Controlling Format of Merge Fields

[Neil Trotter]

I'm working in Word 2002 with a document composed by Someone Else, and
using an Excel 5.0 format datasource.

I have 2 merge fields which are giving me problems. One is displaying
in the Courier font (the rest of the document is in Times NR), and the
other is displaying bold where I do not want it to. I have had similar
problems with font size and italicizing.

I have tried removing and re-inserting the merge fields in question, and
highlighting them (pre-merge, i.e. the field names inside chevrons) and
applying the format required .... "Reveal Formatting" confirms that my
merge field is formatted as intended. However, when I view the actual
data, it is not displayed in the correct format.

Has something in the document been "locked" so that I cannot control
formatting?

How can I gain control of this?

Thanks for any hints!

 

[GTS]

I'm working in Word 2002 with a document composed by Someone Else, and
using an Excel 5.0 format datasource.

I have 2 merge fields which are giving me problems. One is displaying
in the Courier font (the rest of the document is in Times NR), and the
other is displaying bold where I do not want it to. I have had similar
problems with font size and italicizing.

I have tried removing and re-inserting the merge fields in question, and
highlighting them (pre-merge, i.e. the field names inside chevrons) and
applying the format required .... "Reveal Formatting" confirms that my
merge field is formatted as intended. However, when I view the actual
data, it is not displayed in the correct format.

Has something in the document been "locked" so that I cannot control
formatting?

How can I gain control of this?

Thanks for any hints!

I would look at the styles in the document - (FORMAT - STYLES AND
FORMATTING) as usually this is due to a customised or modified style -
although you are applying formatting to the field pre-merge, if the style
being used in that paragraph such as normal or bodytext is set to Courier
then it will use that.
Alternatively try using \*Charformat format field switch instead of
\*Mergeformat, as in
{MERGEFIELD WHATEVER\*Charformat}
" Applies the formatting of the first letter of the field type to the entire
result"
Graham

 

[Neil Trotter]

I would look at the styles in the document - (FORMAT - STYLES AND
FORMATTING) as usually this is due to a customised or modified style -
although you are applying formatting to the field pre-merge, if the style
being used in that paragraph such as normal or bodytext is set to Courier
then it will use that.
Alternatively try using \*Charformat format field switch instead of
\*Mergeformat, as in
{MERGEFIELD WHATEVER\*Charformat}
" Applies the formatting of the first letter of the field type to the entire
result"

Examining the Styles & Formatting didn't shed any light on the problem,
but \*Charformat did the trick in all cases.

So many thanks for the excellent answer, Graham!