Word Mail Merge - Sections disappearing every other page
Solvedm@rina Posted messages 27232 Registration date Status Modérateur Last intervention -
Hello, I created a document with 4 different pages with section breaks. When performing a mail merge with my Excel file (day sheet), my header (text box = Date) disappears. Why? Additionally, I am unable to remove page 5 (blank page at the end). Thank you for your help.
https://aubelumiere-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/p/genevieve_breault/ElQcSOADFD5EgnbB5_tKBdcBcq4GxJ9_B9DC0wDMfWSYSQ?e=wO5Ef6
2 réponses
Hello
First of all, why use section breaks when Word adds others between each result? The more section breaks you have, the more complicated it gets.
So, to start, remove your section breaks and replace them with line breaks. For your headers, just set them as titles on each page.
For me, the dates are displayed just fine. However, I see that your dates are in text boxes grouped with a shape. Update those boxes by clicking inside, then F9 (not necessarily required anyway).
As for your page 5, once you no longer have a section break at the end, it will disappear.
m@rina
Hello.
You should have mentioned that you were using Office365 and Sharepoint; it would have saved me a lot of time!
Retirement is nice! Especially in the Caribbean...
Raymond (INSA, AFPA)
Hello,
Aside from the fact that there might be a bug with One Drive access, I don't understand anything; I don't see where the two files are downloaded locally, and of course the Excel source mentioned in Word at least relates to part of the problems you mentioned.
In the header on pages 1 and 4, there is an anchored image missing on the other pages, which only have merge text, but I assume this didn't happen by itself and that you anchored these images; inserting at least two images on page 1 while the header height hasn't been specified accordingly may contribute to unwanted results (that I don't see).
On the extra page, the behavior is tricky; it will exist as soon as I use an initial "template" of several pages and/or start writing (or inserting tables, it doesn't matter) until I use the paragraph return to move to the next page; the only way to avoid this, provided of course that what we've written fits on the previous page, is not to make this return but to click directly with the mouse to position myself on the next page.
Hello,
I did simplify my life to "solve" a problem of this kind (header only on the first page and footer on each, with an extra page).
It's worth noting that in my attempts, for a reason I can't grasp, deleting the last section/page break irrevocably removed the headers and footers on all pages—charming...
Anyway, I didn't stress about it: a simple table at the beginning of the first page containing the desired information, while leaving only the footer, and now everything is fine including the disappearance of the last pesky page.
Re...
You say "for a reason that escapes me, removing the last section/page break irreparably removed the headers and footers on all pages, charming..."
So from now on, the reason will no longer escape you: a section break contains all the formatting that precedes it. Therefore, it is normal that you lose your headers and footers that are part of the layout.
When I say that one should not abuse section breaks, it's the truth, it complicates things a lot.
m@rina
yes, it will teach me to try to make things complicated when they can be simple; I had just settled for following several internet tutorials all telling the same thing about creating custom headers and footers.
Unfortunately, many create websites without knowing the software thoroughly.
It isn't wrong to insert a section break to change the layout, but it is not essential, depending on the documents. One should not forget that we have an option that allows for a different footer or header on the first page. And especially in a mail merge, it is really unnecessary and bothersome.
m@rina
I created section breaks because my page headers are different. How do I make an image as a title? Because one header is an image, otherwise I always fall outside the printable areas.