setting defaults for text layout

[little_dorrit]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel I am attempting to create round labels. I want the text centred. Although I do this when creating the Excel data source for mail merge, when I go to print the labels, the text is not centred. What am I doing wrong or what am I not doing?

 

[John McGhie]

The first thing you are not doing is telling us how you made that label, so
we can't answer your question

Assuming that you have added a text box in a circle, the problem is probably
that your text box is not exactly the same size as the text.

To make this work, you have to set the inner margins of the text box to 0,
then set the text box size to the same size as the text, then select both
the circle and the text box and and Align Centre, Align Middle.

The Align controls work only on the graphic object (the text box) not the
text inside it.

Hope this helps

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel I am
attempting to create round labels. I want the text centred. Although I do this
when creating the Excel data source for mail merge, when I go to print the
labels, the text is not centred. What am I doing wrong or what am I not
doing?

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[little_dorrit]

Thanks for this John but I don't make labels like this.
The instructions I use for making labels are those I got from this site. (see 'create and print mailing labels').
I create a list of the names I want on the labels in an Excel workbook. I then open Word, go to 'Tools' then 'Mail Merge" etc. There is an opportunity to choose the type (size etc.) of label required, so I am using the size of label I need. I have done this many times with no problem. Although I set the alignment to centre the text in Excel, it is not staying centred when I switch to Word. I need to change the default setting in Word but don't know how.

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

Sorry, I need to know how you are constructing the LABEL.

Excel formatting has nothing to do with Word: the only thing that crosses
between the two applications during a mail merge is the unformatted ASCII
text.

All of the formatting, centring, etc is done in Word.

So I need to know how you have constructed the label. I think you will find
that the label is as I described, in which case, the procedure I described
is how to resolve the issue.

Cheers

Thanks for this John but I don't make labels like this.
The instructions I use for making labels are those I got from this site. (see
'create and print mailing labels').
I create a list of the names I want on the labels in an Excel workbook. I then
open Word, go to 'Tools' then 'Mail Merge" etc. There is an opportunity to
choose the type (size etc.) of label required, so I am using the size of label
I need. I have done this many times with no problem. Although I set the
alignment to centre the text in Excel, it is not staying centred when I switch
to Word. I need to change the default setting in Word but don't know how.

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[pjonesCET]

Also to make sure to be centered in Label That you use proper page setup for the Label (assume Avery) this make the layout proper size.
centering center of document left to right is simple. Click on the center button for justification (you see in tool bar as left center Right and Justified.

to center top to bottom is as easy but, But you go to Format Menu > Document Click on layout tag and button that say top click and mouse down to center.

 

[little_dorrit]

Thank you both for trying to help. I know nothing about using a 'text box' and don't want to go into this as I have enough problems. I have made labels many times with no problem. Using mail merge works every time except when I go to make round labels (08293) as this is not listed in the popup list of Avery labels.
I now remember that when I last made these labels, I did it using an Avery template which I downloaded from Avery's website. Again, I had no trouble doing this but now I am unable to download the template. It just doesn't download. Anyone have any idea why? Is it likely to be a problem on my computer or with Avery?

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

That would be a problem with your browser, I would think.

Make sure you have JavaScript enabled: the Download button requires it.

What you are saying is "Avery made these labels". So now I need to know how
"Avery" made the label template before I can be much help.

Hope this helps

Thank you both for trying to help. I know nothing about using a 'text box' and
don't want to go into this as I have enough problems. I have made labels many
times with no problem. Using mail merge works every time except when I go to
make round labels (08293) as this is not listed in the popup list of Avery
labels.
I now remember that when I last made these labels, I did it using an Avery
template which I downloaded from Avery's website. Again, I had no trouble
doing this but now I am unable to download the template. It just doesn't
download. Anyone have any idea why? Is it likely to be a problem on my
computer or with Avery?

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

FWIW, I have downloaded the template from the Avery site - once on a PC
yesterday, again this morning on a Mac - with no problem. On the PC I used
IE 7, Firefox 3.6.3 on the Mac. The specific template I downloaded is the
one for plain round labels, not one of the fancier ones.

Once downloaded I changed its name to AveryRound8293.doc, moved it to:
~/Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Office/Media/Templates/Labels

By going to the Project Gallery in Word, selecting 'Labels' &
double-clicking the thumbnail for the template it produced a new document
consisting of 1 page of 20 round labels, 4 across by 5 rows. The insertion
point is centered both horizontally & vertically on the first label. I was
then able to merge record from an Excel file. All went as expected.

If your experience is different it would be helpful if you could describe
exactly - step-by-step - what your procedure is & how it deviates from what
I've described above. Right now I am not at all sure where your problem may
be occurring... In your first post the issue stated was that you couldn't
get the text centered when you printed the labels. However, you are now
saying that you can't even download the template. Is this intended to
suggest that the alignment problem is with an pre-existing document & that
you are attempting to start over? If so, you are mixing 2 separate &
unrelated issues. It would be best to concentrate on one or the other rather
than switching horses in mid-stream.

Assuming that the original alignment issue is Horizontal in a pre-existing
document, open that document, click in the text on one of the labels & check
the Alignment icons on either the Formatting Toolbar or in the Formatting
Palette. If 'Align Center' is not selected key Command+A then click the
'Align Center button. If the problem is Vertical centering, select the Table
then go to Table> Table Properties - Cell to make sure the Vertical
Alignment is set to Center. Confirm in Print Preview.

