EnvelopeAddress style seems to be partly hard-wired - bug report - Word 2003/20072010/2013/2016?

I tried this in Word 2013 in safe mode as well. In that test I also changed the font color for the style.

After using the envelope button to insert an envelope into the page, the font color change remained, but the changes to the paragraph indentation and to the frame position did not.

I understand that these two items result in correct address positioning in the majority of cases, but they still should be modifiable by the user through the EnvelopeAddress style.

I just checked in Word 2003 and the same thing happened.

Ensure the Word option 'Keep Track of Formatting' is not selected.

The simplest way to format an envelope is to add the envelope to a document with the default settings. Select All (CTRL+A). The two text areas (Envelope Address and Envelope Return) are highlighted.

Select the address area to display the outline of the address frame. Drag the frame to where you require it. Format the frame to be of sufficient width for your address (it probably already will be) and set the frame height to 'Auto'. Make whatever changes you want to the text format.

With your cursor in the frame, press ALT+CTRL+Shift+S to display the Styles selector dialog. Scroll down to Envelope Address and right click the entry. Choose 'Update Envelope Address to Match Selection'. The changes you have made are now added to the DOCUMENT style! To add the modified style to the template, open the styles dialog again. Right click Envelope Address and select 'Modify'. Check the radio button 'New documents based in this template' and save the change.  The style is now temporarily added to the template of the document to which the envelope was added (probably the normal template). To make it permanent, save the normal template when prompted on closing Word. (If you don't have the prompt it will save automatically).

For documents made from other templates, you will need to copy the style to those templates, or make different changes as above.

Envelope Return is pretty much the same except that it doesn't have the frame.

This method works for all Word versions.

It is not working for me in Word 2010.

I do know how to modify styles in Word and have them apply to the template; however, to check, I followed the procedures you set forth. I had previously also tried it with a direct modification of the style in the normal template.

Keep track of formatting is not checked.

• I created a new blank document based on the normal template and added an envelope to it.
• I changed the paragraph indent in the EnvelopeAddress frame.
• I updated the style to match that.
• I used the modify style dialog to save the EnvelopeAddress style as modified to the template.
• I closed the document, saving the changes to the normal template.
• I closed Word and reopened with a new blank document.
• I checked the formatting of the EnvelopeAddress format in that document. That showed the change (below).

• If I simply changed the current style in the document, it inserted a frame with the formatting from the EnvelopeAddress style. I undid that application of style in the document.
• I then inserted an envelope using the Envelope  button on the Mailings tab.
• The style reverted to the indent of 2".

• I then closed the document and Word, and reopened Word with a new blank document. In that document, the change I made to the paragraph indent is still reflected in the EnvelopeAddress Style.

I will try again with modification of the frame position and see if that is any different.

Edit: It does make a difference, although puzzling. See below.

OK, I tried it by physically moving the frame, changing the paragraph indent and updating the style. Anomalous result. Here is my definition as shown in a new document based on the normal template after a restart of Word.

Here is what that definition looks like after insertion of an envelope into the document.

The position change for the frame stuck, and the left indent is neither what I set, nor the default 2." No left indent is set, it is at the left edge of the frame!

For the person who asked me the question, and many users, that will be sufficient. I still do not understand it.

Again, the changes to the definition in the original post were saved in the normal template. They were overridden by insertion of an envelope in a document based on the normal template. The definition in the normal template was not changed by this overriding, only in the new document after insertion on an envelope. One difference is that in the new examples, the EnvelopeAddress style is not based on the normal style.

Graham, everything I know about how to handle envelopes in Word I suspect I learned from you. I know that you know more about them than do I and you understand more than I do. However, the Emperor has no clothes!

Here are the results (same) in Safe Mode in Word 2010.

Default definition, based on normal style, with 2" indent and horizontal centering of frame on page.

Style definition as shown in new document (still safe mode) after modification by moving frame and changing indent. Not based on normal style (or any style).

Style definition after insertion of envelope into that new document.