Mail Merge in 6 Steps
Summary
TLDRThis tutorial video from the Tech Help Today channel on YouTube, hosted by Rich Malloy, offers a step-by-step guide to using Microsoft Word's Mail Merge feature. The video demonstrates how to create customized letters for a charitable foundation's donors, detailing the process from preparing a data source in Excel to finalizing and printing the letters in Word. It covers addressing common issues like formatting numbers and zip codes, and highlights the efficiency of Mail Merge in saving time and effort. The video also provides practical tips for troubleshooting, such as dealing with missing commas in donation amounts.
Takeaways
- ๐ Mail merge is a powerful Microsoft Word tool that can automate the creation of customized documents like letters, envelopes, and mailing labels.
- ๐ The Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard in Word guides users through the mail merge process, making it accessible even for those unfamiliar with the feature.
- ๐ผ To begin a mail merge, you need a data source, typically an Excel list containing names, addresses, and other relevant information.
- ๐ Excel must treat zip codes as text to preserve leading zeros, which can be achieved by adding a dash at the end of each zip code.
- ๐ A letter template in Word is required for the mail merge, with placeholders for personalized information like address, salutation, and donation amount.
- ๐ฅ The mail merge process involves six steps: selecting document type, choosing the document to merge, selecting the data source, writing the letter with merge fields, previewing the merged document, and finalizing the merge.
- ๐ Inserting merge fields manually allows for customization of the document layout, such as adding spaces and formatting addresses.
- ๐ Previewing the merged document is crucial for identifying and correcting errors in formatting, such as missing spaces or incorrect number formatting.
- ๐จ After the merge, you can print the letters or save them as a file for further editing, providing flexibility in document handling.
- โ ๏ธ A common issue with mail merge is the incorrect formatting of numbers, such as missing commas for thousands separators, which requires additional attention and correction.
Q & A
What is the primary purpose of mail merge as described in the script?
-Mail merge is used to create customized documents such as letters, envelopes, mailing labels, and reports by merging a main document with a data source containing variable information like names and addresses.
How does the mail merge feature save time according to the script?
-Mail merge saves time by automating the process of inserting personalized information into a document, which would normally take hours to do manually.
What is the Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard and why is it useful?
-The Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard is a feature in Microsoft Word that guides users through the mail merge process with a series of simple steps, making it easier to create customized documents without needing to know all the details of mail merge.
Why is Excel commonly used as a data source for mail merge?
-Excel is commonly used as a data source for mail merge because it can store lists of names, addresses, and other data in a structured format that is easily accessible and manipulable for mail merge processes.
How does the script address the issue of leading zeros in zip codes when using Excel?
-The script mentions adding a dash at the end of each zip code to signal Excel to treat the code as text, thus preserving the leading zeros.
What are merge fields and how are they used in mail merge?
-Merge fields are placeholders in a document that will be replaced with actual data from the data source during the mail merge process. They are designated by double angle brackets and can include information like names, addresses, and salutations.
Why is it important to sort the recipient list in alphabetical order before performing a mail merge?
-Sorting the recipