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kel_322 Calculating status...

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Mail Merge and margins

Dec 31, 2012 9:30 AM

Tags: #cs5.5 #mail #merge #layout #shift #margins

Hello,

I am making postcards mailers on an 11x17 landscape layout, 4 postcards per page. I am using the mail merge utility to get the addresses printed directly on postcards.

I set the margins to .4 inches all around, and I have a column gutter of .8 inches. When I do the mail merge and specify the margins, gutter, etc. that I want, my layout is shifted. For instance, the top of the artwork is now at .3889 inchces instead of .4.

Any ideas on how to fix this, or does anyone know what I am overlooking here?

I've included screen shots below to illustrate.

Thanks!

1. This is the original file I have set up for the merge (I cropped most of the page). It's difficult to see, but the top y axis is placed at .4 in.

2. This is the multiple record layout options page with the information I used for the merge.

3. This is the merged document. Again, it's hard to see, but the the top y axis has shifted to .3889. It also shifts on the other margins.

368 Views 3 Replies Latest reply: Peter Spier, Dec 31, 2012 12:07 PM

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1. Peter Spier,

Dec 31, 2012 10:18 AM in reply to kel_322

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My first inclination is to tell you to forget it and just make an adjustment on the cutter, but I know that won't, pardon the pun, cut it.

What happens if you remove the stroke on the outer shape? I suspect there's a change in alignment, though the numbers don't quite work out.

But back to forgetting about it.... This is a .0111 shift, or about .8 pt. That's well insided the amount of page-to-page shift you can expect from a laser or inkjet printer, and even probably hard to adjust for on the cutter if this is press output, which I strongly doubt since you are including more than just the variable data so I don't think you're printing on pre-made shells..

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2. kel_322,

Dec 31, 2012 11:49 AM in reply to Peter Spier

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Thanks, Peter. I realize that I should just forget it since the shift is so slight, but this is the kind of thing that drives me absolutely bonkers!!!

Removing the outer shape and/or removing the stroke from it produces the same results in shifting. Oddly, when seeing what happend with .5 margins in the multiple records dialogue box, shifting did not occur.

Thanks for your help.

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3. Peter Spier,

Dec 31, 2012 12:07 PM in reply to kel_322

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I understand where you are coming from completely. It would drive me to distraction, too, and I'd spend three days trying to find out why it was happening.

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