WD: Mail Merge Produces a Full Page of Labels

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you select a range of records when you are performing a mail merge to create mailing labels, Microsoft Word merges a full page of labels. The first record on the page is the first record of the selected range, but Word continues merging labels until the page is filled, rather than stopping with the last record of the selected merge range.

For example, if your mailing label main document contains 30 labels and you choose to merge records 1 through 20, Word merges records 1 through 30 to create a full page of labels. Similarly, if you choose to merge records 1 through 40, Word merges records 1 through 60 to create two full pages of labels.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Use an IF Statement

To use an IF statement, follow these steps:

1. In place of the merge fields in each of your labels, for example

         {MergeField Name}
         {MergeField Address}
         {MergeField City}, {MergeField State}  {MergeField Zip}
   

   insert the following fields into your mail merge main document:

         In the first label of your main document
         ----------------------------------------
   

         {Set MaxRecords n}
         {IF {MERGEREC} <= {MAXRECORDS} "{MERGEFIELD Name}<P>
         {MergeField Address}<P>
         {MergeField City}, {MergeField State}  {MergeField Zip}"}
   

         In the second and remaining labels of your main document
         --------------------------------------------------------
   

         {Next}{IF {MERGEREC} <= {MAXRECORDS} "{MERGEFIELD Name}<P>
         {MergeField Address}<P>
         {MergeField City}, {MergeField State}  {MergeField Zip}"}
   

2. On the mail merge toolbar, click the "Merge to New Document" or the "Merge to Printer" button to perform the merge.

Method 2: Add Record Numbers to Your Data Document

To add record numbers to your data document, follow these steps:

1. In the mail merge data document, add a field named Rec_Num.

2. Number each of the records in your data document in the Rec_Num column, and then save and close your data document.

3. Activate the mailing label main document.

4. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge, and then click Query Options.

5. In the Query Options dialog box, click the Filter Records tab, and follow these steps:

   a. Under Field, click to select the Rec_Num field.

   b. Under Comparison, click to select "Less than or equal."

   c. Under Compare to, type the number of records you want to merge.

6. Click OK.

7. Complete the mail merge.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.