Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Setting the Return Address Used in Word.

Setting the Return Address Used in Word

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 30, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365

Every time Vicki opens Word to make an envelope, her return address is empty even though she asks Word to save the return address every time. The return address is retained for the current session, but as soon as Vicki exits Word it goes away and is blank the next time she starts the program.

The proper way to set the return address and make it stick is to follow these steps:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
At the left side of the dialog box click Advanced.
Scroll through the options available until you see the General section. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The General section of the advanced options of the Word Options dialog box.

In the Mailing Address area, enter your return address. (Which is, of course, the same as your mailing address.)
Click OK.

Whenever you want to print an envelope, your return address (the one you entered will appear as the default. If this does not work, it could be that you have a corrupted document template. Outside of Word (in Windows) locate and rename the Normal template to something else, such as OldNormal. Restart Word, follow the steps outlined above, and try to print your envelopes.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6700) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Setting the Return Address Used in Word.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is 5 - 3?

2024-03-30 13:38:17

Bill Beacom

I am using Word for Mac (MS 365), and I do not se any 'Word Option' feature. Apparently this option is not the same for Word for Mac. Is there any other Mac option?

I have noticed several times that options shown in these tips do not apply in Word for Mac. Is there any other Word for Mac Tips location?

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