Thanks Doug.

 You do not appear to have re-attached the data source to the main document.  The easiest way to do this is to add the "Main document setup" button (from the Commands not in Ribbon group) to the Quick Access Toolbar (plus all of the other mail merge items) and then when you have the main document open, use the Main document setup button to change it to a normal Word document, which will remove the data source, then use that button again to change it back to a merge document of the type that you want to produce and then attach the data source.  You should now get a dialog asking you for the way in which the connection should be made.

 --
 Hope this helps.

 Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
 services on a paid consulting basis.

 Doug Robbins - Word MVP

   "Michael Koerner" <iamnot@home.com> wrote in message news:OpvEYlJnIHA.4196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
   Doug;

   Yes to Confirm conversions at open.

   When I click on file open and select the template for the merge I get the screen seen here Initial Screen to which I reply yes. When the document opens, I click on the Mailings tab, finish & Merge, Edit individual documents, select all records, and OK to complete the merge.

   --

   Regards
   Michael Koerner

     "Doug Robbins - Word MVP" <dkr@REMOVECAPSmvps.org> wrote in message news:e7q1p33mIHA.3532@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
     Do you have the box against "Confirm conversions at open" checked in Office
     Button > Word Options > Advanced > General?  Did you re-attach the data
     source to the main document?  If you did, did a dialog box open asking you
     for the method by which the connection should be made?  If it did, did you
     click on the "Show all connections" button?  That may be required to expose
     the DDE connection method.

     --
     Hope this helps.

     Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
     services on a paid consulting basis.

     Doug Robbins - Word MVP

     "Michael Koerner" <iamnot@home.com> wrote in message
     news:Ohml860mIHA.5260@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
     Graham;

     Tried your suggestion, didn't work for me. I didn't receive any options to
     use DDE. Is this because I'm using a Word template that I created back in
     2003?

     --

     Regards
     Michael Koerner

     "Graham Mayor" <gmayor@REMOVETHISmvps.org> wrote in message
     news:%23Vnj1axmIHA.5208@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
     The default merge will only merge the raw data. You can format the field and
     add a charformat switch to ensure that the formatting sticks, but if your
     italics are only in part of the field this won't help much. In that case,
     from the Tools menu in Word, select Options and then go to the General tab
     and check the box against the "Confirm conversions at open" item.  (In Word
     2007 it is Office Button > Word Options > Advanced > General > Confirm file
     format conversion on open). Then when you attach the data source to the mail
     merge main document, you will be given the option of using the DDE method of
     connection which should read the data as you have it formatted in the table.
     However DDE connection can be quite flaky.

     --
     <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
     Graham Mayor -  Word MVP

     My web site www.gmayor.com
     Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
     <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

     "Michael Koerner" <iamnot@home.com> wrote in message
     news:%23qsuiFxmIHA.3532@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
     Using Office 2007, when I do a mail merge using Excel as the data source.
     The items I have in italics in Excel are removed once the merge is complete
     in Word. Is there as setting I can use to ensure that font formatting is
     retained? Or, maybe a macro that I can run after the merge is complete to
     change everything in () to italics including the ()

     --

     Regards
     Michael Koerner