How do I make a list of people from an *.mdb recipients list

[Vicki]

I have printed envelopes using a mail merge in Word. How do I print a
one-page list of the recipients' names and addresses using the same *.mdb
list? When I try to make a directory from the recipients' list each record
is on a separate page. I want all records to be on one page. In other
words, I want a single-page list of the people I sent invitations to. Any
help?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

In the first step of the Mail Merge Wizard, or using the first button on the
Mail Merge toolbar, choose the "Directory" option.

Peter Jamieson

 

[Vicki]

I chose the Directory option. That is what put each record on a separate page.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Ok, it shouldn't, unless you have done something like..
a. inserted a page break in your mail merge main document
b. inserted a paragraph that has "page break before" formatting, or used a
paragraph style with that formatting attached (I would suspect the latter,
if you have used a Heading style to introduce each entry in your directory).

Peter Jamieson

 

[Vicki]

I think I didn't put enough in my main document (I had only Last Name and
Address on one line). What do I put there if I want is a list of Last Name
and Address for each record? How do I get it to put consecutive records on
the same page? Thank you for helping.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Are you sure that you are using a Directory type mailmerge main document. I
assume that because of your use of the terminology "*.mdb recipients list"
that you are using Word XP or Word 2003. If you are using an earlier
version of Word, it is called a Catalog type mail merge.

In either case, if you insert a one row table into the main document and
into the cells of that table, you insert the mergefields, then when you
execute the merge to a new document, that new document will contain a row of
data for each record in the data source.

There should be nothing else in the main document apart from that one row
table.

--
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

 

[Vicki]

Thank you. I've done everything you said (I'm using Word 2002 but the menu
choice is Directory, not Catalog). Can you figure out where I went astray?
1) open new doc 2)Insert 1 row table with 2 columns and open data source 3)
insert mail merge field Last Name in first cell and Address in second cell 4)
Click Merge to New Document. I got 39 pages with one address on each.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Can you figure out where I went astray?

It's not obvious. It's certainly not how directory merges usually work, so
something unusual must be going on.

What happens if you start with a completely blank document and
a. connect to the data source
b. insert /one/ mailmerge field, with no additional lines after it
c. ensure that the paragraph does not have "page break before" specified
d. ensure that the page layout is (say) single page, not double-page layout
etc.
e. do the merge?

I would expect to see the data for the selected field appear one record
after another without even a paragraph break, e.g. if the value in record 1
was A, in record 2 was B, and so on, I would actually expect to see
ABC...

If I put one more paragraph mark after the field, I would expect to see
A
B
C

Peter Jamieson

 

[Vicki]

Okay, so I found the problem with the formatting, but I don't know how to fix
it. When I do the merge as you suggested I still get multiple pages. When I
reveal the formatting with the paragraph symbol button there is a section
break (next page) format after the first record. It's not there when I start
the new document in the beginning. I have clicked Format>Clear formatting
but that didn't change anything. How do I clear that formatting out of there
before I merge?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

OK, it sounds as if it is associated with the paragraph r the paragraph
style.

Suppose you have the following paragraphs in your mail merge main document

A
B
C
D

and that in the output you end up with

A1
B1
new page
C1
D1
A2
B2
new page
C2
D2
etc.

then you should
a. click in paragraph C in your mail merge main document, then click
Format|Stles and Formatting. The "Styles and Formatting" task pane should
pop up.
b. Select the highlighted style name in the task pane, right-click and
select "Modify"
c. Click the Format button in the lower left hand corner of the dialog box
that appears, then Paragraph
d. Click "Line and Page Breaks", then Uncheck "Page Break Before", then
press OKuntil finished.

That should deal with the case where the paragaph /style/ has page break
associated with it. If it is the indvidual paragraph, you'll need to figure
that out for yourself or ask again as I have to finish now...

Peter Jamieson

 

[Vicki]

Peter, thank you for all your help. I will work on it some more and see if I
can fix the paragraph formatting. It's using the Normal formatting but maybe
I can make a new one and make sure it has no page breaks. I followed your
directions again and the Page Break Before was unchecked to begin with, but
Widows and Orphans was checked, so I unchecked that. I'll keep trying and
thank you again for all the detailed help. I think they made Word way more
difficult than it needs to be!

 

[Vicki]

I fixed it! There must be a more straight-forward method to do this common
task, but I had to Select All in the merged document to select all 38 pages,
then click Format>Reveal Formatting, then click Layout under Section, then
select Continuous. It was (and still is, I can't seem to change the default)
set to Begin Section on New Page. There's got to be an easier way, but this
ridiculously involved method worked so I'm done. Thank you again for setting
me on the right road!

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Hi Vicki,

Can you send me the mailmerge main document so that I can have a look at it.
As Peter said, that is not the way it usually works so there must be
something peculiar about the document. Please remove the REMOVETHIS from my
email address.

--
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

 

[Vicki]

Doug, sure, I'll send it, but did you mean to remove the REMOVECAPS from the
address I get when I click on your name?

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

If that's what it says.

--
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

 

[Vicki]

Two documents are on their way to you.

If that's what it says.

--
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

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

For anyone else following this thread, the mailmerge main document that I
received from Vicki was of the formletter type so as expected, when executed
to a new document, the data for each record was in a separate (Next Page)
section. Changing the document type to Directory resulted in the document
created by the merge being of the required type.

--
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

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Thanks, Doug.

Peter Jamieson

For anyone else following this thread, the mailmerge main document that I
received from Vicki was of the formletter type so as expected, when
executed to a new document, the data for each record was in a separate
(Next Page) section. Changing the document type to Directory resulted in
the document created by the merge being of the required type.

--
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