Problems with a mail merge

[hlewton]

Using Word 2003 and Access 2003 I created a Word mail merge using a database from Access as I have done many times with success. Though this mail merge worked perfectly as far as creating the mailing label I asked it to, it would not print either the mail merge itself or the merged document the merge created when merging it to a new document. It caused an error making a red light flash on my printer and would not print. I had to reset the printer after each try at printing. Any ideas why this would have happened and how to correct it?

Thanks.

[Andrew Lockton]

I assume other documents print happily on the printer.

Perhaps the page setup doesn't match the printer paper size. Check the print management dialog to see what the specific error is. What version of Windows are you using?

[hlewton]

I have never had any problem printing any documents before. I created the same merge on another computer and it printed fine. Then thinking it was specific to the first computer I created it on I created it on yet a third computer and it again it caused a printer error and wouldn't print out. So I tried putting a piece of paper into the envelope feeder and every merge I created printed out. So I tried the one that worked and it printed out in both the envelope feeder, when it was opened and reqady, and from the paper tray which is the way I need this merge to print. Then thinking it may be specific to the printer I tried another printer and it acted the same way on it. So now I am thinking it is some setting in Word and probably specific to printing labels. Then I tried searching Word 2003 and the the Internet to see how I could change probably some simple setting within Word to make this work as I want it to and I cannot not find anything that helps. So does anyone know how I can tell Word to print my label mail merge and not use the envelope feeder to do so?

I am using XPP and I have not yet been able to find the print manager dialog. Can you please tell me where to locate it though I'm not sure I need it now since I do think the above is my problem.

Thanks.

[hlewton]

OK I believe I found it. I need to change the setting of where it prints when originally creating the merge. It is one of the label's options and it was set differently on the first two computers I tried it on. The first one that didn't work as I wanted it to was set to "manual" and the one that worked was set to "default tray." The third one was also set to "manual." So now I only have to remember to make that change to the "default tray" instead of "manual" when choosing the label I want to use.

I still haven't found the print manager dialog though.

[Andrew Lockton]

When something is spooled to the printer, a printer icon will appear in the bottom right section of the screen. This is the easiest way to work out what is going on with the printer if you have sent something that doesn't immediately print.

You can also get there going through the Control Panel > Printers and selecting the correct printer.

On the printers I normally use, if something is sent to the manual tray and you want it to take paper from the default tray then clicking the main button on the printer usually forces the change. Your mileage may vary.

[hlewton]

Thank you. In my case there was no printer icon in the systray. I even looked for it. Maybe it was because it was waiting for something to be placed in the envelope feeder, I have no idea. What do you mean by the main button on the printer? I only have a "Job Cancel" and a "Go" button. Maybe that is what you mean by my mileage may vary though. LOL I did, by the way, try pressing the "Go" button but that was after the red light came on flashing that there was an error.

[Andrew Lockton]

Print jobs sit in the spooler if the printer is unable to accept the job but they must have been going straight through to the printer and disappearing from your systray too quickly for you to catch.

Yes, it would be the Go button that allows me to change input trays once the job has been sent and I get the warning that the manual tray is empty.

[Robyn]

Are you using an unusual font? Some fonts seem to cause problems, especially in my experience with Mail Merge labels. If you are using an unusual font Try changing to Arial or one of the system fonts for the label setup in Word.

[iansavell]

"I am using XPP and I have not yet been able to find the print manager dialog. Can you please tell me where to locate it though I'm not sure I need it now since I do think the above is my problem."

One of the delights of Windows is the vast range of options for "print manager dialog"!

If XP hasn't finished sending the document to the printer there should be a printer icon in the system tray, double click it to bring up the print spooler window for that printer. At any other time click Start->Printers and Faxes and double click the appropriate printer to bring up the same window.

The get the print properties dialog either right-click the printer in the "printer and faxes" window and select Properties or drop down the Printer menu in the print spooler window and select Properties. Either way then click the Printing references button to get the interesting stuff. This dialog is also available when you select a printer in Word, but I find the Word version isn't always the same settings as the "raw" version.

Note some properties are in the Word page setup dialog fron the File menu.

Finally there is another dialog that isn't always obvious, from the Printers and Faxes window drop down the File menu and select Server Properties. The content there may be relevant for shared printers.

And last of all, if the printer is shared, the host PC sets "default" printer properties which "sharing" PCs pick up. If you find the printer keeps reverting to some non-useful settings try changing them on the host PC.

[hlewton]

Are you using an unusual font? Some fonts seem to cause problems, especially in my experience with Mail Merge labels. If you are using an unusual font Try changing to Arial or one of the system fonts for the label setup in Word.

No I use a very common font - Times New Roman but thanks for the suggestion. I did find the way to correct it when I found the options for the labels.

[hlewton]

Ian Savell thank you very much for that information. When I had the problem I posted about there was no printer icon in the systray. I'm thinking maybe because it was already in the printer or something. I am curious though if the other way through the "printer and faxes" would have shown anything in that case either since it appears now that the error was because the printer was waiting for paper to be fed to it through the envelope feeder tray. Is that the kind of error the "print manager dialog" can display?

[BlackRaven]

OK I believe I found it. I need to change the setting of where it prints when originally creating the merge. It is one of the label's options and it was set differently on the first two computers I tried it on. The first one that didn't work as I wanted it to was set to "manual" and the one that worked was set to "default tray." The third one was also set to "manual." So now I only have to remember to make that change to the "default tray" instead of "manual" when choosing the label I want to use.

I still haven't found the print manager dialog though.

Just a note top everyone printing documents from MS office. When you create documents make sure that the paper size and tray is correct for your job.
Regional differences play a big part in this for the paper size as the usual problem in Europe is that some documents are not made with A4 as the size but 8.5"x11".

For word what you need to check usually are: page setup for paper size and the tray that you are using. If the tray is default tray it will show you the tray used. Usually this is taken from the driver of the printer but can be set to something else in word. To check this you can go to: tools, options, print and check the default tray dropdown box.

With excel you have a similar situation but it is important to remember that when doing multiple copies of the document excel sends these in as separate documents.

Also remember to check your paper selection on the driver for colour,size and media type.

[hlewton]

Just a note top everyone printing documents from MS office. When you create documents make sure that the paper size and tray is correct for your job.
Regional differences play a big part in this for the paper size as the usual problem in Europe is that some documents are not made with A4 as the size but 8.5"x11".

For word what you need to check usually are: page setup for paper size and the tray that you are using. If the tray is default tray it will show you the tray used. Usually this is taken from the driver of the printer but can be set to something else in word. To check this you can go to: tools, options, print and check the default tray dropdown box.

With excel you have a similar situation but it is important to remember that when doing multiple copies of the document excel sends these in as separate documents.

Also remember to check your paper selection on the driver for colour,size and media type.

Thank you for this. I just tested what you said and had I thought of the page setup as far as where it is printed, to the default tray, manual, etc. that too would have corrected my original problem.