Merging for a two-sided postcard

[Marci in the Great State of Texas]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to create a post
card mail merge using merge fields on both sides. I've
created one document for the address side, and another
for the message side. The merge itself works fine, but
how do I print the merged document so the salutation on
the message side matches the addressee? Since the order
of the recipients is the same for both documents (I don't
know how to easily change this without editing each
individually - defeating the purpose), and the page of
four postcards must be turned over to print the other
side, recipient layout is flipped. I must be missing
something obvious.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Typically you should set up a two-page (i.e. 2-sided) mail merge main
document, and use SET fields to save the values of each field you want to
use on page 2, and REF fields to insert them.

So suppose you have the following fields on page 1 (use Alt-F9 to see these
field codes)

Card 1 front:
{ MERGEFIELD a }

Card 2 front:
{ NEXT }
{ MERGEFIELD a }

Card 3 front:
{ NEXT }
{ MERGEFIELD a }

Card 4 front:
{ NEXT }
{ MERGEFIELD a }

And you want { MERGEFIELD c } on the back of the card. Use field codes as
follwos on the front:

Card 1 front:
{ MERGEFIELD a }
{ SET c1 { MERGEFIELD c } }

Card 2 front:
{ NEXT }
{ MERGEFIELD a }
{ SET c2 { MERGEFIELD c } }

Card 3 front:
{ NEXT }
{ MERGEFIELD a }
{ SET c3 { MERGEFIELD c } }

Card 4 front:
{ NEXT }
{ MERGEFIELD a }
{ SET c4 { MERGEFIELD c } }

Then you will prbably have the following sequence on the back:

Card 2 back:
{ REF c2 }

Card 1 back:
{ REF c1 }

Card 4 back:
{ REF c4 }

Card 3 back:
{ REF c3 }

(You don't need { NEXT } fields on the back. But all the {} need to be the
special field code braces you can insert using ctrl-F9).

 

[Marci]

OK... yikes. Before I spend a bunch of time trying to
do this, can I just verify what you expect the end result
would be?

I want to use the "lname" field on the printed result on
both the front and the back. Using your directions, page
one would print like this:

Mr. Black Mr. White

Mr. Green Mr. Brown

And page two would print like this:

Mr. Green Mr. Brown

Mr. Black Mr. White

Thank you!

 

[Peter Jamieson]

In that case I suppose you would need to use the following sequence instead:

Card 4 back:
{ REF c4 }

Card 3 back:
{ REF c3 }

Card 2 back:
{ REF c2 }

Card 1 back:
{ REF c1 }

I usually test using a small sample and ordinary paper.