Images disappear when completing label merge

[willytk]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I want to create name badges from an Excel file, and go through all the mail merge manager steps. I then add two small logos on each lower side of the label.

When I complete the merge, the logos don't show up on the finished document. I've tried many different image formats and use the menu command to insert the image.

If I use Word 2007 for Windows, it works beautifully.

Can someone else verify that this doesn't work? I'm pretty sure this is a rather nasty bug and hope it will be fixed in the next update.

Thanks!

Regards,

Willy T. Koch
Norway

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Willy;

What is the image file format? Are they inserted as In Line with Text or is
some form of Text Wrapping applied to them? Do the images show up in the
main label document before you complete the merge? Is this the same 2 images
to be on each of the resulting labels or are you trying to put different
images on each one?

Once you inserted the images on the first label did you click the "Fill in
the items to complete your labels" button in section #2 of the Mail Merge
Manager? Or did you attempt to insert the images in each label cell?

Please provide as much specific step by step detail you can, and also
include exact Office & OS X version information.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[willytk]

Hello Bob and thanks for the reply.

* ** After writing the below reply, I tried clicking Merge to printer and then choosing Preview to view it as a pdf. And lo and behold, the images appear! Wild and crazy stuff. It definitely appears to be a bug with the merge to new document feature.

Do you get images on the labels when you merge to new document?
* **

In the last test, I used a png image, and I didn't do anything to the image after it was inserted, "In line with text", no text wrapping.

I also tried with one very small jpg logo, located just underneath the last merge field.

It appears fine on the template document before I complete the merge, and I clicked the "Fill in the items to complete your labels"

I use Office 2008 12.1.7, US version.

Regards,

Willy T. Koch

 

[Peter Jamieson]

If you merge to a new document and try to save that to disk, does Word
fail and display an error?

If so (and even if not) the following response to a similar problem may
be useful:

<<
OK, I see both these problems too. I have also seen something similar in
Word 2007. My assumption is that it has something to do with the new
graphics engine in these newer versions of Word. FWIW I can save the
document resulting from the merge as .doc or .rtf but not using the new
..docx and .xml formats. Not much use unless the merge includes your
graphics though.

My suggestion is to change the way you insert your graphic so that it
uses an INCLUDEPICTURE field. Again, because of the way the new graphics
engine works, I don't believe you can do this the "old" way, which was
to do Insert->Picture->From file... and select to insert a link, because
in that case the new graphics engine appears to intervene and (a) insert
the picture rather than a link and (b) not use an INCLUDEPICTURE even if
it is some kind of link.

So you have to do it by hand, which you can do using
a. use Insert->Field->Links and references
to insert an empty INCLUDEPICTURE field that looks like this
{ INCLUDEPICTURE \* MERGEFORMAT }
b. insert the pathname of the graphic, and delete that \* MERGEFOrMAT
so that you end up with something like this:

{ INCLUDEPICTURE "/Users/mmouse/Documents/minnie.jpg" }

Then attempt the merge.

NB, if your graphic and or record count are large (and, perhaps, you are
short of disk space) the merge may well terminate before all the records
are merged. That seems to happen reasonably gracefully here but merging
chunks of records at a time may be your only option in that case,
assuming you have to output to a document prior to printing etc.
Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[willytk]

Peter,

thanks for the response. Glad you can confirm the bug. I do get the error when I try to save the faulty merged document as .docx but it saves OK when I choose the .doc format.

I tried your Insert Field fix, and it worked beautifully when I did a merge to new document. I didn't have to delete the * MERGEFORMAT part, it didn't appear anywhere. When I click the IncludePicture, it only inserts INCLUDEPICTURE in the field below, and I add "/logo.jpg" for the image located on the root of the hard drive, click OK, and it's all good.

I'll do it this way until the bug is fixed, so I hope someone from the Mac developer unit see this thread.

Regards,

Willy T. Koch
Norway

 

[Peter Jamieson]

so I hope someone from the Mac developer unit see this thread.

FWIW I've submitted a report just in case.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[John McGhie]

Just a note to other users:

Microsoft staff do NOT read this forum. They don't have time

What can happen is that the MVPs who see developing problems in the forum
can forward them in to the Microsoft staff. Or, if a hot issue flashes up,
we can chase them in here to read a specific thread.

The best way to get YOUR message to Microsoft is to use the "Send Feedback"
link on the Help menu in the Office applications.

Such postings DO go to a real human being, I have met her (I wish I were
half my age...). She works directly with the programmers and designers in
the Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit. So your message has an even chance
of being discussed at the weekly staff meeting.

