Numbering Labels (Word 2003)

[CraigH]

I have a friend who is trying to generate custom labels for a charity outing. There are three vertical labels on a landscape 8.5x11 sheet. Each individual label (1/3 of the page) will be numbered sequentially. The problem comes in that she wants the same number to appear in three places on each label. Each 1/3-page label is designed to be torn into three pieces, each with the same number.

I've tried several mail merge options to no avail. Any ideas out there?

Thanks,
Craig.

[HansV]

If you want to use mail merge, you can create a table in Word or Excel containing the field name and the list of numbers you want to use, save it and use it as data source.
In the merge document, you can place the merge field in different places, either by clicking it several times in the list of merge fields, or by inserting it once, then copying and pasting it.
You can then edit the label to position the three copies of the merge field where you want them.

[CraigH]

Hans:

I can't seem to make the mail merge work. Only one of the three labels on the page has MM numbers. For example, the left label has the number "1" on three different places, the center label has no numbers, the right label has no number. On page two of the labels, the same -- the left label is number "2", center and right none.

Is there a way to accomplish this without using mail merge?

Thanks,
Craig.

[HansV]

With mail merge, you must use the mail merge wizard for labels and make sure that you click the Update all labels' button in step 4, after specifying the mail merge fields. Otherwise, only the first label will be filled. See screenshot.

Another option would be to use SEQ fields: a field with code SEQ A for the first number, and two fields with code SEQ A c for the copies within the same cell.
You'd have to put these fields in all three cells, then duplicate the page as many times as needed.
Finally select the entire document and press F9 to update the numbers.

[t8ntlikly]

Or you can use the Avery Wizard which is free from Avery

[macropod]

Hi Hans,

With a mailmerge, adding a MERGEREC or MERGESEQ field to the document at the appropriate locations where would be simpler than modifying the data source and adding merge fields to the document.