MS WORD 2000 MAIL MERGING MADE EASY

Objectives

HANDS-ON EXERCISE 1: CREATE DATA SOURCE FILE

1. Open a new document window if necessary.
2. Choose Tools | Mail Merge… from the Main menu bar.
3. Click the [Create] button on the Mail Merge Helper dialog box.
4. Select the type of document you want to create from the following: Form Letters…, Mailing Labels…, Envelopes..., Catalog…, choose: Form Letters…
5. Choose the [Active Window] button instead of the [New Main Document] button to create the form letter in the current letter.
   Tip: You will not create the form now. The data source will be created first.
6. Click the [Get Data] button and choose [Create Data Source…]. A Create Data Source dialog box appears.





7. Select the fields for the data source by deleting the fields you do not want. After the fields have been chosen, click [OK]. This dialog box contains the fields most frequently used to set up a data source. The fields not used are deleted. Fields not displayed can be added. The position of the fields can be rearranged with the Move button.
8. You will have to type in a unique field name called OrderNum, and then choose the Add Field Name button. OrderNum will be added to your list of fields.
9. Enter the name of the data source file. It is a good idea to introduce some reference to a data source in your file name. For example, FORM-DS.DOC.



10. After the data source has been saved, choose the [Edit Data Source] button in the Microsoft Word box, which appears.
11. Fill in the data for each record in the Data Form. Use the [Tab] key to move from one field to the next. Press [Enter] or choose [Add New] to move to the next record to add new data.
12. Choose [OK] when all records have been added. Note that records display a number in the lower left corner of the screen. To view the records, choose the View Source button. All data source information displays as a table.
13. After entering the records, save the file as FORM-DS.DOC.

Use the information displayed below to enter as your data source.

FIELDS	RECORD 1	RECORD 2	RECORD 3
Title	Mr.	Mr.	Ms.
FirstName	Robert	William	Judy
LastName	Zooken	Batey	Elstenson
Address1	8432 Grand Elm Blvd.	5240 Sobey Circle	3180 Woodlake Hills Rd.
Address2		P.O.Box 3248
City	Citrus Heights	Orangevale	Fair Oaks
State	CA	CA	CA
PostalCode	95610	95662	95628
OrderNum	AA 1234	AB 1002	AC 2234

The Form you'll be using is reproduced below. There are two ways to enter data records into your Database. One is with the Form below or the Table that is produced from this Form. It is completely at your discretion as to the format you choose to enter data. For an employee not completely comfortable with Microsoft WORD 2000 Tables, perhaps the form would be the best method for them. The Table is shown below the Form.

This is the Database Toolbar that appears when you are in the Table viewing mode. Each column heading is a Merge Field; each row is a unique Record.

Title	FirstName	LastName	Address1	Address2	City	State	PostalCode	OrderNum
Mr.	Robert	Zooken	8432 Grand Elm Blvd.		Citrus Heights	CA	95610	AA 1234
Mr.	William	Batey	5240 Sobey Circle	P.O.Box 3248	Orangevale	CA	95662	AB 1002
Ms.	Judy	Elstenson	3180 Woodlake Hills Rd.		Fair Oaks	CA	95628	AC 2234

After clicking [OK] on the last record entered for the data source file, you will see a blank screen with the mail merge toolbar ready for action. Choose the [Insert Fields] button to display all fields set up in the data source file. Or, choose the Edit Data Source button on the Mail Merge Toolbar shown above, it's the last button on the right side.

HANDS-ON EXERCISE 2: CREATE THE FORM LETTER

1. Insert the Date then leave three (3) blank lines (press the [Enter] key 4 times) between the date and the field codes, which represent the letter address, etc. Note: Set up the document formats for the form as usual. For example, adjust top, left and right margins.
2. Choose the [Insert Field] button and select the fields, as you need them in your form. (The “fields” in the exercise are surrounded by double angle brackets << >>. These come automatically, do not try to type them that way.)
3. When you have inserted the fields and typed the text for the form, save the file. Include an “MD” in the file name to help you identify it as a “main document.” Save the practice file as FORMLETTER-MD.DOC

Use the information displayed below to enter as your “main document.”

