Setup:
Word 2003
Excel 2003
Oki Microline 320 dot matrix printer using continuous fan fold forms for labels



Problem #1: I set up a mail merge using an Excel database. It works fine until printing gets to the end of the data. Labels keep printing. They show field titles with no data. I have to manually shut off the printer to stop printing. An enormous waste of labels and time.

Problem #2: At the end of the each sheet of labels, the printer jumps two labels and continues printing. Another enormous waste of labels (I print over 90 labels a day). The main document in Word is set up this way: Menu > Page Setup > Layout > Section Start > Continuous.

Help would be appreciated!!

Terry

P.S. I have Word and Excel 2010 if I need to move this operation to my main computers to solve this problem.

Hi Terry,

#1 is probably because your Excel workbook contains many 'in-use' but empty rows after the data ends. Open it and press Ctrl-End. That will take you to the last active row. Delete all rows from there to the last data row, then save & close the workbook.

#2 is probably a page setup issue, to do with paper sizes and/or margins.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I did find that the end mark was way off. I deleted rows, double checked that the end was the last row of the data, saved and closed the file. Still didn't work. It just keeps on printing with no data inserted.

Unfortunately, this remains unsolved but I appreciate your suggestions. I wish it was the issue.

As for the second problem, jumping labels, I tried everything regarding page setup. Still no luck. I am far less concerned with this problem that the one above.

Thanks.

Terry

Hi Terry,

If you re-open the Excel workbook and press Ctrl-End, is that now taking you the correct last row? If not, that suggests you only deleted any cell content in those rows, not the entire rows.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I did delete the rows. As a matter of fact, when I hit Cntrl-End it took me to the last row but one column past the last column. I deleted that column, saved, closed the Excel file. I reopened and tested it again and it took me to the last row and last column so I figured I was OK.

Not so. I ran the merge again and it still kept going.

Let me point this out - but I don't know why this would matter. In my label file, I have some titles for the merged information such as Rt: <<Route>> then I insert the merge field from the Excel file. Does that matter?

Terry

Hi Terry,

In that case, other than forcing a page eject (scroll to a new page in your case) after the last record, I can't see why the printer wouldn't stop. It may be an issue with your printer's driver. You may need to check OKI's web site for an updated one.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

It has the latest driver. What do you mean by forcing a page eject? Can I put a command somewhere in the Word or Excel file that will force it to stop printing?

Terry

The page-eject is a command issued by Word to tell the printer that it's finished the current page and to eject it from the printer. For a continuous-feed printer, that simply tells it to scroll to the next new page.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]