4 per page postcards merge print problmes

[jwb]

Ok, I got it to work, that is I was able to create a VERY STANDARD postcard,
4 per page and merge with an excel data base. But I had to print directly to
a printer to get the results.

I was not even able to print to a PDF file so I could proof, it would only
do 4 records at a time then stop.

I find it hard to believe, such a BASIC use of Publisher, has such a HUGE
bug in the program.

Am I missing something? I plan on doing a lot of this type of merge/print
in the future. Should I look for another solution, another program or has
someone figured this out or does Microsoft have a solution.

To restate the problem (although I've read a lot of threads with the same
problem, so I know it is knows...) when you merge to a new document a 4 card
per sheet merge, you get the same name on ALL FOUR cards.

Please if someone has an answer, I would be grateful.

Thanks,
JWB

 

[Mary Sauer]

When you merge is there just one card on your screen? This is the only way a
merge works. Print preview will always show all four cards being the same, this
is a Publisher bug (it is fixed in 2007).
How many cards are you merging?
This article might help if you merging a great many.
The Registry Fix for changing the Mail Merge Batch Size
http://ed.mvps.org/Static.aspx?=Publisher/registryfix

 

[Guest]

If I read you correctly, you have two different issues here. (The following
reflects Publisher 2003.)

Regarding "same name on ALL FOUR cards": when you create the Excel worksheet
that contains the data you intend to use to merge, you MUST create (in your
case) 4 sets of columns for that data. (I do this presently for post cards I
send, mail merge, to my prospective customers.) For example, if you have 100
names/addresses/city-state-zip codes that will be your data, you will need to
create 12 columns (3 fields, times 4 cards on the same page). And because
you're going to create 4 cards on each piece of paper, you'll use 25 rows
(100 addressees divided by 100).

You'll want to label cells A1 through L1 (your Header row) with meaningfully
distinctive names, say, name1, address1, zip1, name2, address2, zip2, and so
on. Cut and paste your data into these 4 equal column sets, and you'll be
done with your Data Source.

Now, with your Publisher document open, create 4 text boxes in the
appropriate places where your data should go. Then to Tools, Mail and
Catalog Merge, Open Data Source, and follow the usual directions. The
improvement now will be that you'll insert the needed fields as
differentiated by your clever naming scheme, and all will print perfectly,
page after page.

To your inability to print each page as a pdf: Publisher does not actually
create separate pages when it does a merge. It simply substitutes data with
each incarnation of the document.

(If you intend to mail merge dollar symbols or other formatted Excel cells,
you'll discover another weakness in the interoperabilty of these two apps.
Just use normal text and you won't have to ask what I'm talking about.)

 

[Guest]

The parentheses above should have read, "(100 addressees divided by 4)".

 

[jwb]

Wow!! that seems like way more trouble than it is worth.

I can continue to just PRINT directly from the merged publisher document.
The disadvantage is I can't edit the cards before I print. However to cut
and past and cut and paste and ... to get 4 cards per row in my excel
data.... well that is not worth that.

And as for the question of how many cards are on my screen before I do the
merge? ONE. I create a document that is four copies per page, a basic option
available in publisher and then I merge to an excel spread sheet that has 400
rows of addresses, ONE address per row.

Publisher can obviously created the document and PRINT it, it just can't
save it. Once again, I am AMAZAED at such a basic thing for a MAIN STREAM
backbone program like publisher for Microsoft, how much trouble it is for it
to handle it.

You would think the boys and girls at MS would have figured this bug out by
now.

Based on the number of threads with the SAME problem, I'm not the only
person creating postcards and merging address fields using publisher...

Thanks for the suggestion.

JWB

 

[Mary Sauer]

Create a data list within Publisher. By default Publisher saves the data as an
Access database. It is not rocket science.

 

[jwb]

Rocket Science I actually do understand, Publisher is what I am having
problems with. I re-read your answers and the article you sent and I don't
see any reference to using an Access database instead of the Excel
spreadsheet.

I could easily convert my database into an Access database and use that to
merge from, did I miss something? Would that solve the problem I am having
with all FOUR records per sheet having the same name on them when I 'merge to
document"?

Thanks again for the help. This is always a GREAT resource.

JWB

 

[Mary Sauer]

Hello again JWB,

There is an enormous amount of help either from the Office site or within
Publisher's help.

Mail and catalog merge
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/CH062524751033.aspx

You can merge from Word, Access, Excel, Publisher and other data programs.

Mail and Catalog Merge data sources used in Publisher
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/HP030713471033.aspx

As I mentioned before, there is a bug in Publisher that will show all cards
being the same in print preview, but they won't print all the same. Do a sample
print first.

 

[jwb]

Mary, thanks again.

I will continue to research the help links you mentioned, but I think I have
been to them all.

Again, my problem isn't printing, I can 'merge to print' what Publisher
won't do correctly is 'merge to file' When I try to print the resulting
'merge to file' I get four of the same records on the same sheet. It would
be nice to 'merge to file' be able to review and edit there, THEN print.

I guess there is a bug or a misunderstanding on my part. For now I'll be
content to 'merge to print'.

THanks for the effort.

JWB

 

[Mary Sauer]

Have you tried to save as a publication in step five?

 

[jwb]

Yes, and when I print the resulting 'publication' I get four postcards per
page BUT they ALL have the same NAME and ADDRESS on them.

Oh Well...

 

[Mary Sauer]

Can you send me your data?
I will see if I get the same result.
mary-sauer at columbus.rr.com