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Merge Printing

Merge printing is a way to print different addresses for multiple contacts using the same format. During printing, the program automatically pastes data into address panels or individual data fields.

Before Printing

While you are creating a document for merge printing, remember that addresses vary in the number and length of lines. Possibly one of the addresses in your list is bigger than the address currently displayed on the canvas so you should leave more blank space near the address. Note that using the Alignment and Vertical Expansion tools (on the Text tab of Inspector), you can control in which direction the text expands. For example, if you choose "Align Left", your design should have more space on the right.

Import necessary information and create a Print List. It is a list of addresses that are printed one after another during one print run. You can choose and modify print lists right from the Print dialog but it is recommended that you prepare the print list before the Print dialog is open.

There is a quick way to print a few addresses without creating a print list. To print this way, in the Source panel, select several addresses using the Shift or the Cmd button. Then choose File > Print. Unlike print lists, the address selection is temporary (doesn't save) and is useful for a single printing.

Printing

The steps below demonstrate merge printing when printing labels.

1. Click the Print button in the toolbar (Cmd-P) to open the Print dialog.
   
   
   
2. Select a printer from the Printer drop-down menu (1).
   
   
3. If you are going to print to plain paper, activate the Cut lines or Dotted marks options (5).
   
   
4. (Optional) Select Suppress Country Field (6) to hide the country name for domestic mailing.
   
   
5. Select Address Autoresize (7) to decrease the font size automatically when the address doesn't fit the label. Note that this feature can modify only text in address panels. It is recommended that you turn this feature on for the merge printing. You may not activate this feature if you look through all the pages in the preview and make sure that no addresses go beyond the label edge.
   
   
6. (Optional) Select Hide Separating Commas (8) to remove automatically added commas that separate address fields.
   
   
7. Select the Merge Printing radio button (9).
   
   
8. Choose a print list from the pop-up menu (10). The Edit List item in the menu opens the Print List database that allows you to modify, create and delete print lists.
   The contacts from the selected print list are displayed in the list (11).
   
   
9. Check the quantity setting (2). By default it is equal to the number of entries in the print list. You can decrease the number of labels so that a part of the listed contacts are printed or increase it to print several copies of same contacts.
   
   
10. Check labels in the preview. If you have a few pages, look through all of them by selecting the page number (12). If something requires correction, click the Cancel button to return to the editing canvas, or choose Edit List in the pop-up menu (10) to modify the print list.
    
    
11. Click Next to proceed to the standard print dialog. Here you can set up printing quality, color settings, etc. The settings may vary depending on the printer driver.
    
    
12. Click Print to send your labels to the printer. Or, click the PDF button to save the page(s) to a PDF file.

To print onto label paper accurately, you should set up the correct paper layout and calibrate your printer before opening the Print dialog. It is not necessary for printing on plain paper.

To set up the default state of Suppress Country Field (6), Address Autoresize (7), Hide Separating Commas (8), use the Printing tab of the program preferences.

If the document is displayed in the preview correctly but doesn't print, try to inverse the state of the Print document as raster image check box in the Printing tab of the program preferences.

Controls (3), (4) and (5) aren't available for roll labels.