iCIT Helpdesk and Training Services

Word 2003 – Merge

This Word Merge class will cover creating a merge main document, creating and/or attaching
a Data Source, and merging to create new documents.

The following advanced topics will be covered, if time permits:

 Creating a Main Document Form Letter from an existing letter
 Word Fields “If…Then…Else” statements
 Filtering Records
 Sorting Records
 Formatting Merge Fields

Mail Merge Toolbar

Main Document Setup allows you to change the type of document.

Open Data Source simply opens the data source or allows you to switch over to a
new data source.

Mail Merge Recipients allows you to add/delete/modify the recipients.

Insert Address Block lets you add an address block to your form with one click.
You can edit the format and match fields if you want to add different data source
inputs to different form elements.

Insert Greeting Line allows you to insert a customized greeting. (ie. ”Dear John
and Jane Doe,”)

Insert Merge Fields allows you to input all the other fields in the database, and also
allows you to match fields (if you wish to add different data source inputs to different
form elements).

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The Insert Word Field allows you to:

 Ask…  prompts for information

 Fill-in…  prompts and fills in information
 If … Then … Else  allows you to create conditional
statements to filter data
 Merge Record #  displays the record number
 Merge Sequence #  displays the sequence number
 Next Record  displays the next record
 Next Record If…  allows you to create a conditional
statement to determine whether or not the next record is
accessible
 Set Bookmark…  allows you to create a bookmark at a
certain record.
 Skip Record If…  Allows you to create a conditional statement to determine
whether or not the next record is skipped.

To Mail Merge:

Select Mail Merge from the task pane

The Mail Merge Helper dialog box (Tools  Letters and Mailings
 Mail Merge) gives you access to the commands necessary to: a)
Use an existing list; b) Select from Outlook contacts; c) Type a new
list.

Additionally, the Mail Merge Tool Bar (Tools  Letters and

Mailings  Mail Merge) gives you similar options on a different
interface.

STEP 1: Select the type of document that you desire to be merged:

 form letters
 email messages
 envelopes
 labels
 directory (list)

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STEP 2: Select your starting document

 Current document
 From a template
 From an existing document

Note that the information below the changes according to the Information
selected.

STEP 3: Select Recipients

 Existing List
 From Outlook Contacts (Email)
 Type a new list

Note

that the
informati
on
below
the
changes
accordin
g to the
Informati
on
selected
.

You may edit your

recipient
s at this
point.

STEP 4: Creating your document

 Create your letter
 Write your email message
 Arrange your envelopes
 Arrange your labels (make sure to update all)
 Arrange your directory

STEP 5: Preview

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STEP 6: Complete the Merge

So Let’s Try it - Step 1

We will try merging the three following types of documents (will explain email and catalog):

1. Envelopes (#9) using the current document and creating a new recipient list.

2. A letter using an existing document Word – Merge Form Letter and a recipient list that
already exists Word – Merge Data Source.

3. Labels (Avery 5160) using existing recipient list.

More About Step 2 – Starting Document

Using the current document

Uses the document on your screen

Using a template
Uses any template in Office (including a blank document

Using an existing document

 Uses any documents that have been created in the past

More About Step 3 - Recipients

Using an Existing List

Instructions on how to import an existing

list.

1. Select Use an existing list from the

side menu.
2. Click on Browse… to select a file or
database.
3. Here you can either select an existing
file or database, or Create a new data
source connection.

4. If you chose to Create a new database connection, a Connection Wizard should come
up to assist you.

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Select from Outlook Contacts

Instructions on how to select Outlook

contacts.

1. Choose Select from Outlook

contacts from the side menu.
2. Click on Choose Contacts Folder to
select your local Outlook contacts
folder.
3. Click OK after you have selected
your contacts list.

Type a New List

Instructions on how to create a new list.

1. Choose Type a new list from the side menu.

2. Click on Create… to begin the creation of a new list.
3. The following window should pop up. Here you can enter the contact information, and
edit, delete, filter, sort, and customize the entry fields.
4. After the desired amount of information has been entered, then click Close.
5. Now a window should popup prompting you to save the file as a data source.
6. Now a Mail Merge Recipients window should popup. This simply allows you to select
which users that you want to have involved with the mail merge.
7. After you have selected the desired recipients, you are ready to continue to the next
step.

Note: You have the ability to edit any existing data sources by selecting Use an existing list.

More About Step 4 – Creating Your Document

Creating Your Message

Now you are ready to proceed to the next step.

1. Simply click on the Next: Write your -mail message link at the bottom of the side
panel.
2. Now you are ready to actually create your message. Here it is helpful to have the
Mail Merge Toolbar open (Tools  Letters and Mailings  Show Mail Merge
Toolbar).

