zip code with mail merge

[Guest]

the 1st zero gets dropped from zip codes when address spreadsheet is used for
mail merge.

 

[Guest]

I hope this isn't the same person posting from yesterday!! if so send me your
stuff, if not try =text(A1,"00000") then you can copy and paste special
values over your old data.

 

[Guest]

The first zero is getting dropped because it isn't really there - your cell
has just been formatted to show one. To format your merge field so it will
do the same thing - open your mail merge document, press Alt+F9 to show field
codes, for your zip code field, add the following switch after the field name
and before the bracket:
\# 00000
if your zip code field name is zip - it would look like this:
{ MERGEFIELD zip \# 00000}

Alt+F9 again to hide the field codes - when merge data is displayed, you
should have your leading zero's back.

 

[Guest]

I am wondering why Office 2007 made this so complicated and if there is a way
to save this as the default field name. My officemates and I do mail merges
very often and this is an extra step instead of an advancement of technology.
Thank you for solving this mystery.
Beth

 

[David McRitchie]

Rather than using numbers of zipcodes, I would suggest
that you format the column as Text in Excel before entry,
that would mean that you can have both 5 digit and 9 digit
US zip codes, and you can use zip codes used in other
countries.

Another method would be to add another column in Excel
=TEXT(E5,"00000") or to use the macro FixUSzip5
suggested on my Mail Merge page.
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/mailmerg.htm
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/join.htm#fixUSzip5

Haven't actually tried these on Excel 2007 yet, but they
worked fine on Excel 2000 and Excel 2002.