Mail merge manager

[Steve_Gallagher]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) Processor: Intel Hi guys can someone out their help me out? I have a problem trying to get an excel doc into a word label template. The strange thing is that I can do it to once but not to the other document. I think I having problem with the placeholders. I have searched all the sties but know joy. I'm on a mac by the way.

So here what I'm doing: 1st document

Excel document which has subject titles along the top row, i.e Name_first, Last_Name etc, and all info underneath.

1. Open Word (2008) Open my custom label template
 2. Go to mail merge manager - Create New - Label - Custom
3. Select recipients list- Get list - Open data source - Excel doc - Open sheet 1 / Entire work book
4.Show's title of excel doc in Data, within Select recipients list
5.Drag placeholders titles into word doc
6.Copy and paste into all template label box's with next record at top
7.Go to preview results
8. Merge new doc and all fine.

However, when I open my 2nd excel doc, I get to step 3 and a edit label box comes up with insert merge filed, it only lists A1, A2 etc.

So I create a new header source, with title's the same as my excel doc, ie Name_first, Last_surname etc

Now in the Select recipients list, data it show's the title of the header source I saved, I have dragged the titles in the word doc.

Then I select recipients list- Get list - Open data source - Excel doc - Open sheet 1 / Entire work book

But the Preview results blank out and can't access it?

Why is it not doing like the first document? Any help would be grateful as I'm about to throw my computer at the wall!!!

Thanks Steve

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Why is it not doing like the first document?

I don't know, as I haven't been able to replicate this behaviour here, but

it only lists A1, A2 etc.

I would understand it better if it listed something like M_1, M_2, which
would suggest that there might actually be data above the title row of
your worksheet (e.g. could there be hidden rows?). But A1, A2 I haven't
seen - does the number of A1, A2 names match the number of columns in
your data source? And if you actually insert those A1, A2 fields and
merge to a new document, do you see the data from the worksheet, blanks,
or something else? Does your second ("problem") worksheet definitely
have the same structure as the first one?

As a workaround, you can consider saving your worksheet as a .csv type
file and/or (if there are not too many columns) copying/pasting into a
Word document and using that as the merge data source.

However, when I open my 2nd excel doc, I get to step 3 and a edit label
box comes up with insert merge filed, it only lists A1, A2 etc.

FWIW I believe you only get this dialog if no data source was set up
previously. e.g., if you open a label mail merge main document that
already has a data source, and select a different data source, you do
not get this dialog. If you /want/ the dialog, you can use the button
(as I look, it's the third one) in the "Select recipients List" section
of the Mail Merge Manager, and you can do your step (6) using the button
to the right of that one.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk