WD2000: Address in Envelopes and Labels Is Blank or Shows Date or Text

When your letter or document contains an address and you click Envelopes and Labels on the Tools menu, the proposed address on the Envelope or Label tab may be blank, or it may include a date or other text.

Word does not propose the correct address in the Envelopes or Labels tab for the following reasons:

NOTE: Non-printing characters used in this article:

Non-printing Character	Description	Press These Keys
	Paragraph Mark	ENTER
	Space	SPACEBAR
-	Tab	TAB

To view the non-printing characters in your Word document, either click the Show/Hide () button on the Standard toolbar, or click Options on the Tools menu, select the All check box on the View tab, and then click OK.

Case 1: An Address Line Is Blank

An address line is blank. For example, the street address is missing, as in the following example:


Microsoft Corporation

Redmond, WA. 98052-6399

Case 2: The Address Contains Fields, Spaces, Tabs, Indentation, or Centered/Right-Alignment

This problem may occur for the following reasons:

• The address lines include a field. For example, the last address line includes a DATE or TIME field:
  
  
  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA. 98052-6399  -    -    -    -    -  {DATE}
  
  
  -or-
• One or more of the address lines include multiple spaces:
  
  
  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA. 98052-6399
  
  
  -or-
• The address lines begin with a tab:
  
  
    -  Microsoft Corporation
    -  One Microsoft Way
    -  Redmond, WA. 98052-6399
  
  
  -or-
• The address lines begin with a large indentation.
  
  
  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA. 98052-6399
  
  
  
  
  NOTE: Indentations greater than 1 inch usually cause this problem. To apply an indentation, do one of the following:
  • Click the Increase Indent button on the Formatting toolbar.
    
    -or-
  • On the Format menu, click Paragraph, and then on the Indents and Spacing tab, set the Indentation Left to the value that you want.
  -or-
• The address is Centered-Aligned:
  
  

  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA. 98052-6399

  
  
  -or-
• The address is Right-Aligned:
  
  

  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA. 98052-6399

Case 3: Word Proposes an Address That Includes Too Much Text

This problem occurs when any of the lines of the address include text that is separated from the address by tabs or if text or the DATE field (or any other field) is immediately above or below the address.

This problem may occur when you do any of the following:

• On the last line of the address, you press the TAB key several times, and then the date is entered as text:
  
  
  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA 98052-6399  -    -    -    -    -  November 10, 1997
  -or-
• When the date (or other text) is on a line immediately above or below the address:
  
  
  November 10, 1997
  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA 98052-6399
  
  
  -or-
• When the Date (or other field) is on a line immediately above or below the address:
  
  
  {DATE}
  Microsoft Corporation
  One Microsoft Way
  Redmond, WA. 98052-6399
  

Case 4: Word Proposes Only the First Line of the Address

This problem may occur when the paragraph that contains the address is formatted with Before or After spacing.

To work around this problem, do one of the following:

• Remove any fields, spaces, tabs, or indentations from the address lines.
  
  NOTE: Using fewer than 40 spaces, or indentations of 1 inch or less, seems to work fine.
  
  -or-
• Type the date (or other text), or insert the DATE field (or other field), either above or below the address lines, separating the text or field from the address lines by a blank line.
  
  NOTE: Do not include any additional text, fields, tabs, spaces, or indentations on the same lines as the address.
  
  -or-
• Select the address paragraphs and press CTRL+Q on the keyboard. This resets the paragraph formatting. Or, on the Format menu, click Paragraph, click to select the Indents and Spacing tab and change the Before and After setting to Zero (0).