Mail Merge In Word

Mail Merge is a useful tool that will allow you to easily produce multiple letters, labels, envelops, nametags, and more using information stored in a list, database, or spreadsheet. Setting up a mail merge or data document involves several steps, some of which must be done before others can happen.

1. Set the document type-letter, email, envelope, labels, or directory.
2. Associate a data source with the document- New, outlook contact, or some other sources.
3. Design your data document by combining ordinary document features with Word merge fields.
4. Preview the finished document by testing to see how it looks with different data records.
5. Finish the process by merging the data document with the data source, creating a printed result, a saved document, or an e-emailed document

To use Mail Merge, do the following:

1. Open an existing Word document, or create a new one.
2. Click the Mailing tab.
3. Click the Start Mail Merge command.
4. Select Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard.

The Mail Merge task pane appears and will guide you through the six main steps to complete a mail merge. The following is an example of how to create a form letter and merge the letter with a recipient list.

1. Select document type

• In the Mail Merge pane, click Letters. This will allow you to send letters to a group of people and personalize the results of the letter that each person receives.
• Click Next : Starting document.2.
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      2. Select the starting document

• Click one of the following options : 

                a. Use the current document : Use the currently open document as your main document.

                b. Start from a template : Select one of the ready-to-use mail merge templates.

                c. Start from existing document : Open an existing document to use as your mail merge main document.

• In the Mail Merge task pane, click Next : Select recipients.

        3. Select recipients 

When you open or create a data source by using the Mail Merge Wizard, you are telling Word to use a specific set of variable information for your merge. Use one of the following methods to attach the main document to the data source.

Method I : Use an existing data source

To use an existing data source, follow these steps :

• In the Mail Merge task pane, click Use an existing list.
• In the Use an existing list section, click Browse.
• In the Select Data Source dialog box, select the file that contains the variable information that you want to use, and then click Open.

Note :

If the data source is not listed in the list of files, select the appropriate drive and folder. If necessary, select the appropriate option in the All Data Sources list. Select the file, and then click Open.

Word displays the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box. You can sort and edit your data if you want to.

• Click OK to return to the main document.
• Save the main document.
• When you save the main document at this point, you are also saving the data source and attaching the data source to the main document.
• Type the name that you want to give to your main document, and then click Save.

Method II : Use names from a Microsoft Outlook Contact List

To use an outlook Contact List, follow these steps :

• In the Mail Merge task pane, click Next : Select recipients.
• Click Select from Outlook contacts.
• In the select from outlook contacts section, click Choose Contacts Folder.
• In the select Contact List Folder dialog box, select the Outlook contacts folder that you want, and then click OK.

Word displays the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box. You can sort and edit your data if you want.

• Click OK to return to the main document.

Method III : 

To create a new data base, follow these steps :

• In the Mail Merge task pane, click Next : Select Recipients.
• Click Type a new list.
• Click Create.
• The New Address List dialog box appears. In this dialog box, enter the address information for each record. If there is no information for a particular field, leave the box blank. By default, Word skips blank fields. Therefore, the merge is not affected if blank entries are in the data form. The set of information in each form makes up one data record.
• After you type the information for a record, click New Entry to move to the next record. To delete a record, click Delete Entry. To search for a specific record, click find Entry. To customize your list, click Customize. In the Customize Address List dialog box, you can add, delete, rename and reorder the merge fields.
• In the New Address List dialog box, click OK. In the Save Address List dialog box, type the name that you want to give to your data source in the File name box and then click Save.
• In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, make any changes that you want and then click OK.

          Click Next : Write your letter to finish setting up your letter.

• Save the main document.

When you save the main document at this point, you are also saving the data source and attaching the data source to the main document.

• Type the name that your want to give to your main document, and then click Save.

To proceed to the next step, click Next : Write your letter.

        4. Write your letter

In this step, you set up your main document.

• Type or add any text and graphics that you want to include in your letter.
• Add the field codes where you want the variable information to appear. In the Mail Merge task pane, you have four options ;

Address block : Use this option to insert a formatted address.

Greeting line : Use this option to insert a formatted salutation.

Electronic postage : Use this option to insert electronic postage.

Note : 

This option requires that you have a postage software program installed on your computer. More items : Use this option to inset individual merge fields. When you click More Items, the Insert Merge Field dialog box appears.

Note :

Make sure that your cursor is where you want to insert the information from your data source before you click More Items.

In the Insert Merge Field dialog box, click the merge field that you want to use, and then click insert.

Note:

You can insert all of your fields and then go back and add any spaces or punctuation. Alternatively, you can insert one field at a time, close the Insert Merge Fields dialog box, add any spaces or punctuation that you want , and then repeat this step for each additional merge field that you want to insert. You can also format(apply bold or italic formatting to) the merge fields, just like regular text.

• When you finish editing the main document, click Save or Save As on the file menu.

Name the file, and then click save. To proceed to the next step, click Next : Preview your letters.

        5. Preview your letters

This step allows you to preview your merged data , one letter at a time. You can also make changes to your recipient list or personalize individual letters.

To proceed to the next step, click Next : Complete the merge.

        

        6. Complete the merge 

This step merges the variable information with the form letter. You can output the merge result by using either of the following options :

•  Print : Select this option to sent the merged document directly to the printer. You will not be able to view the document on your screen. When you click Print, the Merge to Printer dialog box appears. In the Merge to Printer dialog box, you can choose which records to merge. When you click OK, the print dialog box appears. Click Print to print the merge document.
• Edit individual letters : Select this option to display the merged document on your screen. When you click Edit individual letters, the Merge to New Document dialog box appears. In the Merge to New Document dialog box, you can choose which records to merge. When you click OK, the documents are merged to a new Word document. 
• To print the file, on the file menu, click Print.

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