Printing Problems

How to Print Selected Records in Word Mail Merge

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to print only specific records from a Word mail merge but finds that all recipient records are printed instead.

Product: Microsoft Word / WPS Writer
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing documents generated from a mail merge.
Observed behavior: The printer processes every record in the mail merge document rather than just the selection chosen by the user.

Before you start

Verify whether you have already completed the mail merge into a single large document, or if you are still working within the original mail merge template.

Solution 1Recommended

Print Specific Sections Using the Print Dialog

Use this method if you have already completed the merge using 'Edit Individual Documents' and need to print specific merged records.

When you use the 'Edit Individual Documents' option in Word, each merged record is placed in its own distinct section of the new document. To print specific records, you must tell the printer which sections to print instead of which pages.

Open the Print Dialog

Open your merged document and press Ctrl+P, or navigate to File > Print to open the Print settings.

Locate the Pages field

Find the 'Pages' input field under the Settings section where you would normally type page numbers.

Enter the section numbers

Type the section numbers corresponding to the records you want to print using the 's#' format. For example, type 's1' for the first record, or 's3-s5' for records three through five.

Execute the print job

Click the Print button. The printer will now only process the records associated with the sections you specified.

Finding Section Numbers: If you are unsure which section number belongs to a record, look at the status bar at the bottom of your Word window while clicking inside the record's page. It will display the current Section number.

Solution 2

Filter the Recipient List Before Merging

Use this method to prevent unwanted records from being merged and printed in the first place.

Seamless Mail Merge Processing

Easily Manage Mail Merges and Printing with WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive mail merge feature that lets you select exactly which records to merge and print, providing full compatibility with Microsoft Word documents and avoiding complex printing setups.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your mail merge template.
2. Access Mail Merge tools: Navigate to the References tab and locate the Mail Merge options.
3. Select your recipients: Click 'Mail Merge Recipients' to easily check or uncheck the specific records you wish to include in your final document.
4. Merge and Print: Click 'Merge to Printer' to send only your selected records directly to the printer, bypassing the need to sort through section numbers.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word formats (.docx, .doc).Intuitive interface for filtering and selecting mail merge recipients before printing.Lightweight and fast, ensuring smooth performance even with large recipient lists.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my mail merge printing blank pages between records?

This often happens if the mail merge template has extra paragraph returns at the end of the page, or if the document's section breaks are formatted to start exclusively on odd or even pages.

How can I find the section number for a specific mail merge record?

You can find the section number by looking at the status bar at the very bottom of the Word window. If it is not visible, right-click the status bar and select 'Section' to display it.

Can I print multiple non-consecutive sections at once?

Yes. In the Print dialog's Pages field, separate the section numbers with commas. For example, typing 's1, s4, s7' will print the first, fourth, and seventh records.

Document & File Issues