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OVERVIEW:
The process of creating an envelope, mailing
labels or a form letter (a letter you wish to send the same copy
of to a list of people...a thank you letter for example), is really the
same. It involves three basic steps:
1> Creating the main document (the working document or place where the
merging activity will take place)
2> Defining the Data Source from which to pull the data to be merged
3> And finally merging the two together.
Now there are a few other steps in between but it is important to understand the
overall process...it makes it much easier.
Step 1: Create the main document
- Click File/New/Blank Document on the
file menu or just click on the the blank sheet of paper icon on the upper
left of your standard toolbar.
- On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
- Under Main document, click Create, and then
click Envelopes (Note: for future reference notice the mailing
labels and form letter options).
- Click Active Window.
(Just means that you are going to use the new blank document as the working
document or main document)
The active document becomes the Main Document .
(The document containing text and graphics that stay the same for each
version of the merged document--for example the return address and body of a
form letter)
Step 2: Get Data (the data source)
- In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, (Tools/Mail
Merge) click on Get Data and do one of the following:
- Create a new
data source.
Use this method if you haven't already stored names,
addresses, and other data in a data source and you want to store the
data in a Word table. (If you do not already have a database at
this point, it is much easier to create your database in Outlook, then
come back to this).
- Use data in an existing data source.
Under Data source,
click Get Data, and then click Open Data Source. Select a
Word document, or a worksheet, database, or other list, and then click Open.
Click Set Up Main Document.
- Use addresses from an electronic address
book such as Outlook.
Under Data
source, click Get Data, and then click Use Address Book.
Select an address book, and then click OK. Click Set Up Main
Document.
Step 3: Select the envelope options and insert merge fields
- If you don't see the Envelope Options dialog box,
click anywhere in the main document, and then click Mail Merge on the
Tools menu. Under Main document, click Setup.
- On the Envelope Options tab, select the envelope size
you want, and adjust the address format and position on the envelope.
- On the Printing Options tab, make sure that the
selected envelope feed options are correct for your printer, and then click OK.
- In the Envelope Address dialog box,
click on Insert Merge Fields and choose the fields
exactly as you wish each record to be displayed on your envelope (first_name,
last_name etc...) NOTE: Remember to put spaces and punctuation
where necessary...it will not do that for you!
- If you want to include POSTNET bar codes and FIM-A codes on
envelopes, click Insert Postal Bar Code. Specify the merge fields
that contain the ZIP Code and street address, select or clear the FIM-A
courtesy reply mail check box, and then click OK.
- Click OK.
- On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
This will generate an envelope with the layout of the address information.
Verify that it is correct before continuing. Note that be default you will
see the "field names" displayed (first_name, last_name etc) To
view the actual data click on the View Merged Data button with the
ABC on it. It toggles back and forth. Once you have seen what it does change
it back to field names view...makes it easier to keep it straight in your
mind as you proceed.
Step 4: Merge the data into the main document
- If you want to specify the order in which data is merged, or
merge only part of the data, you can sort
and select data records to merge by clicking on Query Options.
- In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Merge
under Merge the data with the document.
- If you want to check the data source for errors before you
merge, click Check Errors. Choose an option, and then click OK.
- Do one of the following:
- Send the merged envelopes directly to a printer. Click Printer
in the Merge to box, and then click Merge. For this
option, make sure your envelopes are loaded OR you are prepared to
load them one at a time as the printer prints them.
- Store
the merged envelopes in a new document, so you can review, edit, and
print them later. Most common method.
Congratulations! You have successfully done
your first Mail Merge. The process is almost exactly the same for labels and
form letters. The only difference is the option for each of them...the rest
is identical.
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Create
Envelopes by Merging an Address list in MS Word
