Learning Microsoft Word 2007

By Greg Bowden

Chapter 20

Mail Merging

Guided Computer Tutorials

www.gct.com.au
PUBLISHED BY

GUIDED COMPUTER TUTORIALS

PO Box 311
Belmont, Victoria, 3216, Australia

www.gct.com.au

© Greg Bowden

This product is available in Single or Multi User versions.

Single-user versions are for single person use at any particular

time, just as a single text book would be used. If you intend to use
the notes with multiple students the single user version should be
upgraded to the multi-user version.

Multi-user versions allow the school or institution to print as many

copies as required, or to place the PDF files on the school network,
intranet and staff laptops. A certificate of authentication is provided
with multi-user versions. Bookmarks provide links to all headings and
sub-headings, and individual chapters are provided.

First published 2008

ISBN: 1 921217 46 4 (Module 1)

1 921217 47 2 (Module 2)
PDF document on CD-ROM

Every effort has been made to ensure that images used in this
publication are free of copyright, but there may be instances where
this has not been possible. Guided Computer Tutorials would
welcome any information that would redress this situation.
 Chapter

20
Mail Merging
An important use of a word processing package is the production of personalised letters.
This is where a standard (or form) letter is individually addressed to a large number of
people. To create the letters, data about each person is entered into the database facility
of the program then combined with a normal word processing document. The process is
called MAIL MERGING.

Creating the Database

In order to create mail merged documents you need to have a database of names or
items. Microsoft Word allows you to enter data into its database section or you can use
data created in programs like Microsoft Access or Microsoft Excel. In this case you will
enter data into Microsoft Word.

A Setting the Recipients

The Recipients are the people that will receive the letter. Their details are stored in a
database that is merged into the letter. You can import data from prepared files or you
can enter your own data. In this case you will enter your own data.

1 Load Microsoft Word or close the current document and start a NEW BALNK
DOCUMENT.

2 Open the MAILINGS tab of the

RIBBON, click on the SELECT
RECIPIENTS icon and select TYPE
NEW LIST.

© Guided Computer Tutorials 2008 20-1

Learning Microsoft Word 2007

3 You will be provided with sample

fields that you can enter data into.

4 These fields can be modified to suit

your needs. Click on the CUSTOMIZE
COLUMNS button.

NOTE: i FIELD is the term given to the sections that the data is split
into.
ii The database you are about to create will have the following
fields:
Title, First Name, Last Name, Street, Suburb, State, Postcode, Contribution.

B Deleting Fields
There are more fields in the provided list than is needed in this case so some will be
deleted.

1 Click on COMPANY NAME in the

FIELD NAMES frame then click on the
DELETE button.

2 Select YES to the DELETE warning

message.

20-2 © Guided Computer Tutorials 2008
 Mail Merging 20

3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 to delete:

City
Country or Region
Home Phone
Work Phone
e-mail Address

C Renaming Fields
Some of the remaining fields can be renamed to suit our needs.

1 Click on ADDRESS LINE 1 and click

on RENAME.

2 Enter: Street
and click on OK.

3 Rename ADDRESS LINE 2 to SUBURB

and select OK.

© Guided Computer Tutorials 2008 20-3

Learning Microsoft Word 2007

4 Rename ZIP CODE to POSTCODE and

select OK.

D Adding Extra Fields

Extra fields can be added to the database. In this case a field will be needed to store the
contributions made to a hospital charity.

1 Click on the ADD button and enter:

Contribution
in the ADD FIELD box and select OK.

2 The position of the new field can be

changed. If it is not at the bottom
of the list, click on the MOVE DOWN
button to move it there.

3 Click on OK to complete the field

adjustments.

20-4 © Guided Computer Tutorials 2008
 Mail Merging 20

Entering the Data

The data can now be entered into the fields. Each person’s or item’s details in a database
is called a RECORD.

