Mail merge is a very common feature found in all office software. It allows you to send the same document to different recipients, personalizing it with the data of each. You can set up and perform this procedure to produce any type of document: envelopes, labels, letters, emails, faxes, etc. Read the following steps to learn how to take advantage of this computing feature.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Preparation
Step 1. Create a file containing the data to be inserted
This can be a spreadsheet, database, or even a text document with specific formatting. A spreadsheet is usually used, and this guide assumes that you are using just such a file.
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This file must contain all the information that needs to change from copy to copy. For example, if you are preparing a letter, the data source will contain the names and possibly the addresses of all those to whom you intend to send it.
Each type of information (name, surname, address, and so on) is called a field. Put all the field names below, one per cell, in the first row of the spreadsheet. Each column will therefore contain information of the same type, for example all the addresses of your recipients
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Give the fields meaningful names. The mail merge procedure assumes that the first cell of each column contains the general name of the information contained therein, so you should use clear and unambiguous identifiers.
Start with a column, for example, by typing "Codice Fiscale" in the first cell and enter all the tax codes of the recipients in those below. When you are asked which field you want to insert in a certain point of your letter, among the options you will see written "Tax Code" and you will remember the content of that specific column
- Microsoft Office users who use Outlook for e-mail can use the program's address book as a data source if they want.
Step 2. Save the data source where you can easily retrieve it, giving it an appropriate name for the purpose
Step 3. Write your primary document
Here you will enter the information. For example, if you are writing a letter, the main document type is "letter". Any elements that the mail merge will fill in for you (e.g. names, surnames, addresses) do not need to be entered at the moment.
Method 2 of 3: Mail merge with MS Office
Step 1. Open the Mail Merge task pane
From the main document, click the tile to open it. If you don't see it, go to the Tools menu and select "Mail Merge" from the list.
Step 2. Answer the MS Office questions
The mail merge process is fully guided to make your life easier.
- Start by selecting the type of document you intend to write. Then click Next.
- Select the document, called primary, you want to use. If you've followed these steps and the file is open because that's what you're working on, select "Use this document". Click Next.
Step 3. Choose the file to merge
This is the data source created previously. Select the appropriate button and click Next to browse for the file and link it to your primary document.
If you prefer to use the Outlook address book, click this option instead
Step 4. Choose which data to use
Office allows you to select or deselect lines of information as you please. Each line of information in sequence - a name linked to his surname linked in turn to that particular address in that certain city and so on - is called a record. In other words, you can choose for which and how many people you want to create the custom document. When you are satisfied, click Next.
The data can be sorted alphabetically by clicking on the column headers
Step 5. Enter the fields
On the next page of the Activities pane, you are asked to write your document template, if you have not already done so: several options will appear for inserting fields, as they must also be included.
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Enter a field by placing the cursor where that type of information should appear, then click on the appropriate button to insert it at that precise point.
Duplicate or incorrectly entered data fields can be deleted by pressing the DELETE key, as if to delete a normal alphanumeric character
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The preset options vary slightly depending on the type of document. For example, if you are writing a business letter, Office may suggest the option to enter a block of addresses neatly organized on a few lines, with the name, surname and full address of each recipient.
- Some of the pre-set options will open additional windows, all more or less simple and easy to understand, for you to enter the appropriate information.
- If the default options do not provide you with appropriate field names for your needs, click on "Compare Fields" to match the program's standard category labels to your fields. For example, you could set the program to use your "Province" category instead of the default "City" category.
- To use your fields, click on "More Options": you will be able to view the names you have assigned to each column and choose the fields you need by selecting them from that screen.
Step 6. Check the final letters
Office offers a preview function that allows you to check that the information is displayed exactly where you placed the relevant fields within the document. Use this function several times until you are satisfied with the result achieved.
Step 7. Complete the merge
The final screen of the Print Merge task pane informs you that everything is fine: you can start printing the documents. The information will be entered in a different way in each printed document: each will contain a different group of information, corresponding to a specific record.
If you would like to make individual changes to specific letters, you can also act from the Task Pane screen by clicking "Edit Individual Letters"
Method 3 of 3: Mail merge with OpenOffice.org
Step 1. Create a database
In OpenOffice.org, a database is always needed for mail merge, but if created previously, you can still use a spreadsheet.
- From the main document, open the File menu and choose to create a new database.
- In the window that appears, select the "Connect to an Existing Database" option. From the drop-down menu, select "Spreadsheet" and then click Next.
- On the next screen, select the file you want to use as your data store. You can optionally choose a password to protect the database by checking the box under the file path. When ready, click Next.
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From this screen, you can save the database you are working on or you can open an existing one to edit it. Click Finish to save the database.
Make sure you give the database a name that you can easily remember
Step 2. Enter the fields
- From the Insert menu, select "Fields" and then "Other" from the submenu. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + F2.
- On the window that appears, click on the "Database" tab.
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Click the Browse button in the lower right of the window and search for the newly created database.
As soon as your database is selected, it will appear in the "Database Selection" list, located on the right side of the window
- From the "Type" list on the left side of the window, select "Mail Merge Fields".
- Click on the + sign next to your database - a spreadsheet file should appear below. Click on the + sign next to the latter and you will see the field names you had chosen during its compilation.
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Select the field you want to insert in the main document and click Insert.
- Remember to position the cursor where you want your field to appear before inserting it, otherwise you will have to cut and paste it in the correct position.
- As with Office, in the main document the fields are treated as alphanumeric characters and therefore it is possible to move them with the space bar and delete them with the DEL key.
Do a Mail Merge Step 13 Step 3. Complete the merge
Double-check that all fields are set up correctly. When you're ready, print the main document. You will get as many copies as there are records inserted in the database.
Advice
- Word processing programs often provide templates that you can use for creating primary documents.
- Make sure you divide the categories into as many fields as possible. For example, a category as broad as that of the address can be divided into four fields: "Address", "Postal Code", "City" and "Province". Four columns must therefore be used. This subdivision allows you to filter the records to be printed in more detail. For example, you can select all recipients in Milan via the "City" field or those with postal code 16100 from the "ZIP" field.
