17.

3 Mail merge

17 .3 Mail merge
17.3.1 What is a mail merged document?
A mail merged document is created to save the repeated typing of similar
doctunents that are designed to be sent to different people. It uses a master
document and a source file containing data. Data, like the names and addresses of
people to send the letter to, is taken from the source file and. placed. into a copy of
the original document. This is done automatically.

17.3.2 Why are mail merged documents used?

Mail merge is used to save retyping or editing lots of documents. It saves time (and.
therefore money) and. helps to reduce the number of errors that may occur in editing
or retyping the document. The most common use of mail merged. documents is to
produce personalised letters for a number of people. The contents of the letter have
parts that are the same for all people and parts that are personal to the reader. When
using the mail merge, the parts that are the same for all people only need to be typed.
once, even if hundreds ofletters are to be created. The personal part of this letter is
added using a placeholder, which will hold the ind.Md.ual information taken from
the data source. The placeholders can hold information from a data source and/
or instructions called merge codes (sometimes called field codes). The infonnation
from the data source is often a person's name and address, but may also include
information about products that they have bought from a company.
You will be given a copy of a document that will become your master
docwnent. This contains the parts for all people. You will also be given a source
file, which may be a database, spreadsheet or text file. Yon will need to merge the
files into a number of personalised documents.

17.3.3 Create a mail merged document

Create a master document
A master document will usually be supplied to you as a source file. However, if
a document to be used as a master document is only small you may be asked to
create this doctu11ent. The source document may be provided in a format suitable
for use with any word. processor. For example, it might be in a .ref (rich text
format) or a .txt ( text format) file. This may need importing or opening in your
word processor program and you will need to save it as a word-processor (.docx)
file. You will need to import or create the document, carefully spell check and
proofread. the doctuneut and check that it has a consistent layout. Yot1 must then
save two copies of this document as word-processed (.docx) files, making sure
that yon have a backup copy before you start to add the placeholders. Yon may
need to go back to this backup copy if you experience any problems.

rTask 17f
Use the file mailmerge.rtf as the master letter for a mail merge and the file mmstuderits.csv as the data source file. In the
master letter:
• insert relevant merge fields from the data source file to replace the text shown in chevrons, e.g. <field>
• replace the text <Date> with today's date in DD MMMM YYYY format
• replace the Headteacrner's name with your name.
Save the file .
 17 DOCUMENT PRODUCTION

Open the file mailmerge.rtf. Save this as a Mic1·osoft Word document because
rich text' format will not keep mail merge fields. Spell check and proofread the
document. Correct any errors found ( there are two).
You will notice that this document contains some text in chevrons <like this>.
The text within the chevrons (and the chevrons) will each need to be replaced by
a merge code.
Insert a special field into a mail merged document
Special fields that are automatically updated can be added to any word-processed
document. In Section 13.3 we added date fields into the header and footer areas

GJ � •= -<I
of documents. Move the cursor over the first of these and highlight
the text <Date> which you will replace with the automated date. -
Afii: 1:;'fSignoturd.ine •
- �Oate&Tirne.
1vd: Quick WordArt Diop
To do this select the IN SERT tab, then in the Text section select N:;i:,. B • Pert,. • C,p- Ll Object •
----'
o.<

the Qnkk Parts icon. ------------------ oo,., � 1,utoTerl

This will open a drop-down menu. Select the option for IO I II 1 ,; ' IT;,
Jl:ocum,ntProperty

Field .... -----------------------------+--i(•l f;eld.,

This will open the Field window which looks similar to this. 3 J!.u1ldm1B1oclc;Or9,n12er..
Using the drop-down menu from the Categories: section, select � Ir
& }oveSclectiontcQu;,, P,1tG�lle,y.•
Date aud Tillle.
I
"'"'"'" ''... . !
Select ti1e date from the Field names: drop- A>ld 1-
I
down list. This can be the date that the mail flelCI p1opt1t1u l'ltlCI cpt,on;·
merge was created., the date it was saved, the f1lt9orits: Q,5:lt{orm:ts; D U>t the .trult/lunat ca1ericnr

current date or the date the docwnent was

,OJte ancrnm: 3 .ddMMMM�'J)?
.

