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Question

Recommendations for Software

Apr 16, 2015 9:42AM PDT

I'm looking for alternative ways to create a pdf document.

We have a base document, that uses a lot of the same data. Our logo header and footer, the welcome letter, the table of contents, critical info page, policies, items for sale, etc etc...It ends up being a 30+ page document.

What does change are the names (per event), dates, times, pricing tier, and so on and so forth

As of right now we are using an excel spreadsheet for the account executives to enter in the information needed to create the document. I then have to take that sheet and mail merge it in Word (where the base document is created), select the correct merge with the pricing tier, so it fills in the proper fields. I then save it as a pdf.

Problem being is that mail merge is glitchy. Weird things happen sometimes. Things come out of alignment. Sometimes I would fix the alignment in Word and save as pdf and it would screw up again. Letters can disappear...all sorts of things. I've even invested in Acrobat XI Pro because it would be impossible to fix otherwise. Right now it tends to be a ridiculously manual process.

I'm looking for suggestions on any other way to create this document. There has to be a more efficient way. Any software(s) you can suggest is welcomed!

Thank you!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Yes there are such apps that do that.
Apr 16, 2015 9:51AM PDT

But all the apps I know of were custom made. As to the PDF step the programmers I know use something from CodeProject like https://www.google.com/#q=codeproject+pdf+writer so that part is not written by most.

The MANUAL PROCESS is a start to automation. You have the bones, now you need a programmer to put in a brain.
Bob

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thank you
Apr 17, 2015 9:11AM PDT

It would be nice to utilize a programmer. I'm not sure where to start when it comes to looking for one.

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Colleges, people you know.
Apr 17, 2015 9:45AM PDT

You're a long ways to getting it done if you can do it manually.
Bob

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Answer
csv
Apr 16, 2015 9:51AM PDT

have them export to csv type file so you can import and not have that problem

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thank you
Apr 17, 2015 9:12AM PDT

Are you saying that the glitch issues I'm having when it comes to mail merge is because the spreadsheet is not a csv file?

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My wife is an Excel expert
Apr 17, 2015 9:44AM PDT

and I know that's what she uses. In fact I let her do the excel files for any stock trading I did in the year since they export the data in csv files, just for importing into excel.

She said, she hasn't used mail merge in some years. She said you were using the correct approach, but needed to adjust the macros on how the import is done. She said csv isn't for import into Word, but for Excel. Excel doesn't just do column and row, but also can have names assigned to the cells. In Word you use macros to import the data from the particular excel cell desired, usually by the "name". That's about all I understood from it. She thinks you should continue with the mail merge.