affordable+microsoft word courses+london - Labels - Microsoft Word (Vista)

Hi Richard

You might want to try this approach to generate a mail merge:

- in Word create a new blank document
- click on the mailings tab
- click on Start Mail Merge
- choose the last option, Step by step Mail Merge Wizard
- on the right of the screen Step 1 will appear
- choose labels and then at the bottom of the wizard click Next
- Step 2 appears, choose Use the current document. Follow the label options link to choose your Avery labels as before then click Next
- Step 3 click Browse and find your Excel file with recipient details

Word will connect to the Excel document and let you decide which sheet contains the records you want (generally the first sheet) it then gives you a preview of the records to let you confirm this is the right data. Click OK then Next

- Step 4: Now you can arrange your labels. You will insert a field for each part of the name and address you would like to appear on your label. You may find Address block will put the fields you require in your document. If not click undo to remove the address block and use the More items button to insert each part of the recipients information.

For example you may wish to click on More items... from the list of fields choose first name or name and click insert. Click OK to close the field chooser and in your label document press enter to create a new line. Then click on More items... again and put in address 1 repeating the process until you have all the elements in place for the first label.

To bring your label text below any preprinted logo you may wish to put an extra carriage return in front of the name field(s) to bring the contact information slightly down the label.

Once you have the first label set up you can click on the button update all labels - and Word will replicate the fields across the rest of the label page. Click next to proceed.

Nearly there now(!)

Step 5 lets you scroll through your data to make sure it looks OK in your label page. Use the << and >> buttons to move through your records. This is a good way to spot if you need to add more blank lines or decrease the font size to make sure even the longest of records will fit on your labels.

The edit recipient list link allows you to update the source for the mail merge in case you spot records you would like to exclude or spelling errors to correct at the last minute. Click on Next.

Step 6
Probably safest to choose the option called Edit individual labels... as this simply creates a Word document of all your merged labels.

With this temporary document created you can print out the first page as a test to make sure everything fits OK before you send the whole document to the printer.

If anything needs adjusting use the back buttons in your main merge documents to find the relevant stage, make the changes you require and re run your merge.

I hope this helps - do let us know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Andrew