Create Mail Merge List/Database in Access 2007

[Guest]

I'm used to doing mail merges using xls excel spreadsheets. In the past, I've
only used the address when doing mailings. I now want to use a pic that is
associated with the address.

How do I import the addresses into access and then add the record's picture?

 

[Guest]

Hi Renee,

I've never tried this yet, but I bookmarked it some time ago, from Word MVP
Cindy Meister's web site:

Merge a picture from an Access database into Word
(See "Special Merges section")
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister/MergFram.htm


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Guest]

Thanks Tom. I'll give it a try!

Hi Renee,

I've never tried this yet, but I bookmarked it some time ago, from Word MVP
Cindy Meister's web site:

Merge a picture from an Access database into Word
(See "Special Merges section")
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister/MergFram.htm


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Please let us know if it works out for you.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Renee B.]

I wasn't able to get it to work. I ended up getting the address with the
coding instead of the picture. I added the path name to the DB as instructed
and then went into Word to do the mail merge.

The input was

«AddressBlock»


{ IncludePicture "«PropertyPic»" }


which resulted in


Jane Doe
1234 5th St
SUNRISE, FL 33322


{ IncludePicture "xxxx SHADY GLEN DR.jpg" }


Any suggestions?

 

[Tom Wickerath]

This reply to an existing thread in microsoft.public.access cross-posted to
microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields. For those people in the
mailmerge.fields group, who are seeing only this portion, the original thread
can be found here:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...cess&mid=14608472-6cff-4b65-a454-57b8de2b8f8d

====================================

Hi Renee,

I've spent hours trying, but so far I have not had any luck getting this to
work correctly. I posted a request for help from other MVPs in Word and
Access, and got three responses from Word MVPs. I've tried all of these
responses, but still no joy. Here are the responses that I received:

=================================
<First respondent>

In this case, from what the OP posted, I would say that she has probably
typed the {} around the INCLUDEPICTURE field, rather than using the special
field braces you can insert using ctrl-F9.

However, you also have to:
a. either double up all the backslashes in the path name, or use forward
slashes

b. uncheck Word Tools->Options->General->Web options->Files->Update links
on save - otherwise, when you save the mail merge main document, the
included field is unlinked, leaving a URL-style path with %20s instead of
spaces, and so on.

c. select the output document and refresh all the INCLUDEPICTURE fields
using F9. (You may find printing directly works, or you may have to set
either or both of Word Tools->Options->Print->Update fields and Update
links.

My experience is that it is also very easy to insert a space that should not
be there at the beginning of the file path name, e.g. using

{ INCLUDEPICTURE " { MERGEFIELD myfield }" }

=================================
<Second respondent>

I'm no expert with this stuff but the double backslashes are critical. AFAIK
you can't do it in the merge itself (although you could probably manage it
in a MailMergeAfterRecordMerge (or maybe MailMergeAfterMerge) Application
event) and it would be better if you had a query in your database containing
them, on which you could base the merge - unfortunately, again, I don't
think this is as easy as it might be. You really need to use the VBA
Replace(Photo,"\","\\") function but it doesn't exist as an Access function
so you will need to build your own (rather trivial) VBA function and use
that in your query.

=================================
<Third respondent>

What I find works best is to use Insert | Picture | From File: Link to File
to insert a "known-good" path in the IncludePicture field, then base my
merge syntax on that. Also, if all the pictures are in a single folder, you
can type the entire path except for the actual image filename as part of the
field, putting just the image filename in the merge field.

=================================

Here are my comments back to each person who provided help:
To the first respondent:
Thank You very much for your input. On the issue of typing the {},
that's exactly what I was attempting to do. At the time, I was kind of
wondering about this, thinking it might be more like an array formula in
Excel, but since Cindy didn't mention it on her web page...

To the second respondent:
Thank You Tony for your input. Actually, Access does have the Replace
function available. I believe it was added in Access 2000. Prior to
that, folks would code their own replace function, but I imagine that
likely wouldn't work since the mail merge functionality is not running
msaccess.exe to actually run such a function. One can call this function
directly from a query, but only if Sandbox mode is not enabled for
Access.
++++++++
However, since writing the above comment back to the second person, I have
since discovered that Word Mail Merge does not want to display a SELECT query
if it contains a reference to a built-in function, such as the Replace
function. So, I ended up manually editing the paths in my database to include
the double slashes separating the folders. Still no joy.

Perhaps it would be a lot easier to just use Access as your report writer!

Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Is there still an unanswered question here?

