Microsoft Word 2010 - Illustrated Unit H: Merging Word Documents

Objectives Understand mail merge Create a main document Design a data source Enter and edit records Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Objectives (continued) Add merge fields Merge data Create labels Sort and filter records Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Understanding Mail Merge With mail merge you merge a standard Word document with a file that contains customized information for many individuals or items The standard document is the main document The file with the unique data is the data source Use Mail Merge task pane or the commands on the Mailings tab Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Understanding Mail Merge (continued) Main document contains boilerplate text and merge fields Boilerplate text appears in every version of the merged document A merge field indicates where the data from each record should be inserted when you perform the merge Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Understanding Mail Merge (continued) A data source contains data fields and data records A data field is a category of information E.g., last name, city, postal code The names of the data fields are called field names A data record is a complete set of related information for an individual or item E.g., one person’s name and address Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Customized information Field name Data record Data source document Main document Merge fields Merged document Boilerplate text Customized information Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Creating a Main Document The Mail Merge task pane walks you through the steps to perform a merge Click the Mailings tab, click the Start Mail Merge button, then click Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard Step 1: Select document type (e.g. letters) Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Creating a Main Document (continued) Step 2: Select starting document (the main document) Create from scratch Save an existing document as a main document Use a mail merge template Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Creating a Main Document (continued) Using a mail merge template: If you are creating letters or faxes, you can use a mail merge template to start your main document To use a template, click the Start from a template option button in the Step 2 of 6 Mail Merge task pane, then click Select template Select Template dialog box opens Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Designing a Data Source Step 3: Identify the data source Data source file contains the information used to customize each version of the merge document You can use an existing data source, use a list of Microsoft Outlook contacts, or create a new data source To create one, you determine the fields to include and then add the records Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Designing a Data Source (continued) Use the New Address List dialog box to design a new data source and enter records Add and remove fields Enter data for first record Column headings are field names Click to modify fields Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Designing a Data Source (continued) Use the Customize Address List dialog box to add, delete, rename, and reorder the fields in the data source Fields in the data source Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Designing a Data Source (continued) Merge a main document with an Outlook contact list Click the Select from Outlook contacts option button in the Step 3 of 6 Mail Merge task pane Then, click Choose Contacts Folder to open the Choose Profile dialog box Select a profile to open the Select Contacts dialog box Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Entering and Editing Records Each record includes the complete set of information for each individual or item you include in the data source Data for first record Add a new record Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Entering and Editing Records (continued) Use the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box to sort and filter records, and to select the recipients to include in the mail merge Click to include all records in the merge Records Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Entering and Editing Records (continued) Use the Edit Data Source dialog box to edit and remove fields and records Type edits directly in the record Search for a record Click to delete the selected record Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Adding Merge Fields Step 4: Write your letter Write or edit the boilerplate text and insert merge fields Chevrons (<< and >>) surround a merge field to distinguish it Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Adding Merge Fields (continued) Merge fields are placeholders for text that is inserted when main document and data source are merged Names must correspond to the fields names in data source Use Mail Merge task pane or Address Block, Greeting Line, and Insert Merge Field buttons in the Write & Insert Fields group (Mailings tab) Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Adding Merge Fields (continued) Microsoft Office Word 2007 – Illustrated Complete

Adding Merge Fields (continued) Use the Insert Address Block dialog box to specify the fields to include in an address block Formats for the recipient’s name Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Adding Merge Fields (continued) Matching fields: Merge fields inserted in main document must correspond with field names in associated data source If using Address Block merge field, you must make sure that the default address field names correspond with the field names used in the data source Use Match Fields dialog box Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Merging Data Step 5: Preview your letters Step 6: Complete the merge Before merging, preview merged data for accuracy Use the task pane or the Preview Results button (Preview Results group, Mailings tab) Step 6: Complete the merge Choose between merging to a new file or to a printer Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Merging Data (continued) Go to Record text box Data from the data source replaces the merge fields Next Recipient button Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Creating Labels Use Mail Merge task pane or commands on Mailings tab to create labels or print envelopes for a mailing Select a standard label or envelope size to use as the main document Select a data source, then insert merge fields in the main document Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Creating Labels (continued) Click Labels in the Start Mail Merge group to open the Label Options dialog box Select a label size, vendor, and type, and specify the type of printer you will use Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Creating Labels (continued) Label brand Description of selected label product Label product numbers Click to preview or adjust the label measurements Click to create labels with custom measurements Microsoft Office Word 2007 – Illustrated Complete

Creating Labels (continued) Table format matches layout of labels Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Creating Labels (continued) Printing individual envelopes and labels: Use Mail Merge or commands in Create group on Mailings tab Use the Envelopes and Labels dialog box Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Sorting and Filtering Records Sorting records determines the order in which the records are merged Filtering pulls out the records that meet specific criteria and includes only those records in the merge Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Sorting and Filtering Records (continued) Use the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box to sort and filter a data source Click a column heading to sort the records Click a column heading list arrow to filter the records Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Sorting and Filtering Records (continued) Labels are sorted first by zip code, and then by last name Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Sorting and Filtering Records (continued) Inserting individual merge fields: Click the Insert Merge Field list arrow in the Write & Insert Fields group then select the field name Or, click the Insert Merge Field button to open the Insert Merge Field dialog box Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Summary Perform a mail merge by merging a main document with a data source The main document contains the standard information The data source contains the customized information Mail Merge task pane walks you through the mail merge process Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete

Summary (continued) Create a main document and insert merge fields Design a data source and enter records Sort and filter records Preview and complete a merge Create mailing labels and print envelopes Microsoft Office Word 2010 - Illustrated Complete