Any idea on how to do this?

[bhm8hwcm]

I have a client that wants to give me about 400 photos and have me print off 1 copy of each. It is for the back of the postcard. Postcard info would all be static but just photo would change.

I do not presently have any Variable data software and do not necessarily want to make a big investment.

Any idea if there are easy/inexpensive ways to do this without manually putting them. I doubt client would give me a spreadsheet of file names. I also know client wants them to be done in order (I assume by file name in folder/directory).

Thanks

[LoganBlade]

Searchware Solutions: Print Window

Printwindow software. I was able to print a ps file then conver to PDF and then copy text of content of folder. Paste into excel and you have a list of your images you can then import using the data merge in Indesign.

[Colorblind]

Check Contact Sheet features in Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Bridge CS4, you can define your page size, borders and so on and save a PDF of the result. It might do just what you want.

[pcmodem]

Using LoganBlade's idea. You don't have to use the Print Window application.

Instead you can select the files you want. Copy (Command +C) and then paste into TextEdit or Excel. Then follow the rest of merging within InDesign Data Merge. Don't forget to add the @ symbol to the header. The @ symbol tells InDesign to place an image instead of text.

[bhm8hwcm]

Thanks for the input. I have tried both ways and they both work.

This is actually easier than I thought.

[gordo]

This is actually easier than I thought.

Don't say that to your customer!

Hum and ha and furrow your brow and promise to put your best people on this problem and, unfortunately you'll have to charge a bit extra for all the work you'll be doing but you're sure they'll understand. :-)

best, gordon p