--
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

 

[Graham Mayor]

See http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_graphics.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Peter Jamieson]

1. I just tried it all again here with Word 2007/Access 2007. Certainly my
examples work as I suggested earlier.

2. You really need to be sure that the path is correct. To verify that, you
can (rather obviously)
a. merge to a new document
b. use Alt-F9 to display one of the generated INCLUDEPICTURE fields, and
see if the path is what you expect (it should have the backslashes doubled
up at this point)

3. If you have stuff like UNC paths with double backslashes, you need to
double them up too (i.e. in some case you need 4 backslashes).

4. The path typically needs to be a full path name. If not, do not expect
Word to find the pictures in the same folder as the mail merge main
document. It ctually looks in the "current" path which may not be that one.

5. It's possible that security issues are getting in the way, particularly
if the image files are on a network.

However, since writing the above comment back to the second person, I have
since discovered that Word Mail Merge does not want to display a SELECT
query
if it contains a reference to a built-in function, such as the Replace
function.

This is not quite correct - Word Mail Merge can use /most/ of the built-in
Access VBA functions in a query. However, unless the connection from Word
uses the DDE protocol, which starts Access and sends the query for Access to
execute, it cannot use
a. some built-in functions (for example some of the financial series
functions). In some (possibly all) cases this is because the functions are
"in" Access but not "in" Jet (i.e., have not been added to all the internal
structures they should have been added to) - I believe this is what has
happened in the case of "replace". This is actually pretty irritating for
MailMergers precisely for the reason you indicate.
b. user-defined functions defined in Access VBA

Perhaps it would be a lot easier to just use Access as your report writer!

Undoubtedly the best option if
a. feasible
b. it gives you what you want.

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Doug,

Is there still an unanswered question here?

Yes. Otherwise, I would not have written the following:

"I've spent hours trying, but so far I have not had any
luck getting this to work correctly."

I will try the link that Graham provided next, although I won't have time to
try it until after I return home from work, later today. Thanks Graham, in
advance.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Hi Peter,

I have not tried the sample with Word 2007 / Access 2007 (even though the
title of this thread includes Access 2007). I've been trying to get this to
work in earlier versions (Office 2002, SP-3 at first, followed by Office
2003, SP-2).

1. I just tried it all again here with Word 2007/Access 2007. Certainly my
examples work as I suggested earlier.

Can you get your example to work using Word 2003 with Access 2003? If so,
is it possible for you to post a downloadable sample, with the images in a
folder such as C:\Pics or C\Data\Pics, as in Cindy's original example?
______________________

2. You really need to be sure that the path is correct.

I am absolutely sure that the paths I am using, including the filenames, are
correct.

b. use Alt-F9 to display one of the generated INCLUDEPICTURE fields, ...

Earlier, you indicated:
"c. select the output document and refresh all the INCLUDEPICTURE
fields using F9."

I couldn't tell that F9 was doing anything. Now, I wonder if you meant
Alt-F9 the first time?

(it should have the backslashes doubled up at this point)

The paths included doubled-up backslashes. I even tried changing the paths
stored in my Access app. to include the doubled-up backslashes, so that I
could call a query directly, without having to attempt to use the Replace
function within the query, which Word was objecting to without invoking DDE.
I entered the following:

{ IncludePicture "{ MergeField Photo }" }

making sure to use Ctrl F9 to enter the curly braces. When I right-click on
Toggle Field Codes, I see the following:

{ IncludePicture "C:\\Pics\\HPIM0783.JPG" }

I did not enter this path, but it is correct, so apparently Word
successfully replaced the "{ MergeField Photo }" with the actual path. The
next record initially displays:

C:\\Pics\\HPIM0781.JPG (not correct). However, when I right-click on this
merge field, and select "Toggle Field Codes", I now see:

{ IncludePicture "C:\\Pics\\HPIM0777.JPG" }

which is correct. Again, I never entered the path "C:\\Pics\\HPIM0777.JPG"
directly in Word. Clicking on the third record, once again I see:

C:\\Pics\\HPIM0781.JPG (incorrect).
and when I right-click on the merge field and select Toggle Field codes, I
see the correct path:

{ IncludePicture "C:\\Pics\\HPIM0781.JPG" }

The best I can seem to achieve was an address block that changed with each
record, as expected, but the picture was the same for all records, as though
it was simply inserted but not via a merge.

I have also tried: { IncludePicture { MergeField "Photo" } } and
{ IncludePicture "{ MergeField "Photo" }" } to no avail.
______________________

3. If you have stuff like UNC paths...

No UNC paths at this point. Also, nothing difficult in the path I am using.
The three test paths for the images all conform to the old DOS 8.3 pattern,
without any spaces or special characters.
______________________

4. The path typically needs to be a full path name. If not, do not expect
Word to find the pictures in the same folder as the mail merge main
document. It ctually looks in the "current" path which may not be that one.

