Font changes once merge

[Michelle]

I am working with ODBC. I have my main document set to be
font Garamond 12. I have my mergfields set to be font
Garamond 12. All of my sytles are set to garamond 12. I
change the template to Garamond 12. I took the auto
format/auto correct features off. I changed the
*mergeformat to *charformat and the font still changes
once the merge takes place. Its not just the merge field
that changes font. The complete text changes font. The
merge letter is not consistant. I have one letter that
comes up new times roman and another letter that comes up
with another font. When I look at the style format in the
main letter, I have it set at Garamond 12. Any suggestions?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

No idea what is happening here, but
a. which version of Word is this? And what type of printer are you using?
b. are you merging to a new document then printing, or printing directly?
Assuming the former...
c. are the font changes occuring in the output document (assumng you are
outputting to a document first) on screen, on paper, or both? If they are
not visible on screen, are they visible in Print Preview? If the font looks
wrong but is printing correctly, could you be using "Normal" view or another
view that does not preview the fonts correctly?
d. when you go to print your mail merge main document, is the current
default printer listed in the Print dialog box the same as the one when you
go to print the output document?
e. is Tools|Options|Print|"Draft output" checked?
f. in Tools|Options|Compatibility, are there any relevant font
substitutions for the mail merge main document or output document?

 

[Michelle]

Version = word 2000 9.0
I am merging to a new document then printing
Font changes are occuring on screen and print
Doesn't matter if I do normal view or print view
My default printer is the same as the go to printer
Tools options print draft output is not checked
Compatibility - there are No revlevant font substitutions.
I think it has something to do with the sytle. I am using
Normal Garamond 12. When I go to Format|style|the
descriptions says font garamond 12 font color black. etc.
the automatically update is off and add to template is
off. However, if I use stlye 1 then Garamond 12 works. But
then my Logo is still in new times roman. I am merging a
logo from a file path and a letter from another file path.

 

[Cindy Meister -WordMVP-]

Hi Michelle,

I changed the
*mergeformat to *charformat and the font still changes
once the merge takes place.

Well, the above would be incorrect. It should be \*
CharFormat. Notice the backslash and the space between *
and CharFormat.

It sounds as if you'd be familiar with the AutoUpdate
setting for styles? Would that perhaps be activated in the
result document?

How about Tools/Options/Compatibility? Is any font
substitution going on?

Is it possible you have a macro running in the background
that might be doing something odd with the formatting? Have
you tried starting Word in safe mode (with the /a switch)?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update
Jan 24 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Michelle]

I used the \* Charformat correctly. The autoupdate is not
activated. There is no macro. But the font substitution,
might be it. I have a Logo document which holds the logo,
I have my template which holds the letter, and I have a
Merefile.doc which holds the merge fields. the letter and
logo do not have font sustitution going on. But the
mergefile.doc does have @msmincho. It does not allow me to
change this. Can you explain what this is? Also I am not
familiar with safe mode either. thanks

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Typically you'll only see MS Mincho if you have enabled one or more "Far
Eastern" langages/scripts in the Microsoft Office Language Settings program.
In this case, you will probably see a number of menu options, toolbar
options, and paragraph font options which do not appear when you have not
enabled e.g. Chinese.

 

[Michelle W]

I created a new style 1 with garamond 12 and the merge
works fine. it does not like the "NORMAL" style. There has
to be a default for NORMAL some where that is stating
times new roman. I just can't find it. I have changed the
default on windows through format font and select default.
Any other suggestions on the compatability issue @msmincho
(missing document font) is MS Mincho set to substituted
font = default. It will not allow me to delete this or
change it.

 

[Michelle]

How can I tell if this @ms mincho is taking over my font
when merging. The problem is: i am using a claim system.
This system was designed by a vendor. The vendor allows
word to be incorporated into their system. The vendor has
developed the tools to work with word but does not support
word help. He has created the mergefile.doc which contains
the merge fields. In this file, is where this ms mincho
appears. but i can't delete it or change it. I would think
that my default font would overwrite this. But i am not
understanding compability function.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

But i am not

understanding compability function.

I am not very familiar with it either, and particularly not when there may
be "far eastern" font definitions as well as "western" ones. Also, the
compatibility options are "per document", so if you cannot change the
mergefile.doc, then you cannot change these options even if that is the
correct thing to do.

The vendor has
developed the tools to work with word but does not support
word help. He has created the mergefile.doc which contains
the merge fields.

Pesonally, I think I would contact the vendor anyway - as things stand it
does not seem to me that the system is "fit for the intended purpose".

However, if you want to e-mail me a copy of the document I would certainly
be willing to see if it behaves the same way here and, if so, whether I can
see any way to fix the problem.

 

[Cindy Meister -WordMVP-]

Hi Michelle,

I created a new style 1 with garamond 12 and the merge
works fine. it does not like the "NORMAL" style. There has
to be a default for NORMAL some where that is stating
times new roman.

That's internal for Word, and there's no way to get at it.
Although it usually doesn't interfere to this extent. I've
never seen such a problem in the ten years I've been using
mail merge...

I just can't find it. I have changed the
default on windows through format font and select default.
Any other suggestions on the compatability issue @msmincho
(missing document font) is MS Mincho set to substituted
font = default. It will not allow me to delete this or
change it.

I'm not at all familiar with @msmincho. MSMincho, yes, but
not with the @ in front of it. As Peter mentioned, MsMincho
something that gets installed if you have installed
international support, and it's for Far East support. If you
run SETUP and remove the international support (which you
really only need to install if you don't use Latin scripts
on-screen), MSMincho would hopefully go away.

I might try:
- removing MS Mincho (as above)
- rename Normal.dot to NormalOld.dot
- start up Word
- use Insert/File to bring the mail merge main document into
the new file

With any luck, this will leave the problem behind.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jan
24 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow
question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Bob S]

Typically you'll only see MS Mincho if you have enabled one or more "Far
Eastern" langages/scripts in the Microsoft Office Language Settings program.
In this case, you will probably see a number of menu options, toolbar
options, and paragraph font options which do not appear when you have not
enabled e.g. Chinese.

Another way to get MSMincho is to type in 2002 and then Alt+X. This is
a shortcut for inserting a Unicode character, and that Unicode number
is apparently only represented in MSMincho, so Word obligingly
switches you to that font.

When MSMincho arrives this way it is easy to get rid of though.

I have noticed a few posts lately by people who are "unable to get rid
of MSMincho". There must be some feature-gone-mad behind this.

Bob S