mail merge with pictures

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robw - 27 Dec 2004 15:31 GMT

Hi

I'm trying to create a mail merge that will include a different picture for
each addressee.
The data source is an Excel xls that includes a column called XmasPic. This
entries in this column are integers between 1 and 10. I have a number of wmf
files in my c:\ folder called 1.wmf, 2.wmf ......10.wmf

In the mail merge document I have setup includes the following statement
(when field codes are displayed) :-

{ INCLUDEPICTURE "c:\\{ MERGEFIELD "XmasPic" }.wmf" \* MERGEFORMAT }

which I had hoped would pick up the appropriate picture for each addressee.
The remainder of the document (ie. the text bits) merge correctly but the
statement above doesn't seem to work....I get no picture at all.

Anybody have any ideas how to get this to work?

Thanks
Rob

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Graham Mayor - 27 Dec 2004 16:22 GMT

Merge to a new document, select all (CTRL+A) then F9 to update.

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

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

> Hi
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Thanks
> Rob

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DBodell - 28 Dec 2004 20:15 GMT

Graham and Rob, I have been having problems getting this very function to
work in Word/2000 after having it work beautifully for years in Word/97. If
there is anything you can tell me about why doing the ctrl+A and then F9
doesn't load the picture anymore, I would be extremely appreciative, since we
need to upgrade to Office/2000 at least!

Diana Bodell

> Merge to a new document, select all (CTRL+A) then F9 to update.
>
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> > Thanks
> > Rob

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Graham Mayor - 29 Dec 2004 07:18 GMT

It should work fine in every version of Word from 97 to date, assuming of
course you have the tools > options > view > picture placeholders unchecked.

Signature

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

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

> Graham and Rob, I have been having problems getting this very
> function to work in Word/2000 after having it work beautifully for
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>>> Thanks
>>> Rob

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robw - 29 Dec 2004 16:45 GMT

Graham,
Thanks...yes...that does the trick. I was originally merging directly to a
(virtual) printer, rather that to a merge file followed by a doing a global
"field update" . I've not had to do that before when doing "simple" textual
merging. Is the reason for my problem this time the "nested fields" nature
of this particular merge or simply because it involves including pictures ? (
I must experiment sometime to find out)

Thanks again
Rob

> It should work fine in every version of Word from 97 to date, assuming of
> course you have the tools > options > view > picture placeholders unchecked.
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
> >>> Thanks
> >>> Rob

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DBodell - 04 Jan 2005 03:05 GMT

Graham, I must thank you for your reply. I had been having terrible problems
with this function which I had had all set up and working for years on Word
97 (thanks to Cindy Meister!!). Your response made me go back and revisit it
again. Turns out there was a problem only on my development machine and not
on the machine from which we print the signs! I can safely report that it
does work on Word 2000. Still don't know what is wrong on my machine but that
is another problem for another day.

BTW, it is really nice to write a macro that automates the CTRL+A and F9
functions when the mail merge document is loaded. I did that for my users and
the macro also automatically sends the merged result document to print
preview for them after updating all the fields. I love recording macros for
stuff like this because I am not a VBA programmer and it allows me to get
things going without having to be one.

Thanks again,
Diana Bodell

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