Word 2003 Office 2003 Windows

CREATING A MAIL MERGE LETTER WITH AN EXISTING DATA SOURCE IN OFFICE 2003

This document outlines how to create a mail merge with an already existing mail merge letter and with an existing data source. For more information on mail merge and a more detailed explanation of the terms listed here, please click on the General Information button above.

1. Open Microsoft Word 2003.
2. Go to Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge... If the task pane was closed, it will open the Mail Merge task pane.

Step 1: Select Document Type

1. Under Select document type, choose Letters.
2. Click on Next: Starting document at the bottom of the task pane

Step 2: Starting document

1. Selecting Use the current document will allow you to start from the current document shown on the screen.
   
2. Click Next: Select recipients. Note that you can always go between steps by clicking on the Next and Previous links at the bottom of the task pane.

Step 3: Select Recipients

1. Select Use an existing list.
2. To find an already existing file, click Browse... and navigate your way to the file.
   
   
   
3. If your data source is an Excel worksheet that has data on multiple tabs, you need to select the tab containing the data you want. Click OK.
4. All the entries in the data source will now appear in the Mail Merge Recipients window, where you can edit the list of recipients.
5. In the Mail Merge Recipients window, select the recipients you want by checking the boxes next to the recipients. To sort the list, click the column heading of the item you want to sort by. To filter items in the list click the arrow next to the column heading of the item you want to filter by and select any of the following:
   1. Blanks display all the records in which the corresponding field is blank.
   2. Nonblanks display all the records in which the corresponding field contains information. If your data source contains records that share the same information, and there are ten or fewer unique values in the column, you can filter by specific information.
      
      
6. If the arrow next to any column heading is blue, that category is screening out names. To display all the recipients again, click and blue arrows and select All.
7. To check all names in your recipients list, click Select All. To uncheck all names, click Clear All.
8. Click OK to return to the Mail Merge Wizard.
9. To change the file click Select a different list...
10. To edit the list click on Edit recipient list... (data source)
11. Click on Next:Write your letter.

Step 4: Write Your Letter

If you are creating a form letter, type the text that you want to appear in every form letter. Insert merge fields where you want to merge names, addresses, and other data from the data source (i.e. recipient list) by clicking anywhere you want in the main document to insert the field. Then click on More Items and insert individual field. You may also use Address block and Greeting line. More details will be found below.

Address block

1. Click Address block...
2. In the Insert Address Block window, select the address elements you want to include and the formats you want, and then click OK.
3. If the Match Fields dialog box appears, Microsoft Word may have been unable to find some of the information it needs for the address block. Click the arrow next to not matched, and then select the field from your data source that corresponds to the field required for the mail merge.

Greeting line

1. Click Greeting line...
2. Select the greeting line format (salutation, name format, and following punctuation.)
3. Select the text you want to appear in cases where Microsoft Word can't interpret the recipient's name.
4. Click OK.
5. If the Match Fields window appears, Word may have been unable to find some of the information it needs for the greeting line. Click the arrow next to not matched, and then select the field from your data source that corresponds to the field required for the mail merge.

More Items

Click More items...

1. Select one of the following:
   (a) Address Fields will allow you to select from address fields that will automatically map to corresponding fields in your data source, even if the data source's fields don't have the same name as your fields.
   (b) Database Fields will allow you to select from fields that always take data directly from a column in a database.
2. In the Fields window, click the field you want.
3. Click Insert, and then click Close.
4. If the Match Fields window appears, Microsoft Word may have been unable to find some of the information it needs to insert the field. Click the arrow next to not matched, and then select the field from your data source that corresponds to the field required for the mail merge.

If you are creating a form letter, click Next: Preview your letters.

Step 5: Preview your letters

1. To preview the items in order, click the arrows under the Preview your letters heading.
   
   
   
2. To locate a specific item, click Find a recipient..., and then enter the criteria in the Find field.
3. To change the list of recipients, click Edit recipient list..., and make your changes in the Mail Merge Recipients window.
4. Click on Next: Complete the Merge at the bottom of the task pane

Step 6: Complete the Merge

1. Click Edit individual letters...
2. In the Merge to New Document window, select the records you want to merge.
3. Click OK.
4. Microsoft Word will create new merged document.
5. To personalize individual documents, scroll to the information you want to edit, and make your changes.
6. Print or save the document just as you would any regular document.

Step 7: Save the Merged Letters

Under most circumstances, you do not need to save the merged document. It is simpler and more useful to save the main document and merge it again if you need another copy. Below are examples of times when you might wish to save the merged document:

• You wish to keep an archived copy of mailings, including to whom they were sent.
• You have personalized individual letters or labels within the merge, and want to save those changes.

If you do wish to save the merged document, collect the merged files into a single document by clicking Edit individual letters. In the Merge to New Document window, select one of the following:

• To merge all the documents, click All.
• To merge only the document that you see in the document window, click Current record.
• To merge a range of documents, click From, and then type the record numbers in the From and To boxes.

Click OK.

Microsoft Word will open one new document that contains all the individual letters. Save the document just as you would any regular document.

• Erin Foti
• Information Services
• Date Created: August 5, 2003
• Last Modified: June 15, 2006
• Page Expires: June 30, 2007