-�·
D lns�n. uu data.In J•st used ronut tlo(l'l

r I DD U;e.the
11,W.'20H
f.ltl.::lno�� 1t-.se1ttab
<:ruttDolf
Wtdnt,d•" 11 F•bru,,.,2015
printed. For this example, you can select the ► 11/01115
s;iq Era olendi,

Date field name. l'rlntOirt.e 201s.o2.11

f"O{ITIII\C:
11-f'�b-tS U�e. t he J.!.rn41-011,a <.llend;;1
Tlmt
1Ul?.20'rS
As you select it , the Date formats: list 11ffl), 15
ii Fe-ONoif'J201S
t1bruc11Y1S
appears. The question asked for the format �U-15
DD M.J.\1.MM YYY Y, scroll down through each
1/00(2!)15.2010
,1.1ru1.ro1s �to::u

J
18(.10P:M
of the formats until tl1e date is displayed as
i2°"10
"''"'"
j8.:1�a2Ft.l

required.
Click on I (X I to insert the placeholder 0t$Cflpt1onr
l l,t:l ,,_,o,1it�h11111cil\ln-., 11 1111-.i vll\le1t,,
1,1

for the da te. This part of the letter should. look Tllda(°sd/lle

I fld� Codes I
similar to this. � C ul an

Save the document again.

There are many different types of automated fields that can be placed into 4.>U�

a document, for example me filename, number ofwords, munber of chapters,

name ofautl1or, file size, etc. ! 1 February 201.5
......
Attach the source file to the master document <Title> <Forename> <Surname>
/i\ ,j.J............ ,...J
For all mail merge functions use the MAILINGS tab. As the letter
has already been created, move tl1e cursor into the Start Mail 11111 i10tw€. "6fXr iOtSl:GN PA<iftAYOOf P.lftllB"K-tS W.U'iG'S
Merge section and select the icon to Select Recipients. _____,
Q 9@j 1B r;;. -,
You can see that many ofthe otl1er icons are 'greyed out' as tl1e 11'1\clltp,,i ll!Udl 51in Mail � 1,r ! H!II Jo. , '"II t,I t<\-•!1,•
M • 11 ......... .., ..,ll• .... ';!Or... lj!
wgt ... .... F,.H·
docwnent has no source file attached to it, but these will become
active icons later on. As you select tl1e icon a drop-down list
appears. Select Use ;m Existing List.... -----------,
•t
Lg�
hi
�e,!._rtt,-r'
...t !II
r,,qil,) �
I 'F""'hh
� l)'l)el.t,jeKl.tn..,
□ list ,n &utir,g LesL
1G Cbocse.&i;ri 0Wook(6ni:.le5..
 -
17.3 Mail merge

Use the left part of the Select

Data Source window to move from V <,

the default 'My Data Sources' folder °''";" • N"'"""

0rtemcdmcd

------------+---,,.., ".....,
""'�,...••=· ---. ill�"'"""·"'
'it o�ttep "' H.:m.c
into the folder that holds the file ::J D«,m,ou
@:j 111:tMtyl?b.rtf 20.'tl.!/lOOit 15-A'J r«hfmfof!T'.:t �K�
mmstudents.csv. r,;,'"'""'"" P.�hTht F1111-1WI ,m
0
Jl ,.
G�Nm'�iPholt(
� m,1i!mcrgt.t!I' 10:'32/lOl!iU•J.G �ch rMfo,,"l',. U
6 J
�lk.9
Select·this file and then click '=°'""" '=·"'""' . . �-o�r W'Jlt!O>S,<·lJ M,o��c.it.
. iPt1u,�e,o.-,:n(b11n�1.ut.2S:1..� "ti'Jm~"""=
; mc-..,cc..,-:c,-c,.=,,.,---------=_,
=,:-::,,.=,,"","'"":c-.-=-===---
=:@)
m
I, At thiS pOlllt YOU WI'II See many
Mlt,ccoft bc..l c.•
011 r .Qp.n ,1 Mm '
.. .JUblfl.ttl <'l'OIIZOlJISll ,m �hT<KfOt,'lt,;I

of the previously greyed out icons·appear

.i_ PfCi1.1,u
Ill!�'""'"""' _,,,,,,,...., �ct..rmfo..,.�I 3;ic:11
;a,,,_
II. .,,,,..,..,QJ �••·"' ''"'"''"'" Keh ft>t Fo'"'d-1 �lKS
ready for you to use. Save the document so uD�o(O:)
that the path to the attached data source is .U•w••'•~��,G�c
also saved with the document. ;;::;::,,"., ••
Nt..�f<li-

Advice
Once you have attached the data source do not save the document or data sources
into different folders, or move them into different folders, or the links to the source
document will not work.
111111 """''
ca
!�£RT 0£SIGN PAD£ L

Check that the data source is attached I']

lnwlop� Laboelt
ID r; .D
!stdrtM11I Select rrJ11
From the lvlAILINGS tab, in the Start Mail Merge section click the left mouse Re,,...,... •"'""""'
Stan Mall Mtfl]#
MMg••
Clilrnl
button on the Edit Redpient List icon. ----------------------------1�'·
This will open the Mail Merge Recipients window. Check that the data in here
matches that source file.
If you need to select oilly certain people to Mail MergeRecipieots 7-
lhil'il lh !M of ttt1pi h ihllf will b uud ln)'OUI me(g� C th cphon, b low t add l otch ng�your list.
send this mail merged letter to, you would e en e
Us@ the ched:.bOl(l!S to add Cit remO'fe- rKlpitlllS'ft.om thl! me19i?. �my-0ur !Ht IS reit:ty, Clld: OK.
ho: e e o o a

�S:rurc&
unrick the check box for those people who did
not need a letter. This task does not tell us who -
0:\0417 Ncwtod..,
I .m••• ·I••• ,.IAtl.11881_1
V"
.,, P'ls
Rennie
,.,_.:_·!"�,.•,:
M,;
.....
1723 fost Sheet
·-
•l·Ad<hoE..2

Ood:sicl'c
_,
•I'
.
O:\l\.117 New text... f7 Rojtl€ 1 Mo·on Clau
p-

to prepare the letters for, so make no changes M" Cross- Ke-fl

at this point. Click on!._ O< I to return to tl1e D:\0417 New text.. , p Kacaratchi
0:\0417N�Nlo..t... P' Sl,11uss
M�
M�
Stil East-Street
12 Ryel:ind.Stierl·
Oocksi<te
T11nl
0:\o.ll7Newt:>tt.,, 1-7 Coope.r
ey
docwnenr. Mli !4 Sea View Terracc: Beachside Close
0.-10417 Ncwtod... f7 Davies M, M<ilt Cott:ogc Mo�i11g! lone
D:\0417 Newtext... S3rl.;yMcw Dktil!ery lane.
Insert merge field s into a mail -< ...t!,-
p
...,.
Maloi Mfi
-· - ¥

Oat-a SouttC' Refine re'dpienl list

)

merged document 0:\0! 17 New lo! bo ol:\Ch:ip lJ.�

Move the cursor over the first place where tl1e T::l fllt«.,
merge field is to be placed and .highlight the text � rind duelk�tl'$,-,

<Title>. Do not highlight tl1e spaces around Ip Find fK!Qltnt.

""

·-
0 Y«Ud:Ptc addrcua
this text. You are going to replace tllis text with r:,,:n:.
the merge field for tl1e person's title ( e.g. Mr, LsiQ
Mrs, Miss, etc). Click tl1e left mouse button on

f·:�.
the Insert Merge Field icon to get a list of tl1e Insert Mer.as fie.rd

available merge fields from the source dar-a. Oa-:i<1rcn.rklds.

IM°"
t!_1.Q.t:J!):1Je fte!CI�

(?Rule<• ➔
StJmJme

H,gh.:ight Address G1e:.tin9 lnsart Merge

'i'� Match Fields )\ddll'U.1
Acfdre._z
;:e1_111eu_3
M..19° FiFld-s: Block Line Reid'.,, [\ U1,.1-cote l.ebds

I
;.,,c111,e,1_◄

Write&. hs.crt Fields son1n,ugtur_

?lp_cocc

These are sl10wn in tl1e It 1sen Merge Field

window. Click in the Fields section on Title.- fllm:!ifltldr� l� C.im!I
17 DOCUMENT PRODUCTION

Click the left mouse button on I tnserr I This part of the document will change

,l
from this to this.----------.

J orename>-<S:urname>1 «Titlc»·<Forcnamc>·<Surnamc�
<Address·!� <Address· 1�
<Address ·2� <Address·2�

You can see that Microsoft Word has placed double 1awata,High·Schoo�,
chevrons arotmd the 6eldname, to show that it is a field 11-scl1ool·Lane,�
Beacbside•Boulevard,
rather than text. Repeat this process for all of the other
!lm:!!a,.
text with chevrons round in the document. To show 43091
which fields you have set as merge fields you can click �
on the HJghligbt Merge Fields icon so that they stand 11·February•20t5i

out. Replace the Headteacher's name with your name. � itl -)<Fprcoarilol«Sumam,,
The document should now look like this. t.odrm 1 ,
Save the file as taskl 7f. ��
�,!!_}i,

17 .3.4 Run the ma ii merge &"' �H ,,

�
Dea,..,.:Tule»�Sumame•i
Task 17g �
Run the mail merge saved! in Task 17f so that individual letters A.1·you·may·be·are·aware-the·$choohvill ·be·closed·for1he-rest<0Hhe-,,veek·due
1.0•11-probletn•wilh·our•elec.tricity•sur)ply. •W e•han-sec•al1•Qtudenu; ·!audying·for•
are produced for all students. examinarioos this-yearlo�s·of·exlr3work·at1d·bopo ·1bat-your'M_�lg_�·
Save the letters. i.vill·be·able'LO·eontinue·ttieir·e.xamirtatio,i prepAtatio1l..at•l)otne.�
�
..
,___________________,.! You.rs·sincc-rely,,.
�
Run the mail merge with all records

-------�L
Open the file saved in Task 17f. From the �
MAILINGS tab, select from the Finish Mr-0.aro,»1'1
section the Finish & Merge icon. Hoadt<a.lm11

Select from the drop-d.own menu the �

option to Edit Individual Documents... Finl,h&
so that you can check the contents of the M••s.• •
['.b E# lno1vlduol Do,un1c,1,,.
individual letters before sending them to � frinr Documr:nu.,..
the printer. For th.is question where alJ records are � Send E.,.,1 Memge,...
required, make sure that the radio button for all the
records is selected before clicking on I 0< L--- MP1 10 NP.W Gornmem ?
A new Word document is created with all of the
ij;�j:
mail merged letters. This document has 25 pages, Ocun.tmmv«I
Oi,...l===:J1• __
with one letter on each. page. This matches the
25 records in the source data file. Save the uL..
merged Jetters as taskl 7g.

,.Task 17h
Run the mail merge saved! in Task 17f so that individual letters are produced for only the
students from Port Peppard.
S-ave the letters.
17 DOCUMENT PRODUCTION

Other filters can be used in the Query Options window. Look at

the data again and find out which field you would use to find the
girls. You cannot·use the title field as tllis is tl1e title of the parent, �IWU�3
fiid4:
..a ;,c°' "="'="�"-· -�
§110
e«,,i,,uM;

not the gender of the student. Open the file saved in Task 17f and •V r;ond&U�L � rc;:;:;110

