Mail merge with Excel

[Jane]

I have word and excel for mac 2004 and I am new to mac, after having
used ms applications. When I am trying to do form letters and I choose
a excel file as the data source, the option of only using the print
area is not available. I only lets me choose the entire worksheet even
though I have set print area in excel and have the file saved and
closed.

Any help?? Thanks!
Jane

 

[Elliott Roper]

I have word and excel for mac 2004 and I am new to mac, after having
used ms applications. When I am trying to do form letters and I choose
a excel file as the data source, the option of only using the print
area is not available. I only lets me choose the entire worksheet even
though I have set print area in excel and have the file saved and
closed.

Any help?? Thanks!

Having never used the PC version I never knew what I was missing. A
quick test shows that a mildly sucky workaround exists.

Copy and paste your print area's cells to a new worksheet in the same
workbook. Back in Mac Word's merge manager, as you select your data
source, you get a chance to name the sheet you want to use.

If you do this lots, or are using it to print a huge list in manageable
lumps it might make sense to automate the Excel a bit. I'm thinking
about a function in excel that creates a "batch number" column such
that in each lump has something like text(row_number mod (lump_size))
and use that value in the selector back in Word.

Note I have not tested that trick. If it makes no sense, but looks
promising, ask again, and I'll beat it into shape. I'll find it useful
myself.

 

[Jane]

Thanks, that does work, but I was wondering why there is no other
option but "entire spreadsheet"

 

[CyberTaz]

For whatever reason I haven't been able to get Word 204 to recognize named
ranges. However, if the XL file has multiple sheets you can specify which
one and in the second box indicate the cell reference for the range - such
as A5:J250 - but a range nme (or Print_Area) doesn't work.

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