Merge from Access Query

Robm1955

Can anyone tell me how to do a mail merge from an Access query? I have a label template we want to use, and the query is used just to select the records we want, but I've searched, and although some sites say mail merge from query, they're actually tables. I'm using Access/Word 2003 unfortunately. I'm using word instead of the label set up in Access, because I can't get it to print two columns of labels, which the label sheets are.

JohnB47

Robm1955 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me how to do a mail merge from an Access query? I have a label template we want to use, and the query is used just to select the records we want, but I've searched, and although some sites say mail merge from query, they're actually tables. I'm using Access/Word 2003 unfortunately. I'm using word instead of the label set up in Access, because I can't get it to print two columns of labels, which the label sheets are.

I did a search and came up with this:

https://www.uwec.edu/HELP/Word03/MM-wizard.htm

Also, click on the link to 'Creating Mailing Labels'. Have you tried that?

BTW, when you select the data source, you can select tables or queries - all suitable objects are listed once you specify the appropriate database. Its a good idea to prefix table names with tbl and query names with qry (eg tblCustomers, qrySalesOnline). This allows you to recognise which is which when presented with a list containing both.

Robm1955

Thanks for that John. I do name my queries and tables with the appropriate pre-fix, but it doesn't seem to be there. I'll check your link out.

JohnB47

This might be useful. It's a bit of a minefield getting help with mail merge 'cos it sits between two applications, Word and Access. I do seem to remember choosing to connect '....via DDE' in the past.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2007-word/all-queries-do-not-show-up-when-mail-merging/8268788f-5d12-497e-9ecc-a12922a30e4d

JohnB47

This might help too, although the OP didn't respond to the last post.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2007-word/all-queries-do-not-show-up-when-mail-merging/8268788f-5d12-497e-9ecc-a12922a30e4d

paddyrg

I don't suggest merging *from* access, but connecting to a view *from* Word would be the right way round. Don't get into DDE, it's dinosaur technology and absolutely last resort.

Jivesinger

JohnB47 wrote: »

I did a search and came up with this:

https://www.uwec.edu/HELP/Word03/MM-wizard.htm

Yes I think this seems right. Like the OP, I have Office 2003, so I tried this and the connection to Access seems to happen in step 3 on that link.

* I selected 'Browse' at step 3,
* then when it invited me to Select a Data Source, I used the 'Files of Type' dropdown to pick 'Access Databases'.
* then I navigated to my Access database and clicked 'Open'
* the next dialog box is titled 'Select Table' but it actually shows a mix of tables and queries - the Type column in this dialog box says 'VIEW' for queries or 'TABLE' for tables.

@Robm1955, how far do you get? Is there an error message?

Also, just to double check... is the Access query you're trying to use definitely a Select query?

For example I tried a Union query and it didn't appear on the list in Word (so I had to create another Select query which simply selected everything from the Union query, which worked),

Nick_C

You might find it easier to export the results of your access query to a csv file, and then use that as your data source for the mail merge.

Robm1955

Thanks for all your replies. I have to make it as easy as possible for other users, a sort of 1click operation. So I may have to create a macro to perform all the underlying operations, like creating the table view, and then print the label. One other problem I've encounter though is, the label type I require, is listed in word, but not in Access.