Descriptive text under underline to move with underline in mailmerge.

[fishmahn]

I don't know if this is even possible, but I'm putting merge codes in a Word 2003 document and there's descriptive text under an underline I'm inserting the merge codes for, as well as other merge fields in the same paragraph before the text, which means the underlined area may move, significantly, when mail-merged. Since it's a regulated industry (insurance), I need to keep the form the same, including the descriptive text. So, visually, what I am trying to do is this:

... blah blah blah... the purchaser shall deliver to the escrow account held at ________________________ the sum of ... blah blah blah for a couple more lines ...

Under the underline it needs to say "(name and address blah blah)" and it needs to stay under the underline even though the underlined space may move due to variations from merge fields. In addition, there are merge fields going into the underlined space, which could be quite long. I can do the merge fields, but structuring the description under the underline so it stays there even if the underline moves due to other variables is the issue.

Does that make sense to anyone? Is there a way to do that?

Thx in advance.

Mike.

 

[SkipVought]

hi,

So did you INSERT the merge field and then UNDERLINE the merge field?

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

Yes I did, Skip. That's not the problem.

When the merge field inserts, which could be 20 chars or 250 chars of data, the descriptive text "(name and address blah blah)" may move because the merged space moved across the page due to other merged fields. I need the "(name and address blah blah)" text to stay under the underlined section, regardless of where the underlined text shifts to - it could be on the previous line (there are other merge fields above this in the paragraph that may be short or long) or it could be on the next line because they're long, and this underline may end up more than 1 line in length.

Thanks for replying.

Mike.

 

[SkipVought]

Please explain HOW you are UNDERLINING your Merge Field, in detail.

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

Umm, ok, but that is NOT the problem. I'm apparently not explaining myself well.

1) Press Ctrl-U.
2) Press space twice.
3) Left arrow to position the cursor inside of those 2 spaces.
4) Press Alt-I, F, select Merge field, enter field name.

The merge field is underlined properly. The problem comes in with some descriptive text that is supposed to stay underneath the underline. Currently it is entered as normal text on the next line, interrupting the paragraph, so that when merge text is longer or shorter than planned, the paragraph is 1) broken up, and 2) the descriptive text may not be under the underline. Since this is a regulated contract document and it has been approved AS-IS by a regulatory authority, I must keep the wording as-is, so that descriptive text MUST stay under the underline.

Does that explain it a little better?

Mike.

 

[SkipVought]

Do this, then

1. Insert the Form/Merge Field.

2. SELECT the Form/Merge Field

3. ctr+U

What happens? If this is a TEXT BOX, no matter the amount of text entered, it is UNDERLINED. If this is a Merge Field, no matter the length of text, it is UNDERLINED.

Works for me!

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

Skip, you aren't reading what I wrote. I said the merge field IS UNDERLINED PROPERLY. Please reread my query and see if you can address the actual problem. Getting it underlined is NOT the problem.

Mike.

 

[SkipVought]

Under the underline it needs to say "(name and address blah blah)" and it needs to stay under the underline even though the underlined space may move due to variations from merge fields.

Is this waht you want?

Before
[tt]
Enter here

[sup]name and address[/sup]
[/tt]
After fill in
[tt]
Enter here
SkipVought
1234 East Main Street
Anytown, ZZ 99999
[sup]name and address[/sup]

[/tt]


Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

Hi Skip,

That is much closer to what I need to do. One clarification: the underlined name & address needs to be in-line in a paragraph.

More like this:

blah blah blah... the purchaser shall deliver to the escrow account held at SkipVought 1234 east main street, etc. the sum of ... blah blah blah for a couple more lines ...

But "(name and address)" needs to be underneath your name & address. (which I don't know how to do here on the forum either because of variable width screens).

 

[SkipVought]

Be more specific about "But "(name and address)" needs to be underneath your name & address" when this data might be on multiple lines and span pages.

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

Ok, I need what you wrote in your earlier post, but it needs to be inside the paragraph, not as a set of discrete lines. Like this example, but I can't count on the merged field to be at the beginning of a line.

[blue]blah blah blah... the purchaser shall deliver to the escrow account held at
SkipVought 1234 east main street, etc. the sum of some dollar amount
[sup] (name and address of...) [/sup]
previously agreed upon by blah blah... [/blue]

This lines up nicely because I forced your name & address to start a new line. Unfortunately the real document does not work that way - sometimes the name & address will start in the middle of a line, sometimes near the end, sometimes in the beginning. This is because there are other merge fields in the paragraph and their lengths are variable. That means that sometimes it will need to be like this:

[blue]Some long, boring, drawn out legal wording, blah blah blah... the purchaser
shall deliver to the escrow account held at SkipVought 1234 east
[sup] (name and address of...) [/sup]
main street, etc. the sum of some dollar amount previously agreed
upon by blah blah...[/blue]

Does that make it clearer?

 

[SkipVought]

Your second example does not seem to be possible in a text editor like Word with flowing text. This tag would applear below the LAST LINE as...
[tt][blue]
Some long, boring, drawn out legal wording, blah blah blah... the purchaser
shall deliver to the escrow account held at SkipVought 1234 east
main street, etc.
[sup](name and address of...)[/sup]
the sum of some dollar amount previously agreed upon by blah blah...[/blue]
[/tt]


Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

I think that would be acceptable as long as the paragraph could continue on the same line, like this:

[blue]Some long, boring, drawn out legal wording, blah blah blah... the purchaser
shall deliver to the escrow account held at SkipVought 1234 east
main street, etc. the sum of some dollar amount previously agreed
[sup](name and address of...)[/sup]
upon by blah blah...[/blue]

Is that possible in Word?

Mike.

 

[SkipVought]

no, because the caption would 'attached' to the field, so you would have the field and the caption spearated by some other text.

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

Then I 'll have to come up with some other solution.

Anyone else have any ideas? - maybe a way to anchor a textbox? I thought they were only anchorable to a paragraph, but...

Thanks for trying,

Mike.

 

[SkipVought]

My question would be WHY must this (name and address of...) be such a hard requirement? I have used ZIP Forms for Real Estate Contracts and they work just fine, WITHOUT such a requirement!

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[SkipVought]

What version of Word are you using?

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

We use Word 2003.

As for 'why'; it is a document that has been approved by a State Insurance department. I have some small amount of leeway for inserting merge fields but "(name and address of...)" must be below the line that I'm filling in with a mergefield. The document was approved that way and it must stay that way. I cannot make any wording changes, and only minimal formatting changes.

Insurance regulations are much, much, more bureaucratic than real estate. Our staff attorney used to be a regulator for a different state and said changing an approved form is something they love to see - they get to prove their jobs are required. This particular state is about the worst of them all.

If I do the text as I think you were going to suggest, it may come out completely screwey - maybe legally acceptable, but the company I work for also likes things to look nice, and that simply would not.

Mike.

 

[SkipVought]

Ah, Illinois. Seems that businesses are leaving Texas by the thousands and rushing to Illinois, in order to be regulated and taxed to death!

So you have no commercial applications available like ZipForms, for the insurance business?

With those kinds of onerous regulators, I would not be messing around with a word processor, as an amateur. You're liable to be bit.


Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[fishmahn]

It's not Illinois. We do business in a number of states, each one has its own regulations, and you have to be licensed or registered in every state you do business in. Also this business is a small, tiny corner of the larger insurance industry. There are no commercial applications like Zipforms that I know of, but I've only been in this corner of the insurance industry for 12 years.

BTW: Texas is the worst as far as forms requirements, but this form isn't for Texas.

Mike.