in tl1e Query Options window set up tl1e Filter to find only those
smdents with tl1e.Address_3 field Equal to (as the Comp,u·ison:)
Port Peppard (as you did for Task l?h). Move tl1e cursor down
into the second row of me query. As the students live in Port
Peppard and are girls, select And from tl1e drop-down list on row 2.
In the Field box for th.is row, select the s011/da11ghter field (note how th.is
has changed to sondanghter_ because W01·d could not handle the use of the / in
the original source data, this will not change the outcome of the merge). In the
Comparison: box select Equal to, and type in the Compare to1 box the word
tfaughter. When you have completed th.is, click on I 0< I.
Fjnish & Merge to get only three letters. Save ilie merged letters as taskl7i.
17.3.5 Print mail merge documents
Save your work regularly using the methods shown in Section 11.2. Mail merge
docmnents will need to be printed so tl1:1t they show ilie master document and
the finished doclU11ents ( often letters) after the merge has been rw1.

'rask 17j
..Print the master document created in Task 17f showing the merge and field codes.
Print the master document
You will always do th.is to show ilie
M(crosoft Word
OpMll'IO !his OOUIMe.nt �" llln ll'lt.10IIOWIIIO sot. (011\ltarld:
-
tEl£ct • FROM O!liC417 tltwtotbo111titl'lapter INNl!rl!rd\�IMStlS.cltnU.cnWHEflf ll�lldr.eu.J - ·,011 Ptpp�rd} Ar>OtU·n11111.111m.er_ • '11au91'11d])

merge codes within the document.

Open tl1e master document you saved
in Task 17f. As you attempt to open
the file a window sinlilar to this will
appear. [awara Hi gh School:
17 School Lane.
To allow the work that you did in Task l 7f, ( that is Bca.chs.idc. BauJe,·ard
choosing die records from Port Peppard for the girls), to be
included you must clicJc tl1e left mouse button on yes I- j 4309

The document opens and looks like this. _________, 16 Fcb ruruy201s
The merge codes are visible
�Titk» \xforcnawc» ,<Surname»
inside the chevrons. This will show «Addreu_ 1:.
the name of the field and tl1e fact «Address_l:.
Paste()ptJons:
...
-it.�ddrcS$_J�
that it is a merge field. You may <<Addr=ss_4rt
notice that tile field used for the [l «zip_i:ode,1

Date is not shown. 1pdateFl e(d

Dear «Title� «Surname:»
fd1t Field...
You can see more detail for
each field by clicking the right ____, �--►I•ggl, Field Code< As you maybe are aware the school will be doi!od fot &he re�iofthc ,vcck.duc
to 3 problcrn with our ckct1"'lcity supply. We have &..'""ial! sti.ldcots snu:lylng fol'
mouse button on a field and from Destj I\ font•. examina;ions tru, yc:u lotrs of C:Xlt0 wOJ·k ond hope U)31 your (($0t1.dr,u_gbJ�_»
will b� abl= to .:onlinuc: their exaw.inaii-on pr�parntion at hotw:,
:i foragraph...
the drop-down menu, selecting
Toggle Field Codes. ______..., You.rs sin-cc1dy,

MrG. Brown
Hcadtcl!_cha
 17.3 Mail merge

This will display the full details of the field and change from t is to this.

«Title» «Forename» . [ MERGEFIELD "Title" E «ForenLe»

«Address 1» <i.Address_l»

If you wish to display the field codes in this format, take screen shot evidence and
use that because the field codes in this format cannot be sent to the printer.
To show evidence of the date field and its formatting, right click the field (this
one is not a merge field) and select Toggle Field Codes. This will display the foll
details of the field and change from this to this.
I
16 February 2015 { DATE \@ "dd MMMMyyyy" \* MERGEFORMAT}

f<Titlc» «Forename» «Surname» «Title» «Forename» «Surname»

You can see that the format of the field is also displayed ( the question asked for
'with today's date in DD MMMM YYYY format') showing the correct formatting.
Again, this will not print, so screen shot evidence will need to be provided.
r
Task 17k
Print the merged letters saved in Task 17i for the girls from Port Peppard. ..
"-------------------------======�},

Print the merged documents

Open the merged letters saved in Task 17i. Check that each letter is addressed
to the girls and that the address contains Port Peppard. Print these letters as a
normal Word document using the FILE tab then Print.
,,