Create Data Source

Exercises

Overview

Create Data Source

Create The Letter

Read The Letter

Mail Merge With A Text Document

Mail Merge With A Microsoft Excel Data

Mail Merge With A Microsoft Access Database

Mail Merge With A Microsoft Outlook Contacts File

Create Labels

Create Envelopes

Printing Issues

More And Other Resources

To use a Mail Merge document in Microsoft Word, first create the document where data will originate from: this is called the source document. The source document resembles a small database of resources combining fields and their related data such as customers name and other personal information.

We are going to create a mail merge used by a car dealer who keeps track of his valuable customers and send them a regular newsletter whenever he has a beneficial promotion.

 Create A Table Of Resources

1. Start Microsoft Word

2. From the main menu, click Tools -> Mail Merge…

3. From the Mail Merge Helper dialog, click Create -> Form Letters…
   
   

4. Click Active Window

5. Click Get Data -> Create Data Source…

6. In the Field Names In Header Row list, click Address1 to select it

7. Click Remove Field Name

8. Press the right arrow key to position the mouse at the end of Address1

9. Press Backspace to remove 1 and click Add Field Name. That inserts the Address field in the list.

10. In the Field Names In Header Row list, click Address2 and click Remove Field Name

11. In the Field Names In Header Row list, click PostalCode and click Remove Field

12. In the Field Name, select Postal and type ZIP so that when you finish, you will have ZIPCode

13. While ZIPCode is highlighted in the Field Name: box, click Add Field Name

14. In the Field Name: box, type Make and click Add Field Name

15. In the Field Name, type Model and click Add Field Name

16. Remove the HomePhone and Country fields from the Field Names In Header Row list.

17. To move an item in the list, first click it; then use the arrow of the Move section to move it up or down. For example, in the Field Names In Header Row, click Address to select it.
    
    

18. Click the up arrow above Move to move it up.

19. Rearrange items so that when you finish, the list will be as follows: Title, FirstName, LastName, JobTitle, Company, WorkPhone, Address, City, State, ZIPCode, Make, Model
    
    

20. When the list is ready, click OK.

21. Before continuing, Microsoft Word would like you to save the data structure you have just created.

22. On the Save As dialog, click the Create New Folder button.

23. Type Sales Contacts and press Enter.

24. If you are using Microsoft Word 2000, the new folder should be displaying in the Save In combo box. If you are using Microsoft Word 97, double-click the Sales Contacts folder to display it in the Save In combo box.

25. In the File Name, type Valuable Car Customers

26. Click Save

27. We have just created a structure for our database. Now Microsoft Word needs to know where the originating data is located. Since we don't have any data available at this time, we will create a few records of the car dealer customers
    Click Edit Data Source
    
    

28. Type Mrs. Press Enter

29. Type Josiane and press Enter

30. Type Ndolo and press Enter

31. Type NetAdmin and press Tab

32. Type Crocodile Resources, Inc. and press Tab

33. Type (202) 439-4428 and press Tab

34. Type 9404 Georgia Ave Ste 402 and press Enter

35. Type Silver Spring and press Enter

36. Type MD and press Enter

37. Type 20905 Enter Lincoln Enter Continental Enter

38. Enter the other records

39. When you have finished, click OK.

40. Now is the time to read the letter.