Data merge (variable data)

Data merge turns one design into hundreds: import a spreadsheet, drop its columns into your layout as live fields, and Popcorn Editor generates one copy per row. It is the tool for name badges, address labels, serialized tickets, price stickers and personalized cards.

How it works#

You design a single canvas as the template. Field tokens such as «FirstName» stand in for spreadsheet columns; at generate time each token is replaced with that record's value. Barcodes and QR codes can be bound to a column too, so every copy encodes its own data.

Your dataset stays on your device. Popcorn Editor keeps the rows in local browser storage rather than inside the design file, and the merge itself runs fully in the browser.

Import your data#

1. Open Insert ▸ Data merge…. The Data merge modal appears.
2. Click Import a CSV file and pick a .csv, .tsv or .txt file, or drag the file onto the drop zone. To copy rows straight from a spreadsheet instead, click Paste data, paste your rows (tab or comma separated), and click Load data.
3. The first row of your data becomes the field names. After import, the modal shows the source name with a record and field count, for example 250 records · 4 fields.

Use Replace to swap in an updated file, or Remove dataset to detach the data from the design entirely.

Note: if you reopen a design on another device, you may see a notice that the dataset's rows are not on this device. Click Re-import and choose the same file; your field tokens reconnect automatically.

Place fields in your design#

The Fields section of the modal lists one chip per column, shown as «Column».

• With a text frame selected, clicking a chip appends that field at the end of the frame's text. The modal stays open so you can add several fields in a row.
• With nothing (or a non-text object) selected, clicking a chip drops the field as a new text box on the canvas, and the modal closes so you can see it.

Fields behave like single characters inside the text: style them with any font, size or color, mix them with regular text ("Hello «FirstName»!"), and move them like any other content. See Text basics and frames for frame fundamentals.

You can also insert fields without opening the modal: Insert ▸ Data field lists every column once a dataset is loaded (before that it shows Import data first…).

Preview real records#

Field names are placeholders; previewing swaps in real data so you can check fit before generating.

1. In the Data merge modal, click the eye toggle to turn the preview on.
2. Use the arrows or type a record number to step through rows. As the hint says, stepping records updates the canvas live.
3. While preview is active, a small Record pill floats at the bottom of the canvas with the same previous, next and jump-to-number controls, plus a close button to exit preview.

Tip: step to your longest values (the longest name, the longest address). If a value overflows its text frame it can be clipped in output, so size frames for the worst case, not the first row.

Bind a barcode to a field#

Any barcode or QR code can encode a different value per record.

1. Select the barcode. Its options appear in the Properties panel.
2. With a dataset loaded, a Data field dropdown appears. Choose a column, or None (fixed value) to keep a static code.
3. The Value box keeps your design-time sample; at merge time each record's column value is encoded instead.

See Barcodes and QR codes for symbologies and sizing guidance.

Generate merged output#

Click Generate… in the Data merge modal to open the Generate merged output dialog.

Under Output, pick one of three modes:

If your document has multiple canvases, a Template dropdown chooses which canvas is the merge template.

Under Records, choose All, Current record only (the record shown in preview), or Range with from and to numbers. A live plan line at the bottom shows exactly what will be produced, such as → 12 sheet(s), 21-up or → 250 page(s).

Label sheet options#

For Label sheet (N-up), set the Sheet size (SRA3, A3, A4, US Letter, or Custom in mm), then choose Auto N-up to let the editor fit as many copies as possible, or Grid to set Rows and Cols yourself. Gutter controls spacing between copies and Margin the sheet edge, both in mm.

PDF print settings#

Both PDF outputs expose an Output profile (Generic CMYK, US Web Coated (SWOP) v2, Coated FOGRA39, GRACoL 2006 Coated), a Bleed value in mm, and a Crop & registration marks checkbox. These match the standard print export; see Print-ready PDF and Marks and overprint.

New document options#

For New editable document, choose how fields are written:

• Bake field values (portable): each canvas gets plain text and fixed barcodes. The result opens anywhere, with no dataset needed.
• Keep fields editable (needs the dataset): fields stay live, so you can restyle and regenerate, but the dataset must be present on the device.

Note: generating hundreds of canvases makes for a heavy document. For large runs the dialog suggests exporting a PDF instead, which stays fast at any record count.

Click Generate to run the merge. PDFs download directly; a new document opens ready to edit.

Next steps#

Walk through a complete real-world run in Mail merge labels and cards, then check Print-ready PDF before sending the result to your printer.