Mailmerge and underscores

[Larry B.]

I have two problems that have existed since Word97 and continues into Word
2007.

I develop a form that is populated from an Access database. When I
underscore the mergefield, any leading and trailing underscores are not
aligned with the mergefield underscores. Further, if I use a leading
underscore tab to align the next item, the spot under the tab is not
underscored at all.

e.g., Name: __<<mergfield1>>{leading underscor tab} Date:
__<<mergefield2>>{leading underscore tab}

The mergefields are underscored using ctrl-u.

Is this a bug? If not, what technique do I need to follow to get this to work?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

I would insert the mergefields in the cells of a table with borders applied
to the appropriate cell boundaries.

--
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

 

[Larry B.]

Thanks Doug,

That sounds like a workaround to a BUG that Microsoft should really address.

Larry B.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Try adding a \* vcharformat switch inside the closing } of the mergefields
and format the M of MERGEFIELD so that it is underlined.

What are you using the create the leading and trailing underscores? If it
is the Underscore key on the keyboard that is to the right of the zero key
on a US keyboard, then I am not surprised that the underscores do not line
up.

--
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

 

[macropod]

Hi Larry,

Try this:
1. Press Alt-F9 to expose the mailmerge field coding. you should see something like {MERGEFIELD mergfield1} etc.
2. Add a \* Charformat switch, thus: {MERGEFIELD mergfield1 \* Charformat}
3. Underline the 'M' of 'MERGEFIELD'
4. Delete any \* Mergeformat switches that may be present.
5. Press Alt-F9 to hide the mailmerge field coding.
6. Run your mailmerge.

Cheers

 

[Peter Jamieson]

As an additional suggestion on this one, instead of using a leading
undescore tab, try using an ordinary tab and applying the underscore to it
using ctrl-U

 

[Larry B.]

Thanks for the detailed instructions MacroPod ... but the results are the
same ... the underscores beneath the merged field is slightly higher than the
leading and trailing underscores

 

[macropod]

Hi Larry,

The only way I can see around that is to vary the font size for the tab character, so that its underscore positioning matches that
of the text.

Cheers