Of course, if a post is rude or full of swear words, or it does not have
exact steps for reproducing the problem, she'll probably not bother to even
read it.

Cheers

Peter,

thanks for the response. Glad you can confirm the bug. I do get the error when
I try to save the faulty merged document as .docx but it saves OK when I
choose the .doc format.

I tried your Insert Field fix, and it worked beautifully when I did a merge to
new document. I didn't have to delete the * MERGEFORMAT part, it didn't appear
anywhere. When I click the IncludePicture, it only inserts INCLUDEPICTURE in
the field below, and I add "/logo.jpg" for the image located on the root of
the hard drive, click OK, and it's all good.

I'll do it this way until the bug is fixed, so I hope someone from the Mac
developer unit see this thread.

Regards,

Willy T. Koch
Norway

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Such postings DO go to a real human being, I have met her (I wish I were

half my age...). She works directly with the programmers and designers in
the Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit. So your message has an even chance
of being discussed at the weekly staff meeting.

Thanks, John. I used the Send Feedback mechanism. I have really come to
dislike mechanisms where no feedback is even possible - even though it
is easy to see why Microsoft more or less has to do it this way. One
problem is that it's difficult to know how much effort to put into
presenting the case. So it is encouraging to know that these things are
not directed immediately to a bit bucket.

Of course, if a post is rude or full of swear words, or it does not have
exact steps for reproducing the problem, she'll probably not bother to even
read it.

It would actually be pretty useful to know what this particular
person looks for in a case. To be honest, I find the process of
converting a potentially useful observation into a set of step-by-step
instructions exceptionally tedious - e.g. if we always have to start
with "Open Word..." and go through all the steps needed to create a
label merge - particularly since it does not appear to be possible to
send test material pre-built. I rather hoped that a general description
would be enough for someone to look for a thread in here (for example -
although I didn't actually reference this thread). I may re-submit this
one though, given what you have already said.


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Peter:

Well, if you know how to create a Reproducible Test Case, that's what she's
looking for

A set of numbered steps, with enough detail so that if you follow them, you
will ALWAYS get the problem. Because the first thing she will do is try it:
if it doesn't fail, she'll drop it at that point. It's not as though she's
short of pen-friends

Yes, it should begin with "Open Word" so we know you're starting from a
"clean" copy of the application.

Always be meticulous about mentioning the Version and Update levels of Mac
OS and Word, and the LANGUAGE in use, on the system and in the document.

And it should end with "for more details, my email address is... And my
phone number is ...."

Because that stuff about "No Feedback" is simply to set expectations. Trust
me, if you get an "interesting" one that they have not seen before, you WILL
get a call

You might also assume that the young lady in question has a Masters degree
in Computing Science. Come to think of it: I am not sure what her major
was, but you don't get to work there without a solid degree...

Cheers

Thanks, John. I used the Send Feedback mechanism. I have really come to
dislike mechanisms where no feedback is even possible - even though it
is easy to see why Microsoft more or less has to do it this way. One
problem is that it's difficult to know how much effort to put into
presenting the case. So it is encouraging to know that these things are
not directed immediately to a bit bucket.



It would actually be pretty useful to know what this particular
person looks for in a case. To be honest, I find the process of
converting a potentially useful observation into a set of step-by-step
instructions exceptionally tedious - e.g. if we always have to start
with "Open Word..." and go through all the steps needed to create a
label merge - particularly since it does not appear to be possible to
send test material pre-built. I rather hoped that a general description
would be enough for someone to look for a thread in here (for example -
although I didn't actually reference this thread). I may re-submit this
one though, given what you have already said.


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Thanks John - good stuff.

Peter

Hi Peter:

Well, if you know how to create a Reproducible Test Case, that's what
she's
looking for

A set of numbered steps, with enough detail so that if you follow them,
you
will ALWAYS get the problem. Because the first thing she will do is try
it:
if it doesn't fail, she'll drop it at that point. It's not as though
she's
short of pen-friends

Yes, it should begin with "Open Word" so we know you're starting from a
"clean" copy of the application.

Always be meticulous about mentioning the Version and Update levels of Mac
OS and Word, and the LANGUAGE in use, on the system and in the document.

And it should end with "for more details, my email address is... And my
phone number is ...."

Because that stuff about "No Feedback" is simply to set expectations.
Trust
me, if you get an "interesting" one that they have not seen before, you
WILL
get a call

You might also assume that the young lady in question has a Masters degree
in Computing Science. Come to think of it: I am not sure what her major
was, but you don't get to work there without a solid degree...

Cheers



--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]