Chapter 14 - Mail Merge

Mail Merge helps you to create form letters, mailing labels, envelopes, or catalogs by organizing the data, merging it into a generic document, and printing the resulting personalized documents. Before mail merge can be started, you should prepare the main document and the data source.

The main documentThe main document contains the text and graphics that stay the same for each version of the merged document e.g. the contents of an invitation letter

The data sourceA data source is a file that contains the data that varies in each copy of a merged document. For example, a data source can include the names of clients and salespersons and mobile of the salespersons.The data source can be a table created by a word processor, worksheet created by a spreadsheet program, database created by a database management software or text file created by a text editor.

Mail MergeSuppose that a company wants to invite clients to attend a product exhibition.1. Open or create a main document

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Name of client to be inserted here

Name of salesperson to be inserted here

Mobile of the salesperson to be inserted here

2. Open or create a data source

3. When the main document is opened/created then choose: ToolsMail Merge

Mail documentCreateForm LettersActive Window (use the document in the active window as the main document)

2. Retrieve the data sourceData source Get DataOpen Data Source (The data source is ready. If it is not ready, you may choose Create Data Source to create the data source now)Choose entire spreadsheetEdit Main Document

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3. The Mail Merge toolbar appears:

Insert the merge fields into appropriate locations

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View Merged Data

First Record

Previous Record

Go to Record

Next Record

Last Record

Mail Merge Helper

Check for Errors

Merge to Printer

Merge to New Document

Choose View Merged Data from the Mail Merger toolbar (One merged record is displayed at a time. You may use the navigation bar on the Mail Merge toolbar to move to other merged documents)

Merge to New Document (All merged documents are stored into one document. There are four pages in the new document for the above example)

Word Processing Ex. 8 – Mail MergeCreate the main document (main.doc) and the data source (data.xls) as above and merge them to generate a merge document (merge.doc). Upload to your web site.

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