Mail Merge Introduction to Word Processing ITSW 1401 Instructor: Glenda H. Easter Introduction to Word Processing ITSW 1401 Instructor: Glenda H. Easter

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 2 Enter Records in a Data Source After you define field names in a data source, you can immediately create records for mail merging. In the active dialog box, Click Edit Data Source Click in the first field shown and type the appropriate information. To move from field to field, you can either use Tab to move forward or Shift/Tab to move backwards. You can also press Enter.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 3 A Few Definitions, Please!! Mail Merge: combines a document such as a form letter with a list of names and addresses to produce individualized documents. Main Document: Sometimes referred to as a form letter which contains special merge fields that act as placeholders for the recipient’s name and address.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 4 A Few More Definitions, Please!! Data Source: This lists the specific recipient information (including the name, address, and any additional data such as the phone number) that is inserted in the merge fields. Mailing Labels: These can be easily created, along with envelopes, using Word’s mail merge feature.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 5 Three Steps for Completing a Mail Merge 1. Create or identify the main document. 2. Create or identify the data source. 3. Merge the data source with the main document.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 6 Create a Main Document Set margins and tabs correctly. Select Tools/Mail Merge Select Create Choose Form Letters (or type of merge desired). Click Active Window to use the current document as the main document.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 7 Creating a Data Source A data source contains variable information, such as names and addresses. This database organizes information in a useful way so you can easily access just the information you need. Word structures the data source as a table. Each set of information, such as the contact information for one person or company is called a record.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 8 Creating a Data Source (Continued) In a record, each piece of information, such as a company name or street address is called a field. In a table, a header row displays the field names in the data source. Each field name identifies the type of information in the column.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 9 Define Field Names in a Data Source You must first define field names. Click the Get button on the Mail Merge Helper dialog box. Choose Create Data Source to open the Create Data Source dialog box. Remove any unwanted fields by selecting the fields and clicking the Remove Field Name button.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 10 Rules for Field Names REMEMBER!!! Field names must start with an alphabetic character. Field names cannot contain spaces.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 11 Enter Records in a Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 12 Viewing Your Source Document as a Table When you click the last button, View Source, the data source is displayed in a table format.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 13 Viewing Your Source Document as a Table

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 14 Adjusting Cell Width and Cell Height in Your Source Table

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 15 Selecting AutoFit on Columns Too Narrow

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 16 Your Source Document in Perfect Table Format

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 17 Rename Fields with the Manage Fields Button If you want to change the field names, you simply click on the Manage Fields button on the Database toolbar. Once in the Manage Field dialog box, click the field name you wish to change. Click the Rename button. Type new field name. Click Ok.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 18 Rename Fields with the Manage Fields Button (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 19 Inserting Merge Fields in a Main Document After creating a data source, you can create the main document by keying text and inserting merge fields. Later, mail merging fills these fields with information from your source data. Click Insert Field in the Upper Left- Hand Corner of your screen.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 20 Inserting Merge Fields

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 21 Typing Data While Inserting Merge Fields You type your letter or document as you normally would do. When you get to the variable information, click on the Insert Field button and select the field to insert. You would space and enter exactly as you would when typing any other type of document.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 22 Inserting Merge Fields

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 23 Add a Word Field to the Main Document In addition to standard text and merge fields, the main document can contain special Word fields. A Fill-in field, one of several special Word fields, is a Word field that prompts you to enter additional information when you initiate a mail merge. Whenever you need to insert a word field, click on the button, and type in the information.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 24 Insert a Word Field

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 25 Fill-in for an Inset Word Field

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 26 View Field Codes in the Main Document There are two ways to view the field codes entered in a document: –Choose Toggle Field Codes from the shortcut menu (by right-clicking on the mouse.) –Choose Options from the Tools menu and check Field Codes on the View tab. Before viewing the field codes, you must select the entire document. Point on the merge field, and right-click.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 27 View Field Codes in the Main Document (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 28 Preview a Merge Prior to Performing Click on the View Merged Data button on the Mail Merge toolbar. >

