Printing Envelopes in a Mail Merge

[Glynda]

Ok, here's the situation: I have 1800 envelopes to print.
I did a mail merge w/my Excel database and created the
envelopes in Word. Still with me?

I got through 643 envelopes and then it all just stopped.
I need, desperately, to know how the heck can I start
with envelope #644 and go on to the end. I'm on a
deadline for a customer! Help!!

Thanks!

 

[Glynda]

-----Original Message-----
I would say that either the next envelope was outside of the range used for
the merge, or perhaps there was a blank row in the data, which Excel mistook
for the end of the list. It's likely something simple like that.

Richard,

I thought of that and wondered if that could be the
problem. I also copied & posted the rest of the data onto
another Excel worksheet and tried to do my mail merge
that way. But when I merged that data and it showed me
the envelopes, all the zip codes were missing even when I
know I included that data.

Any suggestions on how I can get restarted? Thanks
anyway.

 

[Richard Choate]

Are your zip codes in their own column? If so, do you have that column
included in your merge fields? Do you have the fields "matched"?

You remember you have to go and make sure Word understands what matches with
what. Word tends to lose this matching easily. It is also real easy to lose
the merge field(s) in a document. I would re-insert the mergefields into my
envelope document also. Then tell me if any of those things helped.
--
HTH
Richard Choate, CPA

-----Original Message-----
I would say that either the next envelope was outside of the range used for
the merge, or perhaps there was a blank row in the data, which Excel mistook
for the end of the list. It's likely something simple like that.

Richard,

I thought of that and wondered if that could be the
problem. I also copied & posted the rest of the data onto
another Excel worksheet and tried to do my mail merge
that way. But when I merged that data and it showed me
the envelopes, all the zip codes were missing even when I
know I included that data.

Any suggestions on how I can get restarted? Thanks
anyway.

 

[Glynda]

-----Original Message-----
Are your zip codes in their own column? If so, do you have that column
included in your merge fields? Do you have the fields "matched"?

You remember you have to go and make sure Word understands what matches with
what. Word tends to lose this matching easily. It is also real easy to lose
the merge field(s) in a document. I would re-insert the mergefields into my
envelope document also. Then tell me if any of those things helped.

Richard,

Yes, the zips are in their own columns. When you do a
mail merge, you have to insert each merge field (column)
when the program asks you to. I ALWAYS include the zips.

However, I'm unclear by what you mean on the fields being
matched? What is that and how does it affect the program?
I'm wondering if that's they key I'm missing?

Glynda

 

[Richard Choate]

OK, when you are in the merge wizard, there is a dialog that you use to
insert an address block or a merge field. At the bottom of that dialog is
probably a button that says "Match Fields". Click on that puppy and you will
see what I mean.
Richard

--
HTH
Richard Choate, CPA

-----Original Message-----
Are your zip codes in their own column? If so, do you have that column
included in your merge fields? Do you have the fields "matched"?

You remember you have to go and make sure Word understands what matches with
what. Word tends to lose this matching easily. It is also real easy to lose
the merge field(s) in a document. I would re-insert the mergefields into my
envelope document also. Then tell me if any of those things helped.

Richard,

Yes, the zips are in their own columns. When you do a
mail merge, you have to insert each merge field (column)
when the program asks you to. I ALWAYS include the zips.

However, I'm unclear by what you mean on the fields being
matched? What is that and how does it affect the program?
I'm wondering if that's they key I'm missing?

Glynda

 

[Richard Choate]

I think you can get other sheets if you have a named range containing the
data.
--
HTH
Richard Choate, CPA

Be aware that Mail Merge will only look at the first worksheet in Excel.
Other pages may be open and look similar but it is the first worksheet
that is used. If you filter your list then mail merge will only see what
the filter allows you to see. This aspect of a filtered list also applies
to copy and paste.

My page on mail merge is
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/mailmerg.htm
but you've already printed. Not clear but I presume the first 638
envelopes printed okay with zip codes and it was the second run
that failed to have zip codes.

 

[David McRitchie]

I think I got mixed results trying to use defined ranges. Yes I think
the documentation says you can, but I certainly had trouble getting
consistent results.

 

[Glynda]

Richard,

I will certainly try the matched fields and see what
happens. I hope that may solve the problem of the missing
zip codes.

David,
The missing zip codes happened on the envelopes #644 -
end. I had taken the data from #644 - on, and copied &
pasted it into a brand new Excel sheet and saved it
separately, as if it was a brand new file. Then when I
went to merge the data, that was when the zip codes
disappeared.

I'm going to try Richard's suggestion, but if you have
any further input, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Glynda]

Ok, 2 things happened:

#1 - I either don't have, or don't know where it says in
the merge dialogue box 'Match Fields' or something close
to that.

And #2 - I discovered that I had a couple of addresses
listed without zip codes. Could it be that these 'holes'
in the data are responsible for the merge that was
missing the zip codes?

I'm going to try & fill those holes, merge again and see
what happens.

 

[Richard Choate]

No, the missing zips aren't a problem. You did say that you copied the data
to a new spreadsheet. That would mean that you need to tell Word about this
new, different data source. It even gives you a peek at the data you're
going to use so you can tell the wizard if you want to ignore some of the
records. Why don't you start the new merge from scratch, Glynda. This
shouldn't take you but a minute to do it and I'm sure you are just not
seeing something simple that you haven't told me. You will solve that by
resetting your data source and re-inserting your merge fields and going from
there. Fortunately, this is pretty straightforward and there are only a
couple of spots where you will find possible trouble.
--
HTH
Richard Choate, CPA

Ok, 2 things happened:

#1 - I either don't have, or don't know where it says in
the merge dialogue box 'Match Fields' or something close
to that.

And #2 - I discovered that I had a couple of addresses
listed without zip codes. Could it be that these 'holes'
in the data are responsible for the merge that was
missing the zip codes?

I'm going to try & fill those holes, merge again and see
what happens.

 

[Glynda]

That was it! It was the missing fields that screwed up
the zip codes in the 2nd merge I tried to do. All the
holes are filled, I did the merge again and everything is
ready to go!

Thank you for all the imput I received. This is a great
site and I'll be sure to help anyone else here that I can
and come back for advice again when I need it!

 

[Richard Choate]

I'm glad that worked, but if you have zips in their own field, then having
some blank zips would not account for the problem you wrote about. I will
have to say it was something else you did that fixed the problem. Talk to
you soon.
--
HTH
Richard Choate, CPA

That was it! It was the missing fields that screwed up
the zip codes in the 2nd merge I tried to do. All the
holes are filled, I did the merge again and everything is
ready to go!

Thank you for all the imput I received. This is a great
site and I'll be sure to help anyone else here that I can
and come back for advice again when I need it!