mail merging formatted content

[raj]

I am using Outlook 2000 SR1 and Word 2000 SR1.

I have an email message that I need to send to everyone in my
contacts folder. So I tried Mail Merge. The body of my
message contains some formatted text and also few images. I
changed my Outlook's Mail Format as HTML and MSWord as my email
editor. When I send the messages through mail merge, the
receiver's mail is in plain text. I also tried "Includepicture" field for images. Still don't work with mail merge.

But, when I send a mail individually to them, the receiver
receives the mail in HTML format.

I also checked the recipient's property "Send email using plain
text only" and it is checked OFF.

Can some one please suggest me how to mail merge the formatted contents?

 

[Graham Mayor]

This is a limitation of Office 2000. For a workaround, see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MailMerge/MergeWithAttachments.htm

Note also that as html can carry malicious code may users will have set
Outlook not to display in anything but plain text. Others (like me) will
dump any unsolicited message containing an attachment before it ever reaches
Outlook. Plain text will ensure that more people may see your spam message.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[donna]

I am trying to learn how to use this. How do I start a new thread? I have
a question about mail merge, but I don't even know how to start a thread in
order to ask it. Can you please tell me how to start a new thread.

My question about mail merge is: I writing a directory on names an address
with two columns per page. I want the name to be followed by the address,
but some adresses have two line to them. Therefore the names don't alsways
match up on both columns. I think I need it to add an extra blank line for
the names that have one address line. How do I do that?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Put the merge fields in the cells of a one row table with nothing else in
the main document. Then when you execute the merge to a new document you
will get the layout that you want.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[donna]

Thanks Doug. I've never used a tqable before. How do I get the fields into
the table? I am getting my data from an Excel file. This is all foreign to
me so I need basic instructions.

Also, in the future, how do I start a new thread. I think I should have
done that for my question, but I didn't know how.
Donna

 

[Graham Mayor]

For some basic information on merging - see
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_labels_with_word_xp.htm Labels are
arguably the most complex merges, but all merges are essentially similar.

Doug is talking about setting the merge document type to Directory with your
merge fields in the columns of a single row table. Merging such a document
will produce a table, similar to that shown in
http://www.gmayor.com/convert_labels_into_mail_merge.htm

How easy it will be to create the type of directory you want will be largely
determined by the number of fields you have in your Excel file to depict the
addresses. You need a column there for each line of the address, whether or
not it has content.

If you set up your merge document as having two columns, and set the
document type to directory. Insert the fields for a single entry at the top
of the first column then merge to a new document. That document will have
all the addresses in two columns. You can now add supplementary information
to produce the document you intend.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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What fields do you have in your Excel table that you are using for a data
source?

 

[donna]

I tried comvertingthe excel file to a table but I couldn't do it. I had no
idea what the instructions were talking about
inwww.gmayor.com/convert_labels_into_mail_merge.htm.

Can anyone else help?

 

[Graham Mayor]

The Excel file already is a table. The link was merely to show what the
format of the table should look like in order fopr it work as a data source.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[donna]

I still don't understand. I go into mail merge. I select "directory" as the
document. At select recipients, I select my excel file by clicking on
"browse". A window comes up that says "select Table" I click on the first
one, "test$". It displays my file, I click OK. I click on the "colum"
button up top and click on 2 columns. I then click "arrange your directory",
"more items" and select the fields I need. I then arrange them so each
field is under the previous one( name on top, street, street 2, then city etc
on bottom.)_Next I highlight "name, street and street 2. I then go into
"format" and select "paragraph" then "lines and page breaks" . I click on
"keep lines together" and "keep with next". Non of the other options in
"pagination" are selected. Then I click "OK" I then place the cursor
immediately after "city" and hit enter twice(so it will skip before the next
name. Then I click on "Preview your directory", "complete your merge" then
"to new document".

The problem is that if someone has 2 address lines, and the name adjacent
to them in the 2nd column has 1 address line, the the subsequent names in
each column are not aligned on the same line. The 2nd name in column 1 will
be one line lower then the 2nd name in column 2. In the following example I
want John Smith and Barbara Smith to be on the same line.

ie.
Jane Doe John doe
123 main st 456 Main St
box 3 lincoln, NB
lincoln, NB
Barbara Smith
John Smith 555 main st
444 main st lincoln NB
lincoln NB

So, I think you are telling me to do something with a table. But I'm
confused there. I click on "table" at several times during the merge
process, but I can't seem to figure it out. Most of the time most of the
options in "table" are not even highlighted, which I think means I don't have
a table. I don't know how to create a table, and once I have one I don't
know what to do with it.

