I cannot print one specific file

Question

Hello.

I have created a mailing label file using a mail-merge with excel.  for some reason this file will not print.  all other word files print fine.  When i go to print, the proper printer is selected. 

I have also tried printing the file from an Open Office file to a different printer.  in this instance, the paper goes through the printer, but nothing is printed.  on this second setup normal open office files work fine. 

This leads me to believe there is something wrong my my specific file. 

Any help is greatly appreciated.  Thank you so much.

Answer 1

Ah! The inability to print a specific range is the key piece of information we need. :-) 

I suspect the labels were created through mail merge? If so, then each page of labels is separated by a section break. When working with more than one section in a document and you want to print a range of pages you also need to identify the section number. To find the section number for a specific page, make sure the page is active (your insertion point is located somewhere on the page) and take a look at your status bar. You'll see something like "Page 2 Sec 1". Since you're working with labels, determining the section is easy. Page 1 is also section 1, page 2 is also section 2, etc.

So if you want to print pages 3-5, in the Print dialog box, page range, you need to type: s3-s5

Here's an article that provides more information on this topic and examples of how to print specific pages within a section. Note Word 2000 isn't listed but it's still applicable:

"How to print a range of pages in a multiple-section document in Word 2010, Word 2007, and Word 2003"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826218

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~Beth Melton Microsoft Office MVP

Answer 2

yeah, i didn't realize printing a specific page range was my commonality in all attempted printings. 

the link you provided is very helpful.  thank you so much.

Answer 3

Beth, thank you kindly. 

i am using Microsoft Word 2000.  I cannot find the 'repair' option in the open dialogue box. 

however, i realized that i was trying to print specific pages.  if i choose to print the entire document it works just fine.  So, while my problem isn't fixed, i can still get my labels printed.

thank you again for the input, and if you know the cause of this problem i would be grateful, as it will undoubtedly prevent future aggrevation. 

have a great day!

Answer 4

First try using Open and Repair on the document. In the Open dialog box, select the document, click the arrow next to Open and then click Open and Repair.

If that doesn't work then it would be helpful to know the specific version of Word you're using. To find your version, press F1 to open Help. If you don't see your version identified on the main Help page then search for About. This should return a search result that provides the needed steps to find the version of Word you're using.

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~Beth Melton Microsoft Office MVP