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Auto-place images and multi-page PDFs across multiple blocks

The configuration of Content Groups enables efficient automation in the editor by logically linking related placeholders. By assigning specific attributes, the individual pages of an uploaded multi-page PDF document are automatically mapped to the correct target areas.

Automatic multi-placement of an asset

The content-group attribute can also be used to automatically place an uploaded asset (image or PDF) in multiple blocks, including across pages.
(The content-group-select-page attribute is not required for this use case.)

Configuring PFBlocks in the IDML

A separate PFBlock must be created for each target page in the template. Control is handled via two specific attributes:

Create PFBlocks

For each page to be populated, create an image frame tagged with PFBlock (tool Rectangle Frame), and assign the attributes content-group and content-group-select-page as follows:

content-group.png

Example for a two-page layout:

  • PFBlock 1 (for PDF page 1):

    • content-group = multi-page

    • content-group-select-page = 1

  • PFBlock 2 (for PDF page 2):

    • content-group = multi-page

    • content-group-select-page = 2

Attributes

⚙️

The values listed under Name are standalone attributes on the PFBlock tag and are each entered as a Name; the possible Value options are listed in the second column. If the cell is empty, the value is freely selectable.

Name

Values (constraints)

Usage

content-group

Freely selectable
Examples: multi-page, catalog, document-upload.

Groups related placeholders. All blocks with the same name form a logical unit.

content-group-select-page

1 = First page,
2 = Second page, etc.

Determines which PDF page is inserted into this specific block

settings

Block-Settings

general block defaults

Note: Assigning unique group names is especially important when multiple independent PDF uploads (e.g., a data sheet and a certificate) are to be processed simultaneously within a single template.

Template Configuration Settings

When the content-group attribute is included in the IDML file, the section "Content" provides the following settings:

Asset Content Groups

  • Validate Page Count: No | Warning | Error

  • Allow Different Assets?: Yes | No

    (Selecting "Yes" allows manually replacing the asset in individual blocks within a content group.)

content-content-group.png


Behavior in the Editor

As soon as the user uploads a PDF:

  1. Assignment: The system checks the content-group.

  2. Distribution: The pages of the PDF are distributed to the blocks based on the numbering in content-group-select-page.

  3. Flexibility: Multiple blocks can also reference the same page (e.g., page 1 as the main image and additionally as a small preview image on another page).

For error-free processing, the PDF versions (PDF/X) of the (template) background PDF and the upload PDF must strictly match. To avoid issues in the editor, PDF/X standards should be avoided.