Changing Colors During a Data Merge

Colin Flashman

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From time to time, I’m asked the following question: Is it possible to change the color of an object during a data merge? Fortunately, the answer is yes, and the best method is usually one of two solutions:

1. A plug-in that contains advanced Data Merging features; or
2. Creating colored graphics elsewhere and adding an image field to the database.

But there is another method that is not as well known, and it involves GREP. In a previous article, I demonstrated that it is possible to change the color of type during a Data Merge using GREP, and in turn change the color of the background of the type that is then used to color a shape that the text frame is pasted into.

This technique is similar to the previous heat map technique but it does not require a script to prepare the colors.

What’s required for this technique

To demonstrate this technique, let’s look at this VIP card. There are going to be four colors that change – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Here is what is required for this technique:

1. Character styles for each color (only the color of the type changes in the style)
2. A paragraph style that has a paragraph rule based on the color of the type
3. A database with a column that contains a field of colors to be used
4. The relevant colors in the Swatches panel
5. A text frame that will become a frame that changes color

How this technique works

First, place the Data Merge field that contains the color field into the text frame and turn the Data Merge preview on. To this type, apply the paragraph style that contains the rule below style shown in item 2 above. If done correctly, the text frame will now appear as a large black square.

Next, adjust the paragraph style and click on the GREP style option. From here, add the following GREP styles as displayed in this example:

This GREP code will apply the appropriate character style to the entire line if it detects the key word at the start of a line, followed by anything else. From here, the color of this text frame will change, dependent on what type was in the database.

While this technique works, the text frame looks hideous, so to make it useful, it needs to be changed to an appropriate size and shape. In this example, there is a second layer for the background that has a frame that is extended to the entire bleed of this card. I’ll cut the color-changing frame that’s been created, select the new frame and use the Paste Into feature (Edit > Paste Into) so that the color-changing frame’s shape is constrained by the size of my new frame.

Once I apply the other design elements of the card with the variable data onto the layer above, I can then achieve a result that looks like this:

The type that contains the membership would be more convincing if it was the same color as the background. If I apply the exact same GREP styles that were applied to the background, but to the paragraph style that contains the membership type, this is the result:

That’s good, but we can do even better. Instead of solid colors, I’ll create four gradient versions of the colors and create those as character styles as well in the same fashion as the solid colors. I’ll also go into the text frame that’s pasted into the rectangle in the background and rotate it from its center-point. If I change the paragraph style of the background now so that the GREP style refers to the new gradient swatches instead of the solid swatches, here is what the result looks like:

Nice! But it can be even better!

Colorizing QR Codes

The technique above can also be used to colorize the QR Codes using a long-known but little-used transparency technique that was demonstrated in my recent article on creating colored QR codes during Data Merge. The point of difference with this technique is that rather than choosing the background from the Swatches panel, paste the GREP frame into the background frame, and then line up the graphics as per the previous technique and toggle through the records.

Make sure that the overprint preview is turned on to see the effect!

Colorizing type

Similarly, the same technique that is used to colorize the QR Code can also be applied to a text frame to change its entire color during a data merge. Just like the previous technique it requires three stacked objects aligned together:

• The top-most object is the text itself that is set in black. The frame itself has its object opacity set to zero from the Effects panel.
• The middle object is the object that will act as the mask, and in this case it will be a paper-colored frame.
• Both the top and middle objects are grouped, and from the effects panel, the Knockout Group checkbox is checked.
• The bottom object will act as the fill color for the type. Because the type is to be the same color as the theme, the technique used at the start of the article to change the background color of the card will be used.

When the technique is applied to the terms and conditions on the back of the card, the following result can be seen:

Colorizing logos

Because the technique above works with type and QR Codes, you might be wondering if it will also work on other graphics. Well it won’t work on raster images such as JPG or TIFF, but it will work on vectors in EPS, AI, or PDF files.

And rather than using an image we’re using a Data Merge Image field, so it is possible to have a variable image with its color based on the color in the database.

Note when doing this that any color in the vector graphic will turn to the desired color, even white, so make sure that items in the graphic that are meant to be transparent are not colored white.

I do have one more trick up my sleeve for changing colors during a Data Merge, but that’s enough for this article.