Mail Merge Basics
(using Word and Excel)
Overview
Word's Mail Merge feature allows you to create personalized documents by
merging together a main document and a data source.
The main document is a text and format file that contains any common
text you want in the merged output as well as codes that will bring in
information from your data source at appropriate positions in the document.
A main document might be a form letter, mailing labels, envelopes, or a
report, schedule or other list (catalog).
The data source can be any "database" of information: names and addresses,
inventory records, or personnel records, for example. It contains the information
that will vary with each letter, mailing label or report item when you
complete the mail merge procedure. The instructions in this document assume
you'll use Excel to create your data source document. Abbreviated instructions
for creating a data source document in Word are also provided. Other programs
(such as Access) can also be used.
There are three steps to any mail merge project:
Step 1: Create a data source document.
Step 2: Create a main document.
Step 3: Merge the main document with the data source.
Step 1 is described in Section 1 of this training guide. Steps 2 and 3
are covered in Sections 2 through 5 (one section for each merge type available).
Instructions for printing selected records are provided as well as information
on how to learn more about Mail Merge.
Table
of Contents
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