Keep phone number fomatting from excel to print on WORD labels

[Thelma Theiler]

With an older version of Microsoft Office when phone numbers in excel were
formatted (555) 555-5555 and you mail merged them to a WORD label the
formatting printed on to the label. The new version of these programs just
types the numbers of 5555555555 without the ( ) and the -.
I would like the formatting of the excel file to transfer to the WORD labels.

 

[Gary''s Student]

If you format a cell as Special > Phone number and enter 1234567890 it will
display as : (123) 456-7890

When the cell is copied and pasted into Word the formatting is preserved.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Debra Dalgleish posted this to a similar question:

There's an article on the Microsoft web site that might help you:

Answer Box: Numbers don't merge right in Word
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/assistance/HA011164951033.aspx

And if you prefer the old Mail Merge helper, Word MVP Suzanne Barnhill
has instructions here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wordfaqs/CustomizingWord2002.htm

about half way down the page.

==========
Another way is to cheat!

Use a helper cell with a formula like:
=text(a1,"(000) 000-0000")
and copy down

This will be treated like text in your mail merge.