Going from PDF to Excel and back to PDF

[juancano]

I work in InDesign (layout program), and I figured out that after I make a table (with cells, columns and rows), I can make a PDF from this file. Then in Acrobat, I can actually open that table in Excel, which is real sweet. Only problem is, I want to be able to edit that Excel file, then hit save and have the info update on the PDF.

Acrobat has the ability to do that with images. Double click on an image, it opens in Photoshop, you can edit it, save, and it updates on the PDF.

Can I do that with and Excel file?

 

[vakohles]

Why don't you just create the table in Excel to begin with? That makes a lot more sense to me. I am just truly confused at why you are doing this all backwards. Why InDesign - Acrobat - Excel - Acrobat?

Create your Table in Excel - You can insert the data from the Excel file into InDesign later if that is what you are worried about.

Please clarrify . . . Thanks!



InDesign CS, Photoshop CS, Illustrator CS, Acrobat 7
Windows XP & MAC OS X (Yes I Use Both, Not at the Same Time)

 

[jmgalvin]

You would have to make a new pdf of the updated excel doc and Place that into the ID job. You could also place the excel doc into the ID doc - making sure that you Show Import Options is checked in the ID place window. If you link the excel file, you can do updates in excel and update the link.

Why is it necessary to open in excel? you could make changes to the table in the ID doc.

Using OSX 10.3.8 on a G4

 

[juancano]

Sorry, should've explained better.

Let's say this is an 8-page brochure, where only 2 pages have these charts. I want to be able to make a PDF for the client, and then have the client to edits to it over and over so it can be customized for different audiences. Also, so I don't have to waste my time making little text edits in InDesign, therefore freeing more time to do better projects.

There is no initial EXCEL table to work from. All this info only exists on our marketing materials. I know they can edits PDFs if they have Pro or Standard, but it gets messy, lines jump around too much. After figuring out that I could open a PDF table in Excel I got excited because I figured they would be able to edit the info in the table without messing it up too much. Save it, and then when it went back to PDF, it would be in the same "look and feel" as the original.

I can't just make a PDF of the Excel table because it wouldn't look right, wouldn't fit the look of the rest of the piece (I know, Designers are weird people). I want to be able to just give them somthing they can edit themselves and then printout versions of these brochures at their leisure.

The idea of linking the Excel file into ID is a good one, except all formatting is lost when updating the link.

Been looking into InCopy a bit, although it seems pretty daunting.

Thanks!

Juan

 

[jmgalvin]

I'm guessing that the easiest way around your problem is to leave the thing in Excel and use the Place command to place the escel doc(you don't have to linkit, just embed it) - again making sure that Show Import options is checked - and replace it as the people make changes to the Excel doc.

I'd create a style - depending on what you want to do with the table and apply that style whenever chages are made.

I actually have to do this about 10 times a year in indesign - media reports that show where a news story appeared, circulation/viewership, number of impressions, etc. They always come to me in Excel and there are a lot of changes until finalized. I do it as I just described it above without linking. By the way I almost always use alternating row colors, with the table surrouded in a contrasting color, no borders on cells, and 9 pt Helvetica Neue Thin for most figures with Bold for totals. I jst use a sstyle to maintain this thorught the change process.

Using OSX 10.3.8 on a G4