Word: Address Labels.. Want Postal code on separate line

[Jane B]

I am using Mail Merge.. with Word, which I have used before

1. Everytime I change anything in the excel data source.. I have to recreate
the whole Word Mail merge.. even just retyping a name. This is frustrating

2. The address block function puts the postal code on same line as City and
Province, I want it on a separate line.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?SmFuZSBC?=,

I am using Mail Merge.. with Word, which I have used before

Which versin of Word? 2002 or 2003, I'm guessing...

1. Everytime I change anything in the excel data source.. I have to recreate
the whole Word Mail merge.. even just retyping a name. This is frustrating

What steps do you mean when you say "recreate the whole Word mail merge"? Have
you tried:
- saving the changes you make in the data source
- closing, then re-opening the merge document

2. The address block function puts the postal code on same line as City and
Province, I want it on a separate line.

Microsoft doesn't recommend editing the AddressBlock. It is possible to do so,
however, if you're careful. Pressing Alt+F9 turns the field codes on/off so
that you can change how things are presented. But if you're not familiar with
the field and how it works, this can get quite tricky.

You might just be faster/better off to insert the fields individually, in the
order you need them.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?SmFuZSBC?=,

Inline, below...

It seems that when I re-open the merge Word document - I have to sync up
with the latest excel (where my data source is - no change in Name of file)
in order to see the changes, and the wizard then asks me to reselect
everything,

I'm trying to "look over your shoulder", but your description doesn't match up with
what I usually see. Could you be more specific about exactly what happens, in what
order? Including any messages Word is giving you, please. Let's start from the
point "Word is open, and now I'm using File/Open to open my main merge document.."

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in
the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Jane B]

Thanks for taking an interest in this.. I will give you a look over my
shoulder
It is indeed MS 2002 on Windows XP.

1. When I open the MS Word Labels file (last successful version)
First question is to choose Find Data Source or Options .. Options takes
one to a place I don't understand.
2. Then it opens folder My Data Source and of course my Excel spreadsheet is
in My Documents. so I find it..
3. Then it brings up select table and I just say Ok in the way it comes up
by default

Note: I am only just opening the file. I haven't done anything yet.
4. When the file now opens.. it has all of the labels = but when I last
saved it I had selected 10 of the larger set. This seems to have been
forgotten.
5. So I open Mail Merge Wizard and it opens in Step 3. Edit recipient list..
6. I just checked and my alterations to the Excel spreadsheet are indeed
reflected in the revised spreadsheet. Note: I did not rename the file or
change the structure just corrected a name.
But I am at the start again figuring out what rows should be selected.
Matching Fields seems to have to take place again.
Not clear to me why I even need to use the Mail merge.

That is it.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?SmFuZSBC?=,

OK, this does, indeed, help. What's happening is that Word is not retaining the
link to the data source (Excel file). This is a common problem with Excel (and
to some extent, Access) in Word 2002/2003, and it's due to the new data
connection method (OLE DB, but you don't need to know anything more than that).

In order to stabilize things, I suggest
- you use DDE or ODBC to link to the data. You'll find information on how
to do this in the Word 2002 section of my website's mail merge FAQ, under
"Connecting as in previous versions". I recommend you first try the DDE
interface.

- I also recommend using "Query options" instead of the Edit Recipients
dialog box for selecting the records, if the records you want to use meet a
common criteria (rather than just a random selection). The Query options can be
found under the topic "Getting back older interfaces".

- As to why you need mail merge: Word does support creating single labels,
or entire sheets of the same label. You need to either type in the information,
or insert it from an Outlook (NOT Express!) address book. There's no way to
pick it up from Access or Excel.

But if you want to create labels for ten different people, then you'd have to
manually create ten separate labels. That's what mail merge is good for; plus
it can get the information from Excel or Access (or lots of other sources).

Hope this clears up a few things?

1. When I open the MS Word Labels file (last successful version)
First question is to choose Find Data Source or Options .. Options takes
one to a place I don't understand.
2. Then it opens folder My Data Source and of course my Excel spreadsheet is
in My Documents. so I find it..
3. Then it brings up select table and I just say Ok in the way it comes up
by default

Note: I am only just opening the file. I haven't done anything yet.
4. When the file now opens.. it has all of the labels = but when I last
saved it I had selected 10 of the larger set. This seems to have been
forgotten.
5. So I open Mail Merge Wizard and it opens in Step 3. Edit recipient list..
6. I just checked and my alterations to the Excel spreadsheet are indeed
reflected in the revised spreadsheet. Note: I did not rename the file or
change the structure just corrected a name.
But I am at the start again figuring out what rows should be selected.
Matching Fields seems to have to take place again.
Not clear to me why I even need to use the Mail merge.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Jane B]

Thanks Cindy for persisting with me. Quite helpful .. I will keep your site
at hand.