1 The cursor should be in the TITLE

box, enter Mrs. for the TITLE of the
first person then press the TAB key to
move the cursor to the FIRST NAME
box.

2 Enter the rest of the record pressing

the TAB key after each entry:
Rhonda
Carter
26 Banks Street
CARINGBAH
NSW
2229
$50.00 <tab>

NOTE: i Pressing the TAB key at the end of the last field inserts a new
record. You can also click on the NEW ENTRY button to insert
a new record.
ii If you press the <enter> key after the CONTRIBUTION field
entry you will be asked to save the data.

3 You can adjust the width of the columns to show the data more clearly.

© Guided Computer Tutorials 2008 20-5

Learning Microsoft Word 2007

4 Move the pointer to the intersection

of the TITLE and FIRST NAME
headings until the pointer changes
to a cross-hair with horizontal arrows
and drag the border to the left to
reduce the width of the TITLE field.

5 Reduce the width of the FIRST

NAME, LAST NAME, STATE and POST
CODE columns, and increase the
width of the STREET column.

6 Add the following data to the

second RECORD, pressing the TAB
key after each entry:
Mr.
Peter
Bell
9 Main Street
CROWS NEST
NSW
2065
$35.00 <tab>

20-6 © Guided Computer Tutorials 2008
 Mail Merging 20

7 In the third row enter the following

data:
Ms.
Silvia
Tait
53 Bakers Road
BONDI BEACH
NSW
2026
$125.00

Saving the Data

Microsoft Word saves the data in a database file.

1 Click on OK at the base of the NEW

ADDRESS LIST dialogue box.

2 Enter the file name:

Contributions
Word is setup to save the files in your
MY DOCUMENTS folder in a folder
called MY DATA SOURCES, however,
it is probably better to save the data
in your WORD DOCUMENTS folder.

© Guided Computer Tutorials 2008 20-7

Learning Microsoft Word 2007

Looking at the Data

Once you have closed from the NEW ADDRESS LIST section the data can be viewed or
edited at any time.

1 Click on the EDIT RECIPIENT LIST

icon in the MAILINGS tab of the
RIBBON.

2 The data is displayed in the MAIL

MERGE RECIPIENTS dialogue box,
select OK to close it.

Loading the Form Letter

A form letter has been entered for you and your task will to set the letter up so that it can
be printed to each of the three people you have entered into the database.

1 Select the OPEN icon from the OFFICE BUTTON or QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR.

2 Access the CHAPTER 20 folder of the WORD 2007 SUPPORT FILES and open the
FORM LETTER document, selecting YES to the READ-ONLY message.

3 Save the letter in your WORD DOCUMENTS folder under the file name:
Hospital Letter
and turn off the READ-ONLY RECOMMENDED option.

20-8 © Guided Computer Tutorials 2008
 Mail Merging 20

Merging the Data into the Letter

The letter needs to be set up to receive data and the fields then inserted into the letter in
the appropriate positions.

A The Merge Type

Microsoft Word needs to be told the type of merge that will be conducted. In this case it
is a LETTER merge.

Click on the START MAIL MERGE icon

in the MAILINGS tab of the RIBBON
and select LETTERS.

B Selecting the Data Source

The letter needs to know where the data source is stored.

1 Click on the SELECT RECIPIENTS icon

in the MAILINGS tab and select USE
EXISTING LIST.

© Guided Computer Tutorials 2008 20-9

Learning Microsoft Word 2007

2 Locate the CONTRIBUTIONS file in

either your WORD DOCUMENTS
folder or the MY DATA SOURCES
FOLDER and select OPEN.

NOTE: Icons in the MAILINGS tab of the RIBBON will now become
active, whereas prior to setting the data source they would
have been dimmed.

C Inserting the Address Fields

The fields that make up the person’s name and address will be inserted above the date.

1 Position the cursor at the beginning

of the blank line above ‘Dear’. This is
4 lines below the date.

20-10 © Guided Computer Tutorials 2008