Publications are not individually collated and stapled when you use the mail merge feature to print in Publisher 2003, Publisher 2002 or in Publisher 2000 (891904)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
  • Microsoft Publisher 2002
  • Microsoft Publisher 2000

SYMPTOMS

You use the mail merge feature in Microsoft Publisher to print your publications. You print a mail merge publication that is made up of individual publications such as letters. You print to a printer that can perform collating and stapling all in a single task.

Your publications are not individually collated and stapled. Instead, they are collated and stapled as one publication in batches of ten.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because Publisher sends the publications as one print job, instead of sending separate print jobs for each publication. The printer cannot distinguish the end of one publication from the start of another publication.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, print each record of your mail merge publication separately. To do this, use one of the following methods.

Note Some of the following methods are for specific versions of Publisher. Use the method that is appropriate for the version of Publisher that you are using.

Method 1: Change the number of records for each batch in the registry

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

Note Use Method 1 if you are using Microsoft Publisher 2002 or Microsoft Office Publisher 2003.

Microsoft Publisher 2002

  1. Quit all Windows programs.
  2. Click Start, and then click Run.
  3. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
  4. Locate and select the following key in the registry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Publisher\Printing

  5. Right-click the Printing registry entry, point to New, and then click String Value.
  6. Rename the new string value registry entry to "NumberOfRecordsPerBatch".
  7. Right-click the NumberOfRecordsPerBatch registry entry, and then click Modify.
  8. Type 1 in the Value Data box, and then click OK.
  9. Quit Registry Editor.
Publisher 2002 will send one record at a time to the printer. The printer can then collate and staple the document.

Microsoft Office Publisher 2003

  1. Quit all Windows programs.
  2. Click Start, and then click Run.
  3. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
  4. Locate and select the following key in the registry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Publisher\Printing

  5. Right-click the Printing registry entry, point to New, and then click String Value.
  6. Rename the new string value registry entry to "NumberOfRecordsPerBatch".
  7. Right-click the NumberOfRecordsPerBatch registry entry, and then click Modify.
  8. Type 1 in the Value Data box, and then click OK.
  9. Quit Registry Editor.
Publisher 2003 will send one record at a time to the printer. The printer can then collate and staple the document.

Method 2: Use the Mail and Catalog Merge task pane

Note Use Method 2 if you are using Microsoft Publisher 2002 or Microsoft Office Publisher 2003.

To print individual records of your mail merge publication from the Mail and Catalog Merge task pane, follow these steps:
  1. Open your mail merge publication.
  2. On the Tools menu, point to Mail and Catalog Merge, and then click Mail and Catalog Merge Wizard.
  3. In the Mail and Catalog Merge task pane, click Next until the Step 5 of 5: Complete the merge page is open in the task pane.
  4. Under Merge, click Print.
  5. In the Print Merge dialog box, click Entries under Print range.
  6. In the From box, type the record that you want to print, such as 1.
  7. In the To box, type the same record number that you typed in the From box in step 6.
  8. Click OK.

Method 3: Use the File menu

Note Use Method 3 is you are using Publisher 2003, Publisher 2002, or Microsoft Publisher 2000.

To use the File menu to print individual records of your mail merge publication, follow these steps:
  1. Open your mail merge publication.
  2. On the File menu, click Print Merge.
  3. In the Print Merge dialog box, click Entries under Print range.
  4. In the From box, type the record that you want to print, such as 1.
  5. In the To box, type the same record number that you typed in the From box in step 4.
  6. Click OK.

Method 4: Create a PDF file in Publisher and print from the PDF file

Note Use method 4 is you are using Publisher 2000.

To work around this issue, create a Portable Document Format (.pdf) file from PostScript printer output in Publisher 2000. For more information about how to create a PDF file from Microsoft Publisher PostScript output, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

302835 How to create a PDF file in Publisher

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about mail merge, click Microsoft Office Publisher Help on the Help menu, type mail merge in the Search for box in the Assistance pane, and then click Start searching to view the topic.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/27/2006
Keywords:kbprint kbtshoot kbprb KB891904 kbAudEndUser
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