Excel formula, Data Merge, and a character style. Intrigued? Read on for all the details of how I came up with the method and how it works.
Downloadables are an exclusive benefit for CreativePro members! (Not a member yet? Join us and get $10 off with the discount code: DOWNLOAD) Data Merge is one of InDesign’s most powerful features. It allows you to take any number of records from a database, extract just the information you want, and flow it all into a layout template for output automatically. It’s magical. You can accomplish things in seconds that would take days to do manually.
I was recently given a brief by a client to apply Data Merge to a logo that featured five unique colors (to reflect the colors of horses): white, grey, chestnut, brown, and black. The customer was settled on those colors but they weren’t sure what order they should be in, and wanted to see every option. The number of permutations of different color sequences for this logo is five factorial (5×4×3×2), or 120.
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
