Only get a red x after merging pictures

Anonymous
2010-04-14T02:24:00+00:00

My data source is an xlsx file and one field (PictureLocation) has the full path name of each jpg file I want to merge into a document.  I use this merge function:  {INCLUDEPICTURE "MERGEFIELD PictureLocation}"} which works fine except I only get a box with a small red x in upper left-hand corner where the picture should be.  I have tried F9, but to no avail.  What am I doing wrong or what have I set incorrectly?  I use VISTA and OFFICE 2007. dottybee

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2010-04-14T05:38:23+00:00

What is in the PictureLocation field?

The filepath separators need to be duplicated \ or you need to use / as a separator.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-06-24T20:18:41+00:00

    Thanks both Suzanne and Doug,

    Yea, Doug, I didn't understand much on the link you provided.  Suzanne has me pegged as someone who needs more handholding.  So, yea, here's where I show more of my lack of understanding.... :-0

    Suzanne,

    OK - breaking down what you said, so in the data source, I have a column called "picture" and for each recipient I was assuming that there was the place I needed to enter the string

    { INCLUDEPICTURE "C:\Documents and Settings\ProfileName\My Documents\My

    Pictures\RésuméPhotos\Jones.jpg" \d }

    Is that a correct assumption?

    I'm not even going to ask any other questions as maybe, if I can get on track with this answer, then the rest will fall into place for me.  I love a challenge but hate the looking stupid part.....

    After I master this task, I've got another one in the wings.  Oh boy.  Thanks.

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  2. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2010-06-24T03:07:44+00:00

    With respect, Doug, I think geegolly might have a better chance of following the directions in my previous post than those in Cindy's succinct article, which assume even a higher level of expertise.

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  3. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2010-06-24T03:07:43+00:00

    The rest of my post specified how to create the field for the photo. It assumes that you don't have the actual photo in your mail merge data source but just the filename of the photo (or part of the filename). The rest of the path is inserted in the mail merge main document; the mergefield supplies just the name that is in your mail merge data source.

    So if you have a folder full of photos with names such as Brown.jpg, Smith.jpg, Jones.jpg, and so on, you insert one (with the \d switch) to get an IncludePicture field with the correct path, then substitute your mergefield for the part of the path that will be different for each photo (the Brown, Smith, Jones) part.

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  4. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2010-06-23T21:40:08+00:00

    See the "Graphics from data base" item under the "Special merges" section of fellow MVP Cindy Meister's website at: http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister/MergFram.htm

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