Mail Merge Basics The Internet Teacher www.TheInternetTeacher.com

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Mail Merge BasicsThe Internet
Teacherwww.TheInternetTeacher.com
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Objectives

• Define a mail merge
• Discuss the parts of a mail merge
• Discuss common mail merge terminology
• Describe the three steps used to complete a mail
  merge
• Discuss some common mail merge issues

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Mail Merge
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Parts of a Mail Merge

• Main document
• Data source
• Header source (optional)
• Results

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Common Terminology

• Field
• A specific piece of information about a record
• Record
• An associated collection of fields
• Delimiter
• A character used to separate fields and records
• Header row
• The row that contains the field names

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Example
Field
Header Row
Delimiter
Record
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The Main Document Contains

• Boilerplate text
• Form letter
• Invoice
• A standard format for printing
• Envelope
• Label
• Fields
• Placeholders for the data from your data source

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Types of Main Documents

• Form letters
• Mailing labels
• Envelopes
• Catalog

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The Data Source

• Contains the text and graphics that vary for each
  merged document
• Contains records and fields
• Requirements
• Records in the data source must contain the same
  number of fields as the header row
• The header row must be the first row or paragraph
  (if a separate header source is not used)
• Field data must be entered exactly as you want it
  to be printed

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Types of Data Sources

• Word document
• Excel spreadsheet
• Databases
• Microsoft Access
• dBASE
• Microsoft FoxPro
• Others
• Address books
• Text files

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Header Source (optional)

• Consists of a row of field names
• Used in addition to a data source
• Identifies the fields of data in the data source
• For example, if you can't add or edit a header
  record in the data source (because the data
  source is read-only), you can use a separate
  header source that contains the field names you
  want to use.

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Results of Mail Merge

• Word 2000 can merge to
• New document
• Printer
• Fax (if faxing software is installed)
• E-mail (if e-mail software is installed)

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Getting Started

• To activate the Mail Merge Helper, click Mail
  Merge on the Tools menu.

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Using the Mail Merge Helper

• Step 1 Create the main document
• Step 2 Attach the data source
• Step 3 Perform the mail merge

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Step 1 Create the Main Document

• Click the Create button next to the number 1 in
  the Mail Merge Helper dialog box
• Select the type of Main Document that youll be
  using for this Mail Merge
• Choose whether to use the active document window
  or create a new document

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Step 2 Attach the Data Document

• If the data source already exists
• Click the Get Data button next to the number 2 in
  the Mail Merge Helper dialog box
• Choose Open Data Source
• Select the Data Source (document, spreadsheet,
  database, or other file)
• Click Open

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Step 2 Attach the Data Document (cont.)

• If the Data Source needs to be created
• Click the Get Data button
• Choose Create Data Source

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Create a Data Source

• The Create Data Source dialog box lets you
• Remove unwanted field names
• Add new field names
• Change the order of field names

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Create a Data Source (cont.)

• Finalize all of the field names to be used
• Click the OK button
• Name and save your data source
• You will then receive the following message

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Entering Data

• The next step is to enter data using a data form.
• Move through the form using the Enter key or the
  Tab key on the keyboard
• When finished, click OK

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Preparing the Main Document

• Insert merge fields where you want the changing
  data to be placed
• Apply the formatting you want
• Format the document as a blueprint of what the
  final result will look like

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Step 3 Perform the Mail Merge

• Click the Merge button in the Mail Merge Helper

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Mail Merge Output

• Select the output for the mail merge
• Specify the records to be merged
• You can also
• Check for errors
• Set query options

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Checking for Errors

• Compares field names used in the main document to
  the field names used in the data source
• Verifies that the same number of fields are
  contained in each record
• Reports any errors found

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Setting Query Options

• Filter Records
• Sort Records

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Review

• Step 1 Create the main document
• Step 2 Attach a data source
• Step 3 Complete the merge

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Merging to Labels

• Step 1 Choose Labels as the Main Document
• Step 2 Attach a Data Source

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Select the Label Options

• Select the type of printer
• Select the type of label product
• Create new label if needed

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Set Up a Sample Label

• Insert the merge fields
• Add punctuation and formatting
• Click OK when finished

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Merge the Labels

• Step 3 Merge
• Tip Merge enough records for one sheet of
• labels and print them on blank paper before
• printing on actual labels.
• Can be saved and used again

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Merging to Envelopes

• Step 1 Choose Envelopes as the main document
• Step 2 Attach a data source

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Select the Envelope Options

• Select the envelope size
• Set the address fonts and positions
• Select the printing options for your printer

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Set Up a Sample Envelope

• Insert the merge fields
• Add punctuation and formatting
• Add a postal bar code (optional)
• Click OK

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Merge the Envelopes

• Step 3 Merge
• Tip Merge one or two envelopes to verify the
• address positioning, envelope and address
• orientation, and so on, before merging all of the
• records.
• Can be saved and used again

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Mail Merge Toolbar
Find Record
View Merged Data
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Data Source Toolbar
Manage Fields
Update Fields
Data Form
Add New Record
Find Record
Delete Record
Insert Database
Mail Merge Main Document
Sort Records
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Help Resources

• Microsoft Word Help
• Ask the Office Assistant!

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Common Mail Merge Problems

• Im prompted for a data source when I open a main
  document
• The original data source may have been moved or
  deleted.
• Locate the file and attach it again.
• I receive a message that my data source is a mail
  merge main document
• The data source may have been the active window
  when the mail merge was started.
• On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge, click the
  Create button, and select Restore to Normal Word
  Document.

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Mail Merge Problems(cont.)

• Why do the merge fields print instead of my data?
• The option to print field codes is turned on
• On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Print
  tab, and clear the Field codes check box
• How do I print specific pages after I've merged
  all of the records to a new document?
• A new document section is created for each merged
  record. On the File menu, click Print, type the
  appropriate section and page number in the
  following format
• PageSection Example P1S2-P2S5

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