INCLUDEPICTURE and IMPORT Fields Do Not Merge Correctly

ID: Q112324

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0

SYMPTOMS

In Word for Windows, when you perform a mail merge, the result of an INCLUDEPICTURE, INCLUDETEXT, or IMPORT field is a box with an X inside it instead of the graphic image. If you turn on field codes view in the form letter document, notice that Word has replaced the double backslashes with single backslash characters in the INCLUDEPICTURE, INCLUDETEXT, or IMPORT fields.

For example, the following fields in the main document display as a large box with an X inside it:

   {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF {MERGEFIELD <FIELDNAME>} <> ""
   "C:\\WINWORD\\CLIPART\\APPLE.WMF" "C:\\WINWORD\\CLIPART\\BIRD.WMF"}}

   {IMPORT {IF {MERGEFIELD <FIELDNAME>} <> ""
   "C:\\WINWORD\\CLIPART\\APPLE.WMF" "C:\\WINWORD\\CLIPART\\BIRD.WMF"}}

After you perform the mail merge operation, if you display field codes in the form letter document, the INCLUDEPICTURE, INCLUDETEXT, and IMPORT fields display as shown in the following examples:

   {INCLUDEPICTURE C:\WINWORD6\CLIPART\APPLE.WMF}

   {IMPORT C:\WINWORD6\CLIPART\APPLE.WMF}

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word for Windows versions 6.0, and 6.0a. This problem was corrected in Word for Windows version 6.0c.

WORKAROUNDS

Method 1: Throughout the INCLUDEPICTURE, INCLUDETEXT, or IMPORT fields in

          your mail merge main document, type four backslashes instead of
          two, as shown in the following example:

             {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF {MERGEFIELD <FIELDNAME>} <> ""
             "C:\\\\WINWORD\\\\CLIPART\\\\APPLE.WMF"
             "C:\\\\WINWORD\\\\CLIPART\\\\BIRD.WMF"}}

          When you merge the data into a new document, you must update the
          INCLUDEPICTURE, INCLUDETEXT, and IMPORT fields in your document
          before you print, even if you select the Update Fields printing
          option. If you do not manually update these fields, they print as
          a box with an X in it.

          This workaround does not work when you merge the data to the
          printer, even with the Update Fields printing option selected. If
          you want to merge your data directly to the printer, use Method 2
          below instead.

Method 2: Do not use the INCLUDEPICTURE, INCLUDETEXT, or IMPORT fields;

          instead, insert the graphic image directly in the main document.
          If the graphic is one of the possible results of a conditional
          statement, insert the graphic between quotation marks in the IF
          field. When you use this method, you can merge your data to the
          printer. Another advantage to this method is that you do not have
          to update the fields in the document before you print. The
          following example illustrates this method:

          {IF {MERGEFIELD FIRSTNAME} = "NANCY" "<GRAPHIC1>" "<GRAPHIC2>"}

KBCategory: KBSubcategory: kbmerge Additional reference words: 6.0 6.0a corrupt corrupted missing winword word7 word6 7.0 word95 6.0c empty

Keywords          : kbprint kbmerge 
Version           : 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: February 6, 1998