The paths are full names in each case. My test Word document is located on a
separate physical hard drive, as "G:\ImageDemo\MergeTest.doc".
______________________

5. It's possible that security issues are getting in the way, particularly
if the image files are on a network.

There is no network involved. I am the admin. on this PC. I'm still using
Windows 2000 Server as my operating system. Hopefully that does not matter.
The Access application is also located in G:\ImageDemo\ImageDemo.mdb. A form
in this Access application, which includes an image control, correctly
displays the three test images, even after I doubled up the backslashes.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Hi Tom,

Funnily enough, it was the Access/Word combination I was unsure of - the
technique was well-established before that.

Can you get your example to work using Word 2003 with Access 2003? If so,
is it possible for you to post a downloadable sample, with the images in a
folder such as C:\Pics or C\Data\Pics, as in Cindy's original example?

For a short time only,

1. see if you can download

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk/downloads/pjjtest1.zip

(it's about 370Kb)

2. It expects to be unpacked to c:\pjjtest1 (there should be folders
c:\pjjtest1\database, c:\pjjtest1\documents, c:\pjjtest1\images. If you
unpack elsewhere (and even if you don't) you may have to reconnect to the
data source.

3. the database folder contains testdb.mdb with a single table containing
some very simple records with doubled-up backslash pathnames to the images
folder

4. the documents folder contains
a. the_images.doc, with the images inserted using ordinary INCLUDEPICTURE
fields
b. mmmd.doc, a Mail Merge Main Document with the kind of stuff we've been
discussing
c. results.doc, the results immediately after a merge to a new document
d. results_after_select_and_update_fields.doc (self-explanatory name I
hope...)

This sample was made using Office 2003 SP3 (11.8166.8172) on Win XP Pro SP2.

On your points..

I couldn't tell that F9 was doing anything. Now, I wonder if you meant
Alt-F9 the first time?

No, Select everything and F9 was intended to update the fields. Alt-F9 was
intended for inspecting the field codes.

<<

{ IncludePicture "{ MergeField Photo }" }

making sure to use Ctrl F9 to enter the curly braces. When I right-click
on
Toggle Field Codes, I see the following:

{ IncludePicture "C:\\Pics\\HPIM0783.JPG" }

I did not enter this path, but it is correct, so apparently Word
successfully replaced the "{ MergeField Photo }" with the actual path. The
next record initially displays:

C:\\Pics\\HPIM0781.JPG (not correct). However, when I right-click on
this
merge field, and select "Toggle Field Codes", I now see:

{ IncludePicture "C:\\Pics\\HPIM0777.JPG" }

This is the behaviour I would expect.

<<

The best I can seem to achieve was an address block that changed with each
record, as expected, but the picture was the same for all records, as
though
it was simply inserted but not via a merge.

It is the same until you refresh the fields. However, since it doesn't seem
to be doing that for you, maybe you have F9 set to something other than
"refresh field codes"?

Another thing that may affect this behaviour is the FieldCalcSecurityLevel
registry setting which is described at

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330079/en-us

I'm not conscious of having to change it for Word 2003 for this to work but
people with Word 2002 installations may well have to mess around with this.

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Hi Peter,

Thank You for posting your sample. I stayed late at work, and spent some
time looking at your sample. I need to do the same on my PC at home. I'll
have more to write within the next few days, but I've simply run out of time
now. Perhaps it would be best if I took further discussion off-line, to the
private newsgroup, and then posted a summary here, afterwards.

No, Select everything and F9 was intended to update the fields.

I think I may have been failing to select everything first. I was just
trying to push the F9 button.

It is the same until you refresh the fields. However, since it doesn't seem
to be doing that for you, maybe you have F9 set to something other than
"refresh field codes"?

I have not done any remapping of any keys in Word. I only know how to do the
most basic stuff in Word. I'm a lot more comfortable as an Access Developer,
vs. any kind of Word guru.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Peter Jamieson]

<<
Perhaps it would be best if I took further discussion off-line, to the
private newsgroup, and then posted a summary here, afterwards.
Whichever you like!

FWIW the problem with trying to do many mailmerges is that /so many/
conditions have to be right before they will function properly. If you're
doing the merges for yourself, it's not that hard to get it right, but if
you're trying to distribute an automated solution, you end up having to
consider fixing the user's registry, fixing their Word options, putting
macro code in to update the output document, and therefore ensuring that the
user's security settings let them run that code, and so on.

 

[Graham Mayor]

I have not done any remapping of any keys in Word. I only know how to
do the most basic stuff in Word. I'm a lot more comfortable as an
Access Developer, vs. any kind of Word guru.

If you have a keyboard with dual functions on the fKeys, you may need to
toggle the function with an FLock key?

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>