Creating a Microsoft Word Mail Merge Document in Office 2002

Creating a Microsoft Word mail merge document in Office 2002

1Either open a new blank, or use an existing file or template document in Word.

2Choose Tools/Letters and Mailings/Mail Merge Wizard….

Tools drop down menu with Mail Merge selected

3The Mail Merge Helper dialogue box will allow you easily set up the mail merge:

Mail Merge Helper dialogue box

4Step 1 Select the document type. Here the Letters option has been selected:

5Step 2 Another dialogue box opens asking if you want to use the current Document or start from an existing template or document:

Selecting document pane

6Step 3 If the current Document is selected you will be asked to Use an existing list, use Outlook contacts or Type a new list.

Selecting recipients

7Click on the Open Data Source option. This is very similar to the Access Import/Export dialogue box.

8Use the Look In box to navigate to the data file you want to use. Choose an existing data source, eg an Access database.

9Select the appropriate file format from the Files of type box. Then select the data file from the list of available files and click the Open button.

10This will open a dialogue box that prompts you to choose the table or query object you want to use within the database. Make your selection and click the OK button.

Write your letter

11Step 4 You have several options for creating the mail merge.

Click on Address block to insert a standard address
Click on greeting line to insert a greeting
More items will bring up the field codes you can insert manually into the document.
Clicking on the More items… button displays a drop down list of available fields:

Insert Merge Field dialog box

12When you are ready:

position the cursor on the document page
select Insert Merge Field from the toolbar
from the list, select the field you require in the document
repeat for each field.

13The inserted fields will appear in the Word document. The example below shows the customer name and address fields:

Customer name and address fields detail.

14Take note that:

all field names are surrounded by the double left/right angle bracket (These brackets cannot be typed in, they are automatically inserted as part of a field)
add additional formatting such as spaces, commas, full stops and carriage returns between fields
enter other data into the document such as text graphics, charts etc. directly into the document.

15Step 5 To view the document with inserted data click on the Preview your letters.

Preview individual letters.

16Use the Record Navigation buttons to scroll through the Recipients or records.

17Step 6 When you are ready to merge and/or print the documents click on Complete the merge.

View Merged Data.

Click on Print… to print the merged data.
Click on Edit individual letters to merge the letters into a document.
Click OK to merge all records. Select current record to merge only the current record, select From and To, to select a range of record numbers.

18Save the original Main document. (the merge can be created again from the main letter later).

2005