Placing multiple images alphabetically in InDesign

Joe Coleman

Tagged: alphabetical, images, InDesign, multiple, order, place, placing

This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 5 months ago by Michel Allio for FRIdNGE.

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- December 16, 2015 at 3:56 am #80229
  
  Joe Coleman
  Member
  
  I am experiencing some problems when placing a large amount of logos in InDesign. I need them to appear in alphabetical order – which they do to a certain extent, but then will revert back to ‘A’ towards the end of the list and the last 20 of a list of 200 will be then be out of order. Has anyone come accross the same problem? Any help would be greatly appriciated.
- December 16, 2015 at 4:45 am #80230
  
  Eugene Tyson
  Member
  
  You could do it with a DataMerge
  
  https://creativepro.com/import-folder-full-pictures-page.php
  - December 16, 2015 at 6:16 am #80232
    
    Joe Coleman
    Member
    
    Except this would be for a large set of sponsor logo’s on a signle page so I don’t want to place any text or data along with them. Is there any way just to place multiple logos in the correct alphabetical order?
- December 16, 2015 at 11:06 am #80246
  
  David Blatner
  Keymaster
  
  Choose File > Place, set up the dialog box to show in alpha order, then click the first one, then shift-click the last one in the list. Then click the OK button. All the images will be loaded into the place cursor. Now start dragging. While you are dragging (mouse button held down), press the up arrow key on the keyboard a few times and the right arrow key on the keyboard a few times. That creates a grid. Keep pressing the arrow key until you have enough frames for all the images. When you let go of the mouse button, the frames get filled in. It should be alphabetical by file name.
  
  It takes some practice to get right, but it’s worth it!
- December 16, 2015 at 12:33 pm #80247
  
  Joe Coleman
  Member
  
  Thanks David, Im afraid this is the method I have already been using. The problem is that it can seem to handle up to about 20 logos. But placing amounts greater than this and the order will become jumbled. It’s okay when you just have to change around the odd few but a page of 200 and it really eats into your time.
  - December 16, 2015 at 12:50 pm #80250
    
    David Blatner
    Keymaster
    
    I tried it with 27 and it worked for me. Are you absolutely sure the file names are correct? It would be strange for InDesign to get that wrong, though I’m sure it’s possible there’s a bug.
- December 16, 2015 at 2:03 pm #80252
  
  Joe Coleman
  Member
  
  Thanks David, appriciate you taking the time. Yes i have checked and double-checked the file names and all in alpha order. I also thought it might be something to do with dashes or dots appearing in the file name but have eliminated all of these and still having the same problem.
- September 28, 2017 at 8:42 am #98434
  
  Ian Crawford
  Member
  
  Hi Joe – sorry to drudge up an old issue, but did you ever get a solution to this? You described it perfectly – and I’ve got the same problem…
  Cheers
- October 1, 2017 at 3:40 am #98480
  
  Lukáš Záleský
  Participant
  
  I tried:
  1 – select files short A-Z and drag to indd = placed alphabetically
  2 – select files short Z-A and drag to indd = placed alphabetically
  3 – place file (ctrl+d) short Z-A and drag to indd = placed alphabetically
  4 – place file (ctrl+d) CTRL+click one by one randomly (C,A,G,Z,B) = placed alphabetically
  
  In all cases indesign placed the files alphabetically!
  
  I found only one way how to import files nonalphabetically. Click on file drag in to InDesign then select another file and again, drag in to InDesign. Then indesign places the files in the order in which they are dragged there.
- October 1, 2017 at 9:31 am #98487
  
  Michel Allio for FRIdNGE
  Participant
  
  Hi,
  
  A funny matter not fixed since 2015! … ;-)
  
  How import files into ID as you want? … By name, creation or modification date, file weight or type, in an alphabetical order or reversed … even randomly! …
  
  Simply by script! ;-)
  
  https://imgur.com/a/mffF8
  
  Comments on screenshots [34-files test]:
  
  1/ Basic importation into ID: alphabetical order.
  
  2/ Finder files folder.
  
  3/ You launch the Script! It asks you what files to be imported [as ID basic importation].
  
  4/ [If no open doc or no chosen file(s), the Script stops!] After having selected files to be imported, the Script asks you, via its UI, what kind of sorting you would like to run! [by default, “by Name” is checked].
  
  5-10/ Results of the Script importation:
  
  5/ by Name, reversed order
  
  6/ by Creation Date
  
  7/ by File Weight
  
  8/ Random – try 1
  
  9/ Random – try 2
  
  10/ Random – try 3
  
  Of course, the 3 “random” results are different!!!! =D
  
  (^/)
  
  … When it’s about scripting, everybody knows now personally not for free! If interested by this script, PM me [[email protected]]!
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