John Garrett introduces the Attributes panel in Adobe Illustrator, and then explains how to add the variable names to the Notes window. He discusses why you would use notes as opposed to naming objects within the Layers panel. He then re-imports the csv file using the Variable Importer, but this time using the Bind By Note feature.
- [Voiceover] Last time we went over…an automatic method of binding variables…by using the bind by name feature…of the variable importer.…Now we're gonna see another way…to automatically bind your variables…using the bind by note feature.…Binding variables this way requires…your Illustrator objects to be set up a little differently…so I'm starting with a different file to demonstrate this.…To explain it, we're going to need not only our layers panel…but also the attributes panel…choose Window, Attributes from the…menu at the top of the screen to make it visible…and I'll just drag it here by the layers panel,…also, if you don't see the note filed…at the bottom of the attributes panel,…click the flyout menu on the top right…and choose Show Note.…
Basically we're gonna put our variable name here…instead of using the object name in the layers panel.…First I'll click on the hero name…at the top of the artwork.…We can see the name in the layers panel.…If we check the column headers of our spreadsheet,…we can see that the object name in this file…
Author
John Garrett
Released
4/26/2016Designer John Garrett appreciates the many different types of variables and their practical uses, including generating business cards and direct mailers. In this course, he explains how to use variable data including managing linked images, graphics, tables of data, and graphs. He covers the entire workflow, from setup to exporting dynamic batches.
- Setting up Illustrator files
- Using Appearances
- Setting up data sources
- Importing data
- Managing linked variables
- Binding and using prepend paths and presets
- Using the Variables panel
- Naming data sets
- Generating multiple versions with batch exporting
Skill Level Advanced
Duration
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Introduction
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1. Exploring Variable Data
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What Is Variable Data?1m 12s
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Different types of variables4m 16s
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2. Setting up Illustrator Files
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Naming objects4m 25s
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Using area type2m 32s
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Using point type1m 57s
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Using variable data graphics4m 50s
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3. Setting up a CSV Document
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Setting up data in Excel3m 25s
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Saving a CSV file3m 11s
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4. Importing using Variable Importer Script
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Opening Variable Importer3m 19s
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Creating and using presets1m 32s
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Testing and importing a CSV2m 22s
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5. Working with the Variables Panel
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Uploading data sets4m 8s
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Dealing with overset text3m 41s
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6. Exporting and Reviewing
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Creating a save action3m 25s
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Conclusion
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Next steps1m 12s
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Video: Binding imported variables by note