I need to create labels that have fields printed in specific places and not be impacted by the length of another field - e.g. name or address. I tried using the CTRL-TAB but it still moves data when another field on the same line has more characters.



Can you add any additional formatting to a label such as a frames or boxes that have the merged data inserted inside the frame or box?

Labels are tables. You can do anything with a label format that you can do in a table.
You could split the cell into multiple cells and put different merge fields in different cells. I'm afraid the merge wizard would not be of much help doing this.

Create a page of the labels you would use. Then modify them so they have additional cells and populate with your merge fields.

Try adding building block into text boxes. Draw a text box. Go to Developer Tab. In the Controls Pane, there is a Building Block Gallery Content Control Button. Clicking that will insert a field in the cursor position. This should help!

This was very helpful. Thanks.
I have created the tables and used the word merge to bring in the fields from Excel.
If there is no data in a specific table row, the blank row does not print and the spacing is off. How do I force blank data into a table cell?

In Word 2003 he has neither building blocks nor content controls.

I am assuming you are responding to me.
I would have to do this without the merge wizard by simply attaching the current document (labels) to the data under mailings. I would then populate each cell by hand.

Often to do this, I will use a blank unformatted document (not labels) to create my basic cell content (which when displayed can be more than a label can hold although the merge works). The last thing in the merge is a next record command. Then I copy that into each cell of the table. In your case, you will actually have multiple cells for each record because each label will actually consist of multiple cells.

What do you mean the blank row does not print and the spacing is off? Do you have blank rows in your data?

Your label format should be fixed-size cells so the spacing should be the same whether or not there is data.

I'm not a developer just a simple Word user! I think I can manage around this spacing problem.
Two more quick Q's:
1. Is there a way to print vertically in a text box?
2. When I complete the merge and select "edit individual labels", it creates a .doc with 1 page an multiple sections. How can I print only selected sections vs. the entire document.

FYI - this forum has been amazing. You have really helped me thru this procedure.

Neither do the textboxes work at all in a label mailmerge, so it doesn't matter which version of Word the OP is using.

cawphoenix: As indicated in my comments above, you can't use a text box. If you use individual cells as Charles suggested - but which will also be a lot of work to set up - you can rotate text to print vertically in a table cell. As for the print issue, you could merge just the records you're interested in, or you could print just the Sections of the output you want to print.

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

Got it. Thanks. I'll give that a try. You've been a great help.