How to Align Mail Merge Records for Double-Sided Name Badges in Word

Question

I’m creating double-sided name badges in Microsoft Word using Mail Merge, with six badges per page.

Page 1 contains each attendee’s name and other information. The merge fields and «Next Record» rules are working correctly on the first page, and all six badges populate as expected.

On Page 2, I want to print corresponding information for the back of each badge, specifically the attendee’s table assignment and lunch choice. However, I cannot get the records on Page 2 to align with the same attendees shown on Page 1. I am not currently using «Next Record» on the second page.

What fields or Mail Merge rules need to be added or adjusted on Page 2 so that each back-side badge corresponds correctly with the attendee printed on the front?

Answer

For label-style mail merge layouts, record alignment is controlled by the Next Record rule. The supported pattern is:

First badge/label position: no Next Record before the first merge field.
Every other badge/label position on the page: add a Next Record field before the first MERGEFIELD.

If records are not lining up on the back side, Page 2 must follow the same record-advance pattern as the front side. That means:

In the first badge on Page 2, do not place Next Record before the first merge field.
In badges 2 through 6 on Page 2, place Next Record before the first merge field in each badge.
Use the attendee fields for the back content in those badge positions, such as the merge fields for table assignment and lunch choice.
If needed, press ALT+F9 to show field codes and verify the pattern. In a correct label-style layout, all positions except the first should show a { NEXT } field before the first MERGEFIELD.

Also check for these common causes of misalignment:

An extra Next Record field can cause records to skip, such as merging every other row.
Missing Next Record fields in repeated badge positions can cause duplicate or shifted records.

If merge fields appear as code such as { MERGEFIELD City }, right-click the field and select Toggle Field Codes to switch between field codes and results.

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Answer

Hi Jennifer,

Based on my research, there appears to be no built-in Mail Merge field or Mail Merge rule in Microsoft Word that can automatically reset the merge back to the first six records on a second page for double-sided badges. Word label merges are designed to process records sequentially through the data source, and the Next Record rule advances to the next record rather than returning to previously merged records. Use mail merge for bulk email, letters, labels, and envelopes.

As a workaround, you may consider the following approaches to see whether it meets your requirements:

Create separate front and back layouts in Word. Use Mail Merge for the front side, then create a matching table layout for the back side. Ensure the table dimensions match the badge positions on the front page so the badges align correctly when printed double-sided.

I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, and I realize that the available workarounds can be quite time-consuming, especially when working with a large number of attendees. If this capability would be valuable for your workflow, I encourage you to submit feedback through Word feedback portal so that the Word product team can review the request for a future release.

I hope this information is helpful.

Answer

Neither the AI answer nor Lin's answer recognizes that when you print on the backs of the badges, each row of data in the source of page 2 needs to be reversed from those on the first page. For example, if the first row of page 1 contained items 1, 2, and 3, then the first row of page 2 must be items 3, 2, and 1.

There is nothing in Word's mail merge that can automate this. Instead, you need to split your data source file into two files. The first file should contain only the data for the fronts of the badges, in the original order. The second file should contain only the data for the backs of the badges, with the data for each row of badges in reverse order compared to the first file.

Print the fronts of all the badges from the first data source, using only the merge fields for the data on the badge fronts.

Then put the badges into the input tray again, oriented so the next print run will print on the backs of the badges. If your printer will start the run by loading the last-printed sheet first, you need to re-sort the sheets so the first-printed sheet will be loaded first (alternatively, you could change the order of records in the second data file to print the pages in reverse order, but that process is error-prone).

Finally, run the mail merge with the second data file,. It should contain the fields in the same places as for the first run, and only the merge fields for the data on the badge backs.

Answer

The other side of the badges will be a second page printed on the other side of the stock. I would deal with this on the data side by having the information from the first page of data duplicated in for the second page, keeping in mind how data is arranged in a label mail merge.

In a label mail merge the data is displayed:

A B

C D

E F

G H

You would want the second page data to be in the order: BADCFEHG

Another way to handle this would be to print the badges:

A A

B B

C C

D D

You would only print on one side of the badge and fold vertically.

Doug Robbins' Merge Tools may have something to deal with this directly but there is nothing in Word itself to handle it.

https://mergetoolsaddin.com/

How to Align Mail Merge Records for Double-Sided Name Badges in Word

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