Excel is great for calculations, but it was never built for print work. Numbering in it is manual and error-prone, and it has no print distribution, imposition or PDF tools. Apex Print is built for the shop floor.
| Criterion | Excel | Apex Print |
|---|---|---|
| Numbering | Manual formulas, prone to repeats | Automatic at print time, with a register |
| Data merge | Possible via Word mail merge, many steps | Direct merge into the template with preview |
| Printing | Plain print, no distribution or tracking | Distribute across printers and track status |
| Imposition & PDF tools | Not available | Imposition, bleed, crop marks, PDF tools |
| Barcode & QR | Needs add-ins and complex steps | Built-in barcode and QR fields |
| Designed for | Calculations and spreadsheets | Print shop work |
Keep Excel for your accounts, and leave print work — numbering, data merge, printing, imposition — to purpose-built software. The result is faster, more accurate and less error-prone.
Yes — paste your table straight from Excel or Google Sheets into the template designer and the app maps columns to fields.
It relies on formulas, manual fill and print ordering, so a number can repeat or skip and you only notice after printing. The app prevents this with a number register.
Download the trial and test data merge and numbering on your own work.