Why don't you do it like this:

page one:
111
111
111

page two:
222
222
222

etc... because when you cut them out the one will be on top, and will have two through whatever underneith. Then, you just stagger them in stacks of 50 sheets and you're there!

The way to get the numbers is in Excel. Just type in one and two in the top two rows, select them and drag the top box's handle down to the corrosponding row of your last number. Then you select all, copy and paste 9 times. Then you select all and go to data>sort and sort it ascending. That will get you 111111111222222222 etc...

Save that as a text file and set up your Quark file to have an automatic text box. On the master page, you will set up the nine text boxes for the numbers and link 'em. Then on page one, draw a text box and import the text file you saved from Excel. You should then be able to copy all and paste into the first text box, Quark will fill in the rest of your pages for you. Sounds easy, right/

-Jason

A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can even put on its shoes.
-Mark Twain

Great technique Jason, I didn't know you could merge a database into Quark. I learn something new everyday. [img]/emoticons/cool.gif[/img]

He doesn't want 9up of the same number on a page though. It's a raffle, think about it. [img]/emoticons/biggrin.gif[/img] Your method would still work though right? You would just have to adjust the numbering list? I've only had one cup of coffee so far and my brain is not ready for list compositions yet. LOL

I love children but I don't think I could eat a whole one.

Excel to quark can be a godsend sometimes. I do these custom fuel directories for a Large Fuel Company, and the client will send me the additional fuel stops in Excel in the following format (by column, of course)

State City Truck Stop name Address Ph Fax

I put a column with '***' after state and city and a '**' after address, followed by 'XXXX' after Ph#
Then, I save it as a Tab delimited text file. When I import it into Quark, there is a tab before and after the *** or whatever I added. Then, I copy the tab***tab and replace them with hard returns, and copy the tab**tab, replacing them with soft returns. Then, the tabXXXXtab becomes space fax:space.
After all that, I apply my premade paragraphy styles and BOOM! I insert them in by state and I'm done.

Pretty cool, huh Kool?

-Jason

A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can even put on its shoes.
-Mark Twain

Cool! [img]/emoticons/cool.gif[/img]

I love children but I don't think I could eat a whole one.

Thanks for your ideas, guys.

Yeah, its the same method as what I have been using... And in theory, adjusting the the number list should fix the problem, yet I dont think excel is smart enough to figure out this number pattern :
1,51,101,151,201,251,301,351,401,2,52,102 ect. It would work, yet I think I would have to input every number manually all the way to 6000.

I was hoping there might be a 'magical' button or preference which may fix this in quark/indesign....i'll keep hoping.

Is there a 'variable data' plug-in (Xtension) available? I've never looked.

PrintDriver is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

Damn, I'm going to have to try this...we do this kind of poo all the time.

Thanks Jason.

Know this: Spammers, Flammers and Trolls will be shown no mercy and given no quarter. They will be pursued to the ends of the earth and executed Mod-style.

- Magnus

No prob, Mag.

A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can even put on its shoes.
-Mark Twain