Producing a "Yellow Pages" Telephone Directory with Adobe InDesign

It's quick and easy to publish a Yellow Pages phone book using CatBase, integrated with Adobe InDesign. Your directory can include:

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• Inline display ads (small ads within the text flow)

• Static ads (larger ads such as banners, 1/4-page and full-page ads)

• Various text styles - for example:

  • A default plain style for free listings​

  • A Bold style for paid listings

  • A style with rules above and below

  • A "boxed" style

  • ... or any kind of style you need!

• Organise the listings into Categories​

  • Categories can be organised into Categories and Sub-Categories, as many levels deep as you want​

  • Category headings can be set in any style, as text or images

  • Each listing can be placed into multiple Categories

 

You can use CatBase to manage the entire project, or you can import data from another source (such as a spreadsheet or XML file) and just let CatBase handle the publication of the directory.

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How to Produce a "Yellow Pages" Telephone Directory

CatBase works with InDesign to produce your directory. The steps to complete the project are:

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Set up Your Database

You'll need to add the tables and fields required to manage your listings data. You can use the Telephone Directory project in our Demo Database as a starting point, or start from scratch and create your own database (the Demo Database is included in the free Trial Version download). Learn more about setting up a database.

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Get the Data into the Database

You can either enter the Yellow Pages listings into the database manually, or you can import the data from another source such as:

• A spreadsheet

• An XML file

• A tab-delimited or CSV text file

• Another database such as MySql, SqlServer, or MS Access (CatBase Data Chameleon Edition)

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Learn more about importing data or adding data manually.

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Prepare your InDesign layout

You'll need to have an InDesign template set up with the publication defaults: the page size, page background elements, Stylesheets, number of columns, etc. We've included a sample template with the Trial Version (Yellow Pages.idml).

Learn more about how CatBase and InDesign work together.

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Set up one or more Publishing Stylesheets

Publishing Stylesheets describe how you want your Yellow Pages directory to look:

• How to organise the listings under their Category headings

How to style the Category headings

How to sort the listings under their Categories

• What information to publish for each listing

• How to style the content of each listing

• What graphics to include, and how to format them

  • Logos, display ads, etc.​

  • Inline ads or static?

  • What size to draw the ads

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You can also set up a Publishing Project to simplify the publishing process.

Learn more about Publishing Stylesheets.

Learn about using Rules to determine what data to include or omit for each listing, and how to style it.

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Publish Your Yellow Pages!

• When you're ready to publish:

• Open the appropriate Publishing Project

• Click the Publish Now button

• Place the resulting file into your InDesign template

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SIMPLES!

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Get your free Trial version of CatBase by clicking the FREE TRIAL button below.

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Any questions?

Contact us with your questions. We promise to respond to you promptly.

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Book a free live demonstration or phone call to learn more about how CatBase can help you with your Yellow Pages Directory project.