Date (Insert Date and Time… from the Insert menu; choose option 3; Update automatically)

[Enter] key 4 x (Note: Include a space between each merge field for normal spacing.)
<<Title>> <<FirstName>> <<LastName>>
<<Address1>>
<<Address2>>
<<City>>, <<State>> <<PostalCode>>
[Enter] key 2 x
Dear <<Title>> <<LastName>>:
[Enter] key 2 x
This letter is to confirm receipt of your generous order from the Folsom Market Widget Experience. We are processing your order today and you should expect delivery in three (3) days.
[Enter] key 2 x
<<Title>> <<LastName>>, would you please refer to this order number
<<OrderNum>>, when calling or corresponding about your purchase.
[Enter] key 2 x
Please accept our sincere thanks for being able to serve you.
[Enter] key 2 x
Sincerely,
[Enter] 4 key x
Mary A. Wildt
Ordering & Shipping Department
Folsom Market Widget Experience

HANDS-ON EXERCISE 3: MERGE THE DOCUMENT

Choose the [Mail Merge] button (3rd button from the right) on the mail merge toolbar, Merge to New Document, to perform the merge.

Please note that the option button next to “Don’t print blanks lines when fields are empty” is to be chosen. This means that if information is blank in one record the blank line will not be evident when data for that record is printed. (In these exercises, the second address <<Address2>> may be blank in some of the merges since not all will have a P. O. Box number). The Check Errors… and Query Options… can be set, but that's for a more advanced look at Mail Merging and not included in this basic tutorial.

HANDS-ON EXERCISE 4: EDIT THE MERGED DOCUMENT

1. Choose the [Edit Data Source] button (first button on the right side of the mail merge toolbar) to add more records.
2. Add the following information to the Data Form:
Mrs. <<Title>>
Kim <<FirstName>>
Williams <<LastName>>
5678 Blue Ravine Drive <<Address1>>
P. O. Box 3299 <<Address2>>
Folsom <<City>>
CA <<State>>
95630 <<PostalCode>>
AA 1250 <<OrderNum>>

3. Perform the merge again by choosing the 5th button from the right—Merge to a New Document.


4. Check the document for accuracy.


5. Print the merged documents.

HANDS-ON EXERCISE 5: CREATE A LABELS MAIN DOCUMENT

1. Choose the Mail Merge Helper button on the Mail Merge toolbar (or choose Tools | Mail Merge).



2. Click Create and choose Mailing Labels; then click New Main Document.
3. Click Get Data and then click Open Data Source (use the data source file previously created—FORM-DS.DOC).



4. Click Set Up Main Document. The Label Options dialog box appears (shown below), displaying the stock number of several popular label sizes of well-known makers of labels (Avery). You need to choose or verify (1) printer type; (2) brand name or label products; (3) product number for the labels - note label information describing type, height, width, and paper size. Choose the Details command button to see additional size information about the label.



5. Choose [OK] to select the label. The label is now a main document.



6. On the screen displaying the label sheet, click on Insert Merge Field and choose the following:

<<Title>> <<FirstName>> <<LastName>>
<<Address1>>
<<Address2>>
<<City>>, <<State>> <<PostalCode>>
7. Save the practice file as LABEL-MD.DOC it can be used over and over again!
8. Click [OK] to return to the Mail Merge Helper dialog box.
9. Click on [Close].

To merge label form with data source:

Click on the [Merge to New Document] button on the Mail Merge toolbar. The merged label form appears. If the text is too small, choose [CTRL]+[A] or Edit | Select All to change to a larger point size. (You'll see a page of labels such as these shown below. When merged to your database, each label will reflect the database chosen and will be ready for sticking and mailing.)

Since merged documents require more than one file (see Window on the Menu Bar to display documents in use), you can close all files by depressing the [Shift] key while clicking on File on the Menu Bar. Choose Close All. When you choose Close All you are prompted to save changes to any open documents and to give names to any unnamed documents before Word closes the files.

If you plan on using these labels on a regular basis, save each with a unique name and you'll be able to print them without using Mail Merge. And, you thought this was hard!