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 29 The Merged Document When you begin a mail merge, the merge creates a third document that contains one copy of the main document customized for each record. In each copy, the Merge Fields are replaced by data from one record in the data source.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 30 Options with Mail Merge With mail merge, you can: –Preview the merge on your screen. –Merge a certain range of records. –Use a filter to merge only some of the records in the data source with the main document.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 31 Performing that Mail Merge In the main document, make sure the merge fields are not displayed. Choose Mail Merge from the Tools menu to open the Mail Merge Helper dialog box. Click the Merge button (under Merge the data with the document). Open the Merge drop-down list and select where the merged documents are to appear: either printer, new document, faxed document, or messages.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 32 Performing that Mail Merge (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 33 Selecting Output Area

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 34 Merge with Filtered Records A filter or query is a logical test to find records to merge. For example: You may wish to find all the names that end in the letter, “C.”

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 35 Merge with Filtered Records (Continued) Click the Mail Merge Button Select New Document or area where merged document is to be placed. Select “All” to merge all records. Click Query Options. Click the Filter Records tab. Chose LastName or Field to Query. Set up your query condition. Click Merge

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 36 Establishing Query Options

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 37 Establishing Query Options (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 38 Editing an Existing Data Source You can edit an existing data source several ways. –You can use the Data Form dialog box to change the contents of the fields and add or delete records. –In the Manage fields dialog box, you can edit, add, or delete field names. –You can also edit the data source table directly, using the same methods you use to edit any Word table.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 39 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued) Select the Mail Merge Helper Button on the toolbar. Click “Get Data” Open “Data Source” Select file to open (Names2.doc) in the Open Data Source dialog box and click open. Select Edit under Data Source and choose name to be opened.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 40 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 41 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 42 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 43 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 44 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 45 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 46 Editing an Existing Data Source (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 47 Editing an Existing Main Document You may need to edit a main document if you add new field names to a data source. If you add new field names to a data source, you’ll need to insert the new merge codes in your main document. You can also modify your main document to reflect the author and typist of the document, instead of using a Fill-in field.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 48 Editing an Existing Main Document (Continued) Select the Mail Merge Main Document button to display the main document. Position the cursor before the field that is to be inserted. Select Insert Merge Field.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 49 Creating Mailing Labels You can use mailing labels to address envelopes and packages. With Word, you can select the style of the label you like and insert the merge fields for the addresses.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 50 Steps for Creating a Mailing Label The process of creating a mailing label requires that you... –Create a mailing label main document. –Choose a data source. –Specify label size and type. –Insert merge fields. –Merge the main document and the data source.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 51 Creating Mailing Labels Select Mail Merge from the Tools menu. Click the Create button and choose Mailing Labels. Click the Active Window Click the Get Data button and choose Open Data Source. Choose file name, and at the data source, click Set Up Main Document.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 52 Creating Mailing Labels (Continued) In the Labels Options dialog box, select the Avery standard from the Label products drop- down box. After selecting label type, click ok. You will be placed in a Create Labels Dialog box. Click Insert Merge Field. Select field and complete as done with earlier mail merge.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 53 Creating Mailing Labels (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 54 Creating Mailing Labels (Continued) Choose file name, and at the data source, click Set Up Main Document.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 55 Creating Mailing Labels (Continued) After opening the Create Labels dialog box, click on Insert Merge Field and select the name of the field to be inserted.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 56 Creating Mailing Labels (Continued)

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 57 Creating Mailing Labels (Continued) When you click Insert Merge Fields, a drop down list will allow you to select the field, and when you enter to go to next line, press Insert Merge Field again until all fields are complete.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 58 Creating Mailing Labels (Continued) Click Merge to open the Merge dialog box. Choose New document and click merge.

Data Source Main Document Mail Merge Finished Product Mail Merges 59 And There You Have It Folks! Those Mailing Labels You Wanted