Microsoft KB Archive/59550

Word: Multiple-Column Mailing Labels Missing Columns or Labels

PSS ID Number: Q59550 Article last modified on 03-07-1997

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========================================================= 3.00 3.01 3.02 4.00 5.00 5.10 MACINTOSH kbprint ———————————————————————- The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for the Macintosh versions 3.0, 3.01, 3.02, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1 ———————————————————————-

= SUMMARY =

When you print merge multiple-column mailing labels, a whole column of labels or individual labels may be skipped if each of the following conditions is true:

  Multiple columns are defined in the Format Section dialog box. -and-   In the main document, each column is separated with a section break formatted as Start New Column. -and-   There are fields that are long enough to cause the text to wrap to the next line. 

The problem described above is caused when a field wraps to a new line. This wrapping adds an extra line to this column of labels and may cause lines to flow to the next column. When the section break formatted as New Column is reached, the print merge skips to the next column, leaving a blank column.

To avoid this problem, make sure that no entries are long enough to wrap. One easy way to do this is to change the font or font size of the text of the main document.

Workaround for Versions 4.0 and 5.x
In Word versions 4.0 and 5.0, you can avoid this problem by using a table instead of section formatting to create labels.

= MORE INFORMATION =

This problem occurs under the following conditions:


 * You are printing 3-column mailing labels on a LaserWriter.
 * The main document is formatted with 9 entries, followed by a section break, 9 more entries and another section break, and finally, 9 additional entries.
 * Each section is formatted as Start New Column.

The possible results are as follows:


 * The first page prints correctly.
 * The second page prints on the left column, skips the middle column, and then prints on the right column.
 * The third page prints on the left column and then skips both the middle and right columns.

The reasons for these results are as follows:


 * On the second page, left column, there is a record or number of records that wrap, causing a blank line to be forced to the middle column.
 * The section break of the main document is then reached, causing printing to terminate in the middle column and resume in the third column, thus leaving the middle column blank.
 * The second column is printed on the right side of page two, and the third column is printed on the left side of page three.
 * The end of the main document is reached, causing a page feed, thus leaving the middle and right columns of page three blank, and printing is resumed on the fourth page.

For more information on using tables to create mailing labels see pages 631-635 of the version 5.0 “Microsoft Word User’s Guide.”

Note: The Word 4.0 manual does not contain information on how to set up mailing labels in a table format, but the instructions for Word version 5.0 apply to Word version 4.0.

KBCategory: kbprint KBSubCategory: kbmerge kbtable Additional reference words: macword macword5 3.00 3.01 3.02 4.00 5.00 ====================================================================== ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.