Mail Merge

Hi Jenny,

Thank you for your post, welcome to the forum, in answer to your question I am going to include how to set up mail merge letters as I feel the two go hand in hand;

When sending out a specific letter to a group of people, it is sometimes easier to create a mail merge that automatically places addresses, names, and personal greetings in the letters, rather than having to manually address or retype names in the body of the letter.
This is the same sequence to follow when creating mass labels.

Mail Merge Letters:

Creating a Main Document
To start a mail merge from scratch, click the New Page button in the Standard toolbar.
The new blank page will be the main document (letter or blank for labels) with which the data source will be merged. The data source contains the actual names, titles, addresses, etc.
From the Tools menu, choose Mail Merge. The Mail Merge Helper appears.
Choose Create and select a document type.
A message box appears asking if you want to use the document in the active window or create a new one.
Choose Active Window.

Creating a Data Source
In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, choose Get Data and select Create Data Source.
The Create Data Source dialog box appears.
Add and remove field names from the Field names in header row list.
When finished, choose OK.
Enter a filename for the data source in the save box that is displayed, and choose OK.
When the message box appears, choose Edit Data Source to display the first blank data form.
In the Data Form, enter the records by typing information into the fields.
Use the Tab key to move between fields.
Choose the Add New button after completing a record to display a new blank record. When finished entering records, choose OK.

Completing the Main Document
Completing the main document involves adding the necessary fields from your data source and finishing the typing of your document. Entering standard text into this document is accomplished by following the same methods used to enter text into any other type of document. However, Word adds a special Mail Merge toolbar to the top of the screen to allow you to insert the data source fields and complete the merge.

Inserting Data Source Fields
Move the insertion point to the location for the first field.
Choose the Insert Merge Field button on the Mail Merge toolbar.
Select the appropriate field name from the list.
Continue typing the document, inserting fields where necessary. Be sure to include spaces and other punctuation in appropriate places along with the field names.
For example, you will want to place a comma and a space after the city field in an address.
Note: You can change the font used for a field name just as you can change the font for any text in the document. To do this, select the field name and change the font and its attributes with either the formatting toolbar or the Format/Font dialog box.
Merging Data with the Main Document
Once the document is finished, you are ready to merge the data source with the document. The fields will be replaced with the data from your data source. You can either merge directly to the printer or merge to a file to print later. You can also preview your documents. This will allow you to make any necessary adjustments before actually printing or saving.
Be sure that the main document is displayed. The Mail Merge toolbar displays on the screen whenever a main document is open.
Choose the View Merged Data button to preview the resulting documents on the screen.
Choose the Merge to Printer button to send the resulting documents directly to the printer.
Choose the Merge to New Document button to display the resulting documents in a single file for saving.

Word also allows you to use other data sources that have been created in other applications. For example, you may have an Access Database or Excel spreadsheet that already lists all of your recipients and their addresses, or you may want to use the Contact list from Outlook.

Attaching an Alternative Data Source
If you were writing a form letter to everyone in your Contact list in Outlook, it would be time consuming to recreate that entire data source in Word. Word allows you to attach other data sources.
In step 2 of the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, choose Get Data.
Select Open Data Source to use a file from another program such as Excel.
Select Use Address Book to use other sources such as your Outlook Contact List.
Once you have chosen the data source, Word creates the appropriate field names that can be inserted into the main document using the Mail Merge toolbar.
When a data source from another application is used, the data source is linked to that application. In other words, when information is updated in that application, the data source is updated as well.



To create a single page of labels which are identical;

Create a new blank document,
Click Tools>Letters and Mailings
Select Envelopes and Labels
In the dialog box choose Labels
Type in the address you wish to have printed
Select Full Page of the Same Label
From the Options button choose your label type
Press Print and your full page of labels will be produced

Mail Merge Labels:
Create a new blank document
Click Tools> Letters and Mailings>Mail Merge...
Your Task Pane will appear on the right-hand side of the screen, displaying the Mail Merge Wizard


To create the Labels:
Under the heading Select document type, choose Labels
At the bottom on the Task Pane, click Next: Starting document
Under the Select starting document heading, ensure Change document layout is selecte
Under the Change document layout heading, click Label options...
Select the label you are using in the Label Options dialog box.

Note: Start by selecting the brand of label you are using, remembering to select A4 sizes if available. Then select the product code of the label you are using, usually found on the box or the side of the label sheet.
Click OK
If a warning appears, click OK
Click Next: Select recipients at the bottom of the task pane
Select the list for your labels under the Select Recipients heading
a. To use an Excel list, select Use an existing list
b. To use your Outlook contacts, choose Select from Outlook contacts

To use an Excel list:
Under the heading Use an existing list, click Browse...
In the Select Data Source dialog box, navigate to the file you want to use
In the Select Table dialog box, select the Excel worksheet that contains your data
Click OK

To use Outlook Contacts:
Under the heading Select from Outlook contacts, click Choose Contacts Folder
Select the Contact list you want to use
Click OK

To Setup the Labels:
When the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears, click OK
Click Next: Arrange your labels
Select how you want to add your information to the label. If you are using Outlook Contacts and would like to create Address Labels, the Address block... option might be the best choice. The option which most closely resembles Word 2000 is More Items...

Arranging labels using the Address block option
Click on Address block... under the Arrange your labels heading
Select options in the Insert Address Block dialog box to determine how you want your labels to appear
If you are using the Address Block option with a data source other than Outlook Contacts, it is recommended that you click on the Match Fields... button at the bottom of the dialog box. This will allow you to ensure that the fields in your data source match with the fields Word is expecting in order to complete the address block.
Click on OK until all dialog boxes are closed.

Arranging labels using the More Items option
Click on the More Items... option under the Arrange your labels heading
Ensure that the Database Fields option is selected
For each field you would like included on your label:
Click once to select the field
Click on the Insert button
Note: The fields will be entered onto the label in the order you select and insert them. They will be added without any spaces or line breaks - these can be added in once all the fields have been added to the label
When all fields have been added to the label, click the Close button
Add spaces and line breaks between the fields on your label by clicking between the field names and using the spacebar or Enter key

Copying your label layout to all labels
When you have decided on the label layout, click Update all labels to copy the layout to all other labels
Note: If you are unsure how your labels will appear, choose Next: Preview your labels at the bottom of the Task Pane to check them. If you want to make any changes, you can then choose Previous: Arrange your labels
Click Next: Preview your labels
Preview your labels. Use Previous: Arrange your labels at the bottom of the screen if you need to make adjustments

To complete the Merge:
Click Next: Complete the merge
Select your merge option:
a. Print... will send the labels directly to the printer
b. Edit individual labels... will create a separate document of labels, which you can edit, save and print

Don't forget to save your mail merge document. This will allow you to create the labels again in the future.

I hope all that lot has been of some use to you, regards Pete