How to Create Mail Merges in Microsoft Word?
Starting the Mail Merge Document
The user will need to click Mail Merge on the Mailings ribbon and select the type of document that is required to be created. For instance, letters, envelopes, or labels. There is also the option to select Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard for more help on creating the document. This is one of the basics in IT support operations.
Selecting Recipients for Mail Merge Letters
The user will need to click Select Recipients on the Mailing ribbon to add recipients to the mailing list. It can also be opted to create a new database of recipients. In addition, existing list or Outlook contacts can also be opted by the user or the IT support database can be utilised.
Adding Recipients to the Mail Merge Database
In the New Address List box, the user will need to enter contacts. They can use Tab keys to navigate between fields. Each set of fields are referred to as an entry. In order to add additional recipients, New Entry button will need to be clicked. To delete an entry, the user will need to select it and click Delete Entry. The user will also need to click ‘Yes’ to confirm the deletion.
Deleting and Adding Mail Merge Fields
A user may need to delete or add field types to the mail merge document. This can be done easily by clicking the Customise Column button. The Customise Columns dialog box opens. The user will need to click Add, Delete or Rename to alter the field types. Additionally, the user can use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to rearrange the order of fields. Once this is done, the ‘OK’ command will need to be clicked.
Now that all the recipients have been added, the user will need to click OK on the New Address List dialog box. The data source will need to be named and saved.
Inserting a Merge Field in Your Document
In order to insert a field into the document, Insert Merge Field will need to be clicked on the Mailings ribbon. Select the field that you would like to be inserted. The field name will appear where the cursor has been located by the user in the document.
The user can edit and format the text surrounding the field. Formats applied to the field will carry over to the finished document. The user can continue to add fields to the document.
Previewing the Mail Merge Letters
Prior to printing the letters, it is recommended to preview them for any errors. Particular attention needs to be paid to spacing and punctuation surrounding the fields. The user will also want to make sure that correct fields have been inserted in the correct places. In order to preview the letters, user will need to click Preview Results on the Mailing ribbon. The arrows can be used to navigate through the letters.
Rectifying Errors in Mail Merge Fields
The users may identify errors in the data for one of the documents. They cannot alter this data in the merge document. Instead, they will need to fix it in the data source. In order to do this, Edit Recipient List will need to be clicked on the Mailing Ribbon. In the box that opens, users can alter data for any of their recipients. The user may also limit the recipients. In order to omit them from the merge operation, the uncheck box next to their names can be clicked. It is much easier for a user to do this on his/her own instead of relying on IT support.
Finalising the Mail Merge Documents
Once the documents have been reviewed, the users are now ready to finalise them by completing the merge. Users will need to click the Finish & Merge button on the Mailing ribbon.
