[Graham Mayor]

The only way to do this is to create the required order in the data file
before merging. You could do this by running a catalog/directory merge into
a single row table, sort the table, add a header row of fieldnames then use
the following macro from fellow MVP Doug Robbins to sort the data into the
required order.

Sub SortData()
' Macro to assign numbers to data source so that it can be sorted to cause
'labels to print down columns
Dim Message, Title, Default, labelrows, labelcolumns, _
i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer
Message = "Enter the number of labels in a row" ' Set prompt.
Title = "Labels per Row" ' Set title.
Default = "3" ' Set default.
' Display message, title, and default value.
labelcolumns = InputBox(Message, Title, Default)
Message = "Enter the number of labels in a column" ' Set prompt.
Title = "Labels per column" ' Set title.
Default = "8" ' Set default.
labelrows = InputBox(Message, Title, Default)
With ActiveDocument.Tables(1)
..Columns.Add BeforeColumn:=ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Columns(1)
..Rows(1).Range.Cut
End With
k = 1
For i = 1 To ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Rows.Count - labelcolumns
For j = 1 To labelrows
ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Cell(i, 1).Range.InsertBefore _
k + (j - 1) * labelcolumns
i = i + 1
Next j
k = k + 1
i = i - 1
If k Mod labelcolumns = 1 Then k = k - labelcolumns + _
labelcolumns * labelrows
Next i
ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Sort FieldNumber:="Column 1"
ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Rows(1).Select
Selection.Paste
ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Columns(1).Delete
End Sub

http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm



shawn wrote:
I have a successful mailmerge project but instead of sorting my
printed list horizontally in my 4 x 7 row list, I would like to sort
my listing vertically or by columns.

Currently:
Label1 Label2 Label3 label4
Label5 Label6 Label7 Label8
......

Preferred:
Label1 Label3 Label5 label7
Label2 Label4 Label6 Label8
......

Thanks in advance for any help.