Please instuct me giving each step in detail(telling me what to click and
when). I've never worked with "table" before.

Thanks for all of your time!!
donna

 

[Graham Mayor]

Forget all about tables - you are on the right track.

I think what you are saying is that some records don't have Street2 and Word
closes up the gap? In that case you need to put something on the line in
place of the field to maintain the spacing.
A conditional field to place a space when there is no data should do the
trick eg
Press CTRL+F9 for each of the field boundary pairs and type the rest -
ALT+F9 toggles between the views.

If it is Street2 that is sometimes empty, then at the end of the last line
of your field entries for each record insert
{IF{Mergefield Street2} = "" "
"}

thus something along the lines of

{Mergefield Name}
{Mergefield Street1}
{Mergefield Street2}
{Mergefield City}
{Mergefield State}{Mergefield Zip}{IF{Mergefield Street2} = "" "
"}


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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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This will force an extra line between the records when Street2 is empty, but
is ignored when it has content

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[donna]

I think we are getting closer. It is filling the gap for me, which I want.
I need the extra blank line below City, Sate. So if I have two names adjacent
to each other one with 1 address line and the other with 2 address lines.
The person with one address line will have 2 blank lines before the next name
in that column, while the other person will have 1 blank line below city,
State before the next name in that column.

 

[Graham Mayor]

That's exactly what the conditional field does. It adds an extra blank line
at the end when the second address field is empty.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

See response to your latter post. Do not use a column layout. If you
insert the merge fields into the cells of a one row table, with a <<Next
Record>> field before the first mergefield in the second cell, the first
line of each record will line up correctly.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[donna]

Graham,

I tried that and it didn't work. I had the address formatted from "more
items", then immediately under it I typed what your said using cntl F9 for
the field boundry pairs:
((Last_name))
((Address))
((Address_2))
((city))
{Mergefield Last_name}
{Mergefield Address}
{Mergefield Address_2}
{City}{IF{Mergefield Address_2} = "" ""}

I also tried just using the {IF{..... without the preceding {Mergefiled
statements

It didn't add the additional line under the city on addresses that only had
1 address line.

 

[donna]

Doug, PLease look at my explanation below and the format I need. I need to
have 2 columns. I don't understand tables. I tried making a table but don't
know how to do it. I also don't know where in the process it should be done.

 

[Graham Mayor]

It won't work because you haven't inserted what I suggested which is:

{Mergefield Last_name}
{Mergefield Address}
{Mergefield Address_2}
{City}{IF{Mergefield Address_2} = "" "Press enter here!
"}

What you have told Word to do is print the address twice then if address_2
is empty do nothing?
remove one set of fields and press enter where indicated between the quotes.
It is this that creates the extra line.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Graham Mayor]

A table is simply a way of formatting columns. Doug's suggestion is an
alternative way to achieve what you want.

From the tables menu, add a one row two column table.
Put your fields in the first cell thus:

((Last_name))
((Address))
((Address_2))
((city))

Copy and paste them into the second cell. Add a NEXT record field to the
start of this cell.
The result will look a bit like:

((Last_name)) {Next}((Last_name))
((Address)) ((Address))
((Address_2)) ((Address_2))
((city)) ((city))

Now select the table Table > select > table Then CTRL+ALT+U will remove the
borders.
Merge to a new document. The merge will create a new row for each pair of
records and because it is a table the records will be aligned to each other
by the table, but the records will be side by side, which is why I prefer
the columnar method I suggested. I am sure Doug would come up with a macro
solution to correct that, but I don't think your Word skills are up to that
yet

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[sstires]

Your response solved one part of my merge problem. I am converting a WP
merge document to Word. The WP document contained a caption for the report
as well as a header row on the table. However, if I include the caption and
header rows in the Word document before merging, it includes them for each
record. Is it possible to set these up in the merge document before it is
merged or do they need to be inserted after completing the merge? Thanks for
your help.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

See response to your later post.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[paulb]

Doug

You appear to be an expert and I need help! I have a column in excel with
numbers and they are 12 digits long. Excel automatically formats these in
scientific format. I have changed these formats into text, number accounting,
custom, but when i mail merge the scientific format keeps appearing. I have
saved the excel file each time I have changed. How can I remove the
scientific format when merged into the word doc.