---
title: Variable Data / Personalization Spreadsheet Instructions
description: Instructions on how to put together your variable data / personalization for proper printing.
---

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# Variable Data / Personalization Spreadsheet Instructions

## Instructions on how to put together your variable data / personalization for proper printing.

This guide is to provide you with the necessary formatting procedures of this spreadsheet to facilitate the fastest turnaround with producing these jobs.

[Download Variable Data Excel Sheet](https://knowledge.simbaline.com/hubfs/Variable%20Data%20(Excel%20File%20Template)%20(v1.1)(2019).xlsx?hsLang=en)

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### What is Variable Data?

Variable Data is used when you have the same artwork but may want different text.

A great example to illustrate is Company Name badges.

Looking at the example below, you can see the logo, company name, and title are all the same, but the name changes (Nicholas & Brandon). These name changes would be specified in a variable data excel. 

![Nicholas](https://knowledge.simbaline.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nicholas.jpg?width=300&name=Nicholas.jpg)![brandon](https://knowledge.simbaline.com/hs-fs/hubfs/brandon.jpg?width=300&name=brandon.jpg)

### How to Format Your Variable Data Excel

In a spreadsheet program you will need to do the following:

- For each line of text, you will need a separate column
- each line of the text that you want printed needs to be populated into a separate column of the spreadsheet.

Please ensure that the data in the spreadsheet is formatted exactly as you want it in the art as everything, including inadvertent spacing, will be included in the final product.

Color formatting of rows and columns is not passed over to the art program. If you need colors to change in the art, a new column should be created to express these changes.

A quantity column is included so that we can make sure we generate the correct number of items that you need. This could also include blank fields so that blank items can be produced.

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