Word 2003 Office 2003 Windows

CREATING A MAIL MERGE LETTER WITH A NEW DATA SOURCE IN OFFICE 2003

This document outlines how to create a mail merge with an already existing mail merge letter and creating a new 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.

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. Click Start from the existing document.
2. In the Start from existing box, select the document you want, and then click Open... If you do not see the document, click More files..., and then click Open...
3. In the Open dialog box, locate the document you want, and then click Open.
   
   
   
4. 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. Under Select recipients, click Type a new list.
2. Click Create..., the following window will appear.
   
   
   
   
3. In the New Address List window, type the data you want to include under Enter Address information; for example, title, names, and address information. You do not have to fill in every field. If you want to edit the field names, click on Customize... button, and the Customize Address List window will appear. Add, delete or rename any field name as you want.
4. To make another entry, click New Entry.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you've added all the entries you want, and then click Close.
6. In the Save Address List window, type a name for the data list in the File name field, and select a folder to save the list in. By default, the address list is saved in the My Data Sources folder. It is best to keep the file there since Microsoft Word by default looks for data in that folder, so you won't have to navigate through files and folders to locate it.
7. Click Save.
8. The contacts in the new list will appear in the Mail Merge Recipients window where you can edit the list.
   
   
   
9. Here you can view all your recipients and decide to whom you would like to send the letter to. You can use filters, sort and organize your recipients by clicking on the black triangles in the header fields. Click OK.
10. Click 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