mail merge troubleshooting

[Dottie]

I am looking for troubleshooting help in Publisher 2003 mail merge. We are
trying to add mailing addresses to a full color 4 page 8 1/2 x 11 booklet.
Original booklet file is 13 MG. 300 Addresses are in an Excel file. I have
tried 2 different excel files.
We got this to work once for 1/2 the list before it quit. In November I got
it to work, albeit slowly, and 10 addresses at a time.
I have since had the registry fix installed and double-checked by our IT dept.
Since the registry fix, I cannot print the file, or pdf it with anything
involving a merge. I also tried to cancel the merge. Since I cancelled the
merge, the merge wizard is greyed out.
Any suggestions?
I have searched the Help files and the forums; The past week I have tried
everything I can think of. Am working off my desktop; Also tried renamings,
re-copying original, etc.
Is there a Bible on Publisher merges that goes indepth? We would really like
to use the merge feature, but we need to iron out the kinks first.
Thanks!

 

[Mary Sauer]

What registry fix? This one:
The Registry Fix
for changing the Mail Merge Batch Size
http://ed.mvps.org/Static.aspx?=Publisher/registryfix

Publisher 2003 has always been a reliable merge application.
Mail and catalog merge
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/CH062524751033.aspx

A Workaround for turning off the merge
To work around this problem, turn off the Print Composite CMYK by default
option. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Quit Publisher 2003, and then start Publisher 2003.
After you restart Publisher 2003, do not open your mail merge publication.
2. On the New Publication task pane, click Blank Print Publication.
3. On the File menu, click Print.
4. In the Print dialog box, click Advanced Print Settings.
5. On the Separations tab, click to clear the Print Composite CMYK by default
check box.
6. Click OK to close the Advanced Print Settings dialog box.
7. Click Cancel to close the Print dialog box.
8. Quit Publisher 2003, and then start Publisher 2003.
9. Open your mail merge publication, and then print your mail merge.

 

[Dottie]

Thank you Mary- that seems to work!!!
I do keep Publisher set for default CMYK since we print to a Xerox 5252 and
that gives me more accurate Pantones.
What does the CMYK setting have to do with mail merge?
Dottie