If the labels still don't print correctly;

1- Make sure Office & OS X are fully updated
2- Check the mfr's site for an updated printer driver

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[little_dorrit]

O.K. Lets start again! I have Word/08 on my Mac and my browser is Safari. I am still no longer able to download Avery templates although I have done it previously with no problem so, after wasting many hours trying, I have given up. I am now trying to do it using Mail Merge.
 I am trying to produce round labels (Avery #08293), or similar, with the text centered and some labels having different coloured 'fill' and font.
I regularly make different sizes and shapes of labels using Mail Merge with no problem except when trying to make round labels but I have at last succeeded somewhat but am still having some problems.
 Here is exactly what I do, following instructions from this site.
I make a list of the names I need for the labels in an Excel workbook. In Excel, I set the font and colours I need for each label. I close Excel. I then go to Mail Merge in Word. In the popup box I click 'create new' then 'labels'. In the Avery popup box, in this instance, the label I required is not listed so I then made a 'custom' label. I click on 'get list' then 'open data source'. I pick the Excel workbook I created.
It converts and I can then imput the fields I created in the workbook. I then click on 'complete merge' and am able to print the labels.
My problem now is that the text font and colour and alignment I created in Excel do not follow into Word and I can't align the labels when I try to print them. I would like to know is there a way I can change these in Word?

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

See inline:

I make a list of the names I need for the labels in an Excel workbook. In
Excel, I set the font and colours I need for each label.

You CANNOT do that. Formatting DOES NOT pass across in a Mail Merge.
Sorry, but I did tell you this in my first reply. There is no way to do
this, mail merge won't pass formatting.

then go to Mail Merge in Word. In the popup box I click 'create new' then
'labels'. In the Avery popup box, in this instance, the label I required is
not listed so I then made a 'custom' label.

No, you do not want to make a Label, you already have the Avery Template.
You need to Open the Avery document as your Main Document and add the Merge
Fields to that.

This is an "ordinary" mail merge, with a Main Document supplied by you. It
is not a "Label" which would cause Word to make the Main Document for you.

It converts and I can then imput the fields I created in the workbook.

No, but the fields from the workbook into the Avery Document you downloaded.

My problem now is that the text font and colour and alignment I created in
Excel do not follow into Word

That's right. They don't. They won't. They can't. You have to do the
formatting in Word.

and I can't align the labels when I try to print
them. I would like to know is there a way I can change these in Word?

Yes, there is: you need to make the changes in the Main Document you are
using as the basis for your merge. The formatting in Excel never comes into
Word. You need to format the mail merge Main Document the way you want it.
This is an "ordinary" mail merge, not a "label".

Hope this helps

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

I've now downloaded the file a 3rd time using Safari 4.0.5 with no problem
at all. Click this link... If the document doesn't download you have a
problem with your Mac or your ISP which is preventing the download:

<http://www.avery.com/avery/secure/downloadprogress?signup=true&sreg=true&lo
cale=en_us&downloadId=65b8ae8c3417a110VgnVCM1000002118140aRCRD&downloadPath=
%2Fblank%2FU-0266-01_P.doc>

If the web UI breaks that long link use this one instead:

http://tinyurl.com/Avery8923

With all due respect for your label-making expertise this particular type of
layout is rather complex & must be precisely constructed. It's better to use
the Avery document which requires no tweaking other than your font
formatting. I'd suggest that you first 'Merge to New Document' rather than
direct to printer, then do the individual formatting there.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[little_dorrit]

Thank you all for your efforts to help me. I'm afraid I am not computer literate enough to completely understand all you say. All I know, as I have previously said, is that in the past I have downloaded Avery labels but they are no longer on my computer and, despite numerous tries, I cannot now download them. A reply from Avery didn't help. I continue to make rectangular labels through mail merge but they don't need to have the font or alignment changed so are no problem. You may not call them labels, John, but I print them off on to Avery label sheets so, as far as I'm concerned, they're labels.
I have come to the conclusion that to solve this I need to be able to download Avery labels so the problem seems to be my computer. I guess I'll have to call in a geek!
Thank you, once again. It is much appreciated.

 

[CyberTaz]

Did you click either of the links I sent you? Either should automatically
download the file you need... The filename is: U-0266-01_P.doc

Before you spend any money on a "geek" go to Safari's menu, click on Safari
& select 'About Safari'. If it isn't indicated as 'Version 4.0.5 click the
Apple icon on the menu bar & select 'Software Update'. Once Safari is
updated try the download again.

If you'd take a moment to describe the problem starting with exactly what
you do & the specific steps you take once you launch Safari perhaps someone
can help you resolve the problem. Unfortunately, vague statements (such as
"doesn't work", "can't download", etc.) don't give us much to go on.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

You may not call them labels, John, but
I print them off on to Avery label sheets so, as far as I'm concerned, they're
labels.

Oh, I call them "labels" too. But I am trying to keep you OUT of the
"Labels" section of the Data Merge function in Word, because every time you
go there, it will not work.

As soon as you use an Avery template, you need to use the Avery template as
a Main Document and build a normal "mail merge".

Do not hit the "Labels" button. Just .. Don't .. Touch .. That .. Button,
and it will work

I have come to the conclusion that to solve this I need to be able to download
Avery labels so the problem seems to be my computer. I guess I'll have to
call in a geek!

If you give us a more exact description of what happens when you try, we can
probably sort that out for you. I need to know which browser you are
using...

Cheers

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[little_dorrit]

Thank you so much, John and CyberTaz, for trying so hard to help. Last night, a visitor turned out to be a 'geek' and fixed the problem for me. I didn't ask how, I was just so relieved to have it fixed. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your efforts to help. You both deserve a medal.

 

[Rob Schneider]

People don't have to be "geeks" to do these sorts of things. "Geeks" to
many is a condescending adjective to place on someone.

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[pjonesCET]

I would consider it a Badge of Honor if I was a Computer Geek. I wouldn't have to have help with anything