Creating A Mail Merge Document
About This Guide
This guide will show you how to create a Mail Merge from scratch or using an existing document. It will assist in creating data that can be reused in further letters or labels.
Before You Begin
This guide assumes you have basic understanding of Microsoft Word and Excel. You should know how to open and save documents and create new documents with the new document button. You should know how to navigate the menu system, and know basic terms such as 'Click the link' and 'Select OK'.
Table Of Contents:
Step 1: Starting A New Mail Merge Step 2: Beginning The Mail Merge Step 3: Creating The Document
Starting From Scratch Opening An Existing Document
Step 4: Adding Recipients
Create An Excel List Create A Database Through Word
Step 5: Writing The Letter Step 6: Previewing The Letter Step 7: Finishing Up Step 8: Using A Pre-Made Letter Step 9: Creating Labels
To Use The School Standard Avery DL16 Label
Step 1: Starting A New Mail Merge
Start Microsoft Word, and open a new document, or the document you wish to mail merge. From the menu, select Tools
> Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge...
Info: If Letters and Mailings is not on the menu, click the arrow in the circle at the bottom to expand the list.
Step 2: Beginning The Mail Merge
A bar should appear at the right hand side of your screen.
From the list, choose the type of document you wish to create, and click Next at the bottom of the bar.
Info: You can go back and forth in the steps at any time using the links at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3: Creating The Document
The choices in the Mail Merge Bar will change. You can now choose to start fresh with a new document, or use the currently opened document.
Starting From Scratch
If you choose the top option, Use letter.
the current document, you can now type out your
Info: Remember to create placeholders for anything you want automatically filled in later. For example, type "Dear (placeholder)," at the start of your letter to indicate that this is a spot that needs data. When you are done, click Next:
Select Recipients at the bottom of the bar.
Opening An Existing Document
Alternatively, choose Start already created. Double click the (More
from existing document to open a file that you have
files...) option to open a document window and locate your file.
After choosing your file, the Mail Merge Bar will move to the next step.
Step 4: Adding Recipients
At this step you again have multiple choices. You can create a list in Excel (my preferred way), or create one within Word, or use an existing database.
Create An Excel List
Open Excel. List the fields across the top that you have designated placeholders for. Info: The names you give the fields need only make sense to you.
Fill in the relevant data. Put in the names of the recipients, addresses and all relevant information. Save the file in an easily accessible location. In Word, select Use
an existing list and click Browse... from the Mail Merge Bar.
Find the list you created and select open. At the next box, choose the sheet you created the list on (choose sheet1$ if you do not know). Click OK to continue.
Create A Database Through Word
Select Type a new list from the Mail Merge Bar options. Word will preselect a list of fields that are usual for creating a letter.
Info: To alter these fields, or add some of your own, select Customise. In the list that appears, choose Add to create a new field that corresponds to a placeholder in your document.
Add and remove list items until you are happy, and click Close. Fill in all the details of the first recipient, and click New recipient.
Entry to move to the next
Repeat this process until all recipients are added. You can also delete entries or find specific recipients using the buttons along the bottom. When you are done select Close, and you will be prompted to save your database.
After you save, you will be shown your database in list view. You can rearrange items, and alter details. Click OK to continue. Make sure, whichever way you choose to create the list that the Use option lists the correct source. Click Next:
an existing list
Write your letter.
Step 5: Writing The Letter
Info: Instead of the placeholders, you can use special tags generated by Word to mark where changeable text should be. To add an address block to your letter, put the curser in the top right corner of your letter and click the Address block... link. Un-tick any options you do not want included, and use the preview to insure you get what you want. Then click OK. Info: You will notice that any auto-generated text will have special symbols around the text to denote that it is a 'tag'. The symbols are written with << and >> to separate the tag from the text as in: <
>. You do not need to write these tags out yourself, the computer will add them now and fill them out later. To add other items such as a names and details to the body of the letter, click More items... on the Mail Merge Bar.
To insert a field, highlight it and click Insert. You can insert multiple fields into the letter at once, but they will be strung together and you will need to add spaces and line breaks later. Info: it may be easiest to add all the fields you may need at once, and then 'cut and paste' them around your document later. When you are done, click Cancel to return to your letter. Before moving to the next step, check that every item you want automatically replaced is marked by a <>.
Step 6: Previewing The Letter
As you click Next: Preview your letter, your letter will change. The special placeholders will be replaced by the first recipient in your list. This is the last time to check that all your recipients are fully filled out, that your formatting is spaced correctly, and that all the information you want is in your letter.
Click the arrow boxes either side of the Recipient: one by one and check for mistakes and gaps. To check a specific recipient, click Find that appears.
number to move through your list
a recipient... and fill in the name in the box recipient list...
To make last minute changes to the list of recipients, click Edit When you are satisfied click Next:
Complete the merge.
Step 7: Finishing Up
Click Print on the Mail Merge Bar. Info: If there are individual changes you need to make to each letter, click Edit individual letters... to open a new document with all the letters listed one after the other. Save the document. You can use this letter over and over with different data. Simply open the document, open the Mail Merge Bar and follow the steps through.
Step 8: Using A Pre-Made Letter
You can make use of a letter and data you have already put together before. To do this, open Word, and open the letter from where you saved it in the past. Open the Mail Merge Bar, by choosing Tools Merge... from the menu at the top.
> Letters and Mailings > Mail
Info: The Mail Merge Bar will open at Step 3 - for refresher information about step three, see the relevant section above. On the Mail Merge Bar, select Use
an existing list and click Browse...
Find the list you created and select open. At the next box, choose the sheet you created the list on (choose 'sheet1$' as shown if you do not know). Finally, you will be shown your list to make final changes. Click OK to continue.
Press Next on the Mail Merge Bar twice to skip to Step 5. See the previous step for details on this step.
Step 9: Creating Labels
To use the same names and addresses for labels, start a new document and follow the previous steps in this document.
To Use The School Standard Avery DL16 Label
Open My
Computer. on 'Persephone\Orion' (K:)".
Open "School Open clerical. Open 'front
office forms'.
Within this folder is a file named 'Avery
DL16 Labels.dot'.
Open this file and open the Mail Merge Bar. The bar will begin at Step 3 recognising that you have set up the labels already. To use the list of recipients you have already set up, click Browse... on the Mail Merge Bar and choose the file you saved at Step 3, either 'filename.xls' or 'filename.mdb'. Now follow the Mail Merge Bar and use this document to create your labels.
This document created by Joshua Nunn on 2005-12-13 Last updated 2005-12-14 Return to the Documentation Index