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3. Here are some descriptions of the basic tools available to you:

 Address Block (automatically inputs address, city, state, zip, etc.)
 Greeting Line (prompts you for your greeting)
 Electronic Postage
 Postal Bar Code
 More Items (most commonly used)
4. Now simply click on the field you want to add and it will appear on the screen.
5. When you are finished, click on Next: Preview Your E-mail Message, which can
be found on the bottom of the mail merge sidebar.
6. Finally, if the preview looks okay, simply click Next: Complete the Merge to finish
the process.
7. Now you can see that a mail merge process has been created, and can be
accessed on the mail merge sidebar. Send out e-mails by simply clicking on it.

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Inserting Merge Fields into your Main Document

Using the data in the source data file, you can now insert Merge Fields in the appropriate
places on the Form Letter. Follow the instructions below add the appropriate fields to the
letter:

1. Click the drop-down arrow on the Insert Merge Field button on the Mail Merge toolbar.

2. Select the following fields one-by-one and add them to the document in the appropriate
area. Remember to insert spaces, punctuation, or new lines wherever necessary.

3. When you finish inserting the Merge Fields, click the View Merged Data button on
the toolbar to see a sample of how the letter will look after you complete the merge.

Scroll through the records using the First, Previous, Next, and Last Record buttons on
the Mail Merge toolbar.

4. Click the Merge to New Document button. This will perform the Merge and produce
10 letters in a document titled “Form Letters1”.

Review each letter by clicking the Next Page button at the bottom of the right hand scroll
bar. Note that some letters have additional spaces and extra lines in the Inside Address.
The following exercise will explain how to eliminate blank lines or extra spaces created by
‘empty’ fields.

If your Merge worked correctly, close the Form Letters1 document. You do not need to save
the changes.

Formatting Merge Fields

You can apply character formats such as Bold, Italics, or Underline to the Merge fields in
your main document. Simply select the Field (be sure to include the brackets) and then
select the format(s) from the Font dialog box (Format  Font), or click a Formatting toolbar
button.

In the following exercise, we’ll apply the Bold format to the entire Inside Address:

1. Click and drag to select the entire Inside Address. Be sure to include each Field bracket.
2. Click the Bold button on the formatting toolbar.
3. Click the Merge to New Document button on the Mail
Merge toolbar.

The Inside Address on each merged letter should appear in Bold.

4. Close the Form Letters document. Do not save your changes.

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Adding or removing to and from the recipient list

To edit the recipient list first go to one of the following task plain windows: Select Recipients
or Preview your Letters. From either of those task plains click on Edit Recipient List.

Removing or adding someone to the recipient list

1. To remove someone from the list click on the check box. Notice Christin Fields, she
has been removed from the list.
2. To add someone to the list click on the box next to their name.

Note: If you want to add someone to the recipient list who is not in the current list you
must go into the document (excel, access or outlook) where you originally made the
list and add them. If you made a new list while doing this mail merge you may click on
edit to edit an entry on the list or to add a new entry.

Filtering and Sorting your Data Source Records

Now that we’ve defined how your letter will insert data, we need to define which records are
included in the Merge.

Note: If you wish to merge only a few records, select certain records to merge, or sort your
data, you must make these selections before you perform the merge.

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Selecting Records to be Merged

 Return to the Word - Merge Form Letter document.

If you had a large number of records in your Data Source, you could choose to merge only a
selected number of records. To merge only specific records follow the directions below.

1. To filter the recipient list first go to one of the following task plain windows:
Select Recipients or Preview your Letters. From either of those task plains click on
Edit Recipient List.

2. Now you may

choose what you would
like to filter. For
example you can
choose to only include
the records from
Whitewater in the
merge. To do so click
on the drop down
arrow next to City,
State & Zip and select
Whitewater.

Note: you can filter

records by more then
one fact by clicking
on Advanced. For
example you could
choose to only
include records that
have P.O. Boxes in
Whitewater. Once
you have finished
filtering click ok.

Sorting Records

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To sort the records just double click on the heading of records you would like to sort. If you
wanted to have Last Name in ascending order double click on the heading Last Name.

NOTE: Each Filter/Sort you select will be applied each time you perform a merge
unless you clear your selections.

Specify Multiple Selection Rules With And and Or

You can specify up to six selection rules by using And or Or to connect the rules.

 To select records that satisfy all of the connected rules, use And. In the following
example, Word selects only data records that contain both "Oregon" in the State field and
"Portland" in the City field.

State Equal To Oregon

And City Equal To Portland

 To select records that satisfy at least one of the rules, use Or. In the following example,
Word selects all data records that contain either "Oregon" or "California" in the State field.

State Equal To Oregon

Or State Equal To California

The way you use And and Or affects which data records are selected. In the following
example, Word selects records of clients who live either in Portland, Oregon, or in Salem,
Oregon.

State Equal To Oregon

And City Equal To Portland
Or State Equal To Oregon
And City Equal To Salem

However, in the following example, Word selects records of clients who live either in Portland,
Oregon, or in any city named Salem: for example, Salem, Massachusetts.

State Equal To Oregon

And City Equal To Portland
Or City Equal To Salem

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