Multiple records on single merge doc

[Flyer7]

Good evening,

I'm merging data into certificates for an organization using Excel and
Word 2003. In the past a simple merge of one data row created a
document with mailing address, name and achievement in each merged
document. Many members end up with several certificates.

This year I was asked to reduce the number of certificates to one
certificate for any one individual, and include all the achievements
for a single individual on one certificate. Names may repeat for
several rows, each with a different achievement. I'd like to place
data from subsequent records onto the current merge document as long
as the name remains the same. New name = new document.

Would I use bookmark to "hold" the current record name for comparison
with the next record? Then how do I jump to next document if name is
different?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[macropod]

Hi Flyer7,

You can use Word's Catalogue/Directory Mailmerge facility for this. To see how, check out my Word 97-2007 Catalogue/Directory
Mailmerge Tutorial at:
http://www.wopr.com/index.php?showtopic=731107&st=0&p=731107&#entry731107
or
http://www.gmayor.com/Zips/Catalogue Mailmerge.zip
Do read the tutorial before trying to use the mailmerge document included with it.

 

[Flyer7]

macropod, thank you for the tutorial. I have catalog merge working,
with multiple achievements keyed to a name field.

Now graphics are giving me trouble. I need to print certificate
frame, org logo, and some text behind data. Any way I place them in
doc - as separate graphic elements, grouped as one, or as GIF called
in script - does not allow them to be layered with data. Placing a
text box around script does allow layering, but seems to break the
catalog merge (back to ungrouped data, and text boxes and graphics get
placed all on one page of output).

I've spent a bit of time trying, but starting to wonder if it can be
done...

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP on news.microsoft.com]

You might need to use a macro to Unlink all of the fields in the document
produced by the merge and then copy and paste the text into a new document
created from a template that has the graphic elements set up in it.

--
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, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com

 

[macropod]

Hi Flyer7,

If you place the graphics in the page header or footer, they should be unaffected by whatever is output to the body of the page.
This should work fine unless the graphics are themselves part of the merge data.

Similarly, if the graphics are tied to a particular paragraph before/after the variable data, you should be able to control which
graphics move and which stay put on the page. In this regard, note that the manual line breaks in the tutorial's field construction
can be replaced by paragraph breaks and the graphics can be anchored to any of those paragraphs - preferably a paragraph before the
first of the 'catalog' merge data.

 

[Flyer7]

macropod,

Thanks for header/footer tip. That looks promising. Placed in footer,
a single certificate graphic will now print on output but still I
can't print the name and achievement data over the graphic. Of course
headers and footers are meant to remain separate from other text, but
any thoughts on how I get around this would be appreciated.

Thinking ahead, should I try to duplex this, to print the mailing
address block on reverse side, or should I print both sides
separately, but in same order to match them up properly? Duplex, of
course is preferable for better assurance of accuracy.

Thank you kindly for your assistance.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP on news.microsoft.com]

How do you have the text wrapping set for the Graphic?

For you thinking ahead, see the article "Duplex Merge Data for Postcards" on
fellow MVP Graham Mayor's website at:

http://www.gmayor.com/duplex_merge_data.htm


--
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, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com

 

[macropod]

Hi Flyer7,

To get the graphic to move with the text, so that it's positioned relative to the last repeated row, you'd need to use the
tutorial's 'Insert Additional Text Before and After the Repeated Data' approach, with the graphic attached to the nominally 'after'
text and formatted so that it's behind the text and positioned relative to that paragraph.

See Doug's separate reply re duplexing.