Performing a Mail Merge
Understanding the Merge Process
A merge combines information from two separate documents (a main document and a data source) to create a final document such as a form letter or mailing labels. The main document has merge fields that mark where information such as a name or an address will be inserted from the data source. Inserting information from a data source into a main document produces a final merged document.
Mail Merge Fields
Merge fields are indicated in a main document enclosed by pairs of angled brackets <<>>. Word retrieves information from the data source based on what fields you select to be retrieved using the Insert Merge Fields dialog box. For example, to create form letters, you might retrieve an address block for each of five different people to be inserted into your main document marked by the following field code ««AddressBlock»». Word would then create five separate letters, each containing a different name and address in the appropriate places. All of the letters would be in the same file for easy printing.
Data Fields and Records
A data source is a table containing information in rows. Each row of data in the table makes up a complete record. The first row of the table is called the header row because it contains the name of each merge field. For a mail merge to work well, each record in the data source must have the same set of merge fields.
First Name |
Last Name |
Address |
City |
State |
Bob |
Smith |
10 1st Street |
Birmingham |
AL |
Mary |
Brown |
3 Elm |
Tuscaloosa |
AL |
Ken |
Carlson |
18 Winfield |
Mobile |
AL |
Using the Mail Merge Wizard
Select Tools on the menu bar and then select Letters and Mailings. Next, choose Mail Merge to open a Mail Merge Task Pane like the one below.
The first step is to select the type of document you want to use as the main document such as a letter, e-mail message, envelope, label, or directory. Click on one of these options where you are asked to Select document type. Once you have selected a type, then go to Step 2 of 6 by clicking on the blue link at the bottom of the task pane window where an arrow points to Next: Starting document.
Selecting a Main Document
Then select the document you want to use as the main document. You can type a new one or edit an existing one.
Click Open to select a file you have saved and want to use. The document is displayed and the Mail Merge Task Pane asks if you want to use the current document. Use the current document and go on to the next step to add recipient info. At the bottom of the Mail Merge Task Pane window, click on the blue text Next: Select recipients to proceed to the next step. In Step 3, you select a data source for recipient information.
Selecting/Creating a Data Source
Word tables, Excel worksheets, and Access databases might be data sources for your mail merge. Your data source must contain whatever fields you want to include in the final merged document. Also, in step 3 of the Mail Merge Wizard, you can create a data source by selecting the Type a new list option button and then clicking Create.
In the New Address List dialog box, click the Customize button.
In the Customize Address List dialog box, click a field you want to delete, click the Delete button, and then click the Yes button to delete any unnecessary fields. To add a new field, click the Add button, type the name of the field in the Add Field dialog box and then click the OK button. To rearrange the order of the field names, click a field name, and then click the Move Up or Move Down button. Click the OK button to close the Customize Address List dialog box.
In the New Address List dialog box, enter information for the first record, click the New Entry button, and type another record. Continue until you are finished entering information into the data source. The order of field names in the data source doesn’t affect their placement in the main document. Any spaces in the field names are replaced with underscores (i.e. Last Name becomes Last_Name).
If you already have a data source you would like to use, under Select recipients at the top of the task pane, choose Use an existing list. Next, click on Browse. The Select Data Source window opens, and you must select the file you need.
If, for example, your data source is an Excel table you named “Conference” by using Insert>Name>Define in Excel, the following Select Table window appears.
Be sure that the First row of data contains column headers box is checked if your table has a header row and then click OK.
The following Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears: You can select the recipients you want to include.
Go on to step 4 by selecting the link at the bottom Next: Write your letter.
Inserting Merge Fields
The Mail Merge Task Pane includes links, such as the Address block link, that you can use to insert standard fields. The task pane directions instruct you to “click a location in the document and click one of the items” such as Address Block or Greeting line to add recipient information to the letter.
When you click on Address block, the Insert Address Block box appears.
You can choose the format for how you want the recipient’s name to appear in your document, and you can choose whether or not to insert a company name and postal address with country.
Next, select the Match Fields button to match your data source fields to those used by Word. The Match Fields box instructs you to “Use the drop-down lists to choose the field from your database that corresponds to the address information Mail Merge expects (listed on the left)”.
For example, the Address 1 field used by Word shows this field is “not matched.” However, the drop-down list shows you the data source fields available—in this case Street. This field should be selected to match up to the field name Word will use to insert the information, Address 1.
The More items link on the task pane allows you to insert fields one at a time rather than in predefined groups. When you click on it, it brings up the following Insert Merge Field box:
You could also use the Insert Merge Fields button 
on the Mail Merge toolbar.
Be sure you have your cursor at the insertion point in the Main document where the field needs to be entered and then in the Fields list, select the item you want to insert, click the Insert button, and then click the Close button. The Insert Merge Fields dialog box closes, and a special instruction called a merge code is inserted into the document. The merge code consists of the field name surrounded by angled brackets <<>>. To insert the remaining merge fields for the inside address, repeat the process.
Previewing the Merged Document
The main document now contains all the necessary merge fields, but not the data. To include data, you merge the main document and the data source. First, however, you preview the merged document by clicking on the link at the bottom of the Mail Merge Task Pane that indicates the next step, Next: Preview your letters.
Previewing allows you to see how the letter will look after Word inserts the information for each person. You can check for any missing spaces between the merge codes and the surrounding text. You can make final changes to the data source and correct any formatting problems.
Once you click Next: Preview your letters, the Task Pane displays information and options related to previewing the merged document. The data for the first record replaces the merge fields in the form letter. Notice that both the Task Pane and the Go to Record box in the Mail Merge toolbar indicate which record is currently displayed in the document.
If you need to make any changes to the form letter, click Previous: Write your letter in the Task Pane, edit the document, save your changes, and then click Next: Preview your letters in the Task Pane. Before you finish previewing your merged document, you can review the data for the other two records by clicking the Next Record button on the Mail Merge toolbar to display the data for the next record. You can also use the >> on the Task Pane to select the next Recipient.
Merging the Main Document and Data Source
In the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Complete the merge.The task pane now displays options related to merging the main document and the data source. You can merge directly to the printer by choosing the Print option on the task pane. Also, you could use the Mail Merge toolbar, which has the same options shown in the task pane such as merging to the printer using the Merge to Printer icon 
.
Besides using the Merge to Printer option, you can click on the Edit individual letters link in the task pane to merge to a new document containing all of the letters. You also may merge to a new document using the toolbar by clicking on the Merge to New Document button 
.
When you click on the link to Edit individual letters in the Mail Merge task pane, the Merge to New Document dialog box opens. Here specify which records to include in the merge. Select the All option to include all records and then click the OK button. Word creates a new merged document which contains pages for each record in the data source. Save the merged document and close the document. The main document reappears along with the last step of the Mail Merge Wizard. Close the Mail Merge task pane and the main document, saving any changes. Go on to the next course topic, Applying Styles.
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