How can I execute a mail merge document with different pictures

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jchappelle - 07 Jul 2006 17:11 GMT

I am using an Access query as the data file for a mail merge. One of the
fields is the file name of a picture I want included in the mail merge. Have
tried "includepicture" but cannot make it work.

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Peter Jamieson - 07 Jul 2006 19:45 GMT

Does your field contain the file name, or the complete path name?

If it only contains the file name, you need to prepend the path name in your
INCLUDEPICTURE field, e.g.

{ INCLUDEPICTURE "c:\\mypictures\\{ MERGEFIELD mypicturefilename }" }

where all the {} are the special field code braces you can insert using
ctrl-F9.

If your field contains the full path name, make sure there are no spaces
before or after the path name in your field, e.g.
use { INCLUDEPICTURE "{ MERGEFIELD mypicturepathname }" }
not { INCLUDEPICTURE " { MERGEFIELD mypicturepathname }" }

If you are merging to a new document, after the merge, select the output
document (e.g. use control-A) and press F9 to refresh all the fields in it.
Do the pictures display corectly?)

Consider
a. checking Word Tools|Option|Print|Update Links, Word
Tools|Option|Print|Update Fields
b. unchecking Word Tools|Options|General|Web options|Files|Update links on
save

Peter Jamieson

>I am using an Access query as the data file for a mail merge. One of the
> fields is the file name of a picture I want included in the mail merge.
> Have
> tried "includepicture" but cannot make it work.

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jchappelle - 07 Jul 2006 21:09 GMT

Peter
Thanks for your response.

The field contains the path name. When I tried the {INCLUDEPICTURE
"{MERGEFIELD mypicturepathname }" } it did not work. I could not get the
ctl-F9 to give me the special field code braces. I am assuming the only
change I should make to the above is to substitute my field name for the
mypicturepathname you used in the example. Is that correct? Refreshing with
F9 did not make a difference.

What am I doing wrong?

> Does your field contain the file name, or the complete path name?
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> > Have
> > tried "includepicture" but cannot make it work.

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Graham Mayor - 08 Jul 2006 06:36 GMT

The usual reason for not being able to add CTRL+F9 field boundaries to an
existing field is that you are in overtype mode (press INS once and see if
that effects an improvement.).

The path on a merge document needs to have either double backslashes or
single forward slashes. Single back slashes will not work. Either edit the
data file to replace the path slashes with single forward or double back
slashes or get rid of the path altogether (if the paths are all the same)
and insert the path manually into the field. (And don't forget the slash
between the path and the filename. What you are aiming for is something
like:

"D:/My Documents/My Pictures/filename.jpg"
or
"D:\\My Documents\\My Pictures\\filename.jpg"

Merge to a new document then CTRL+A and F9

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> Peter
> Thanks for your response.
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>>> mail merge. Have
>>> tried "includepicture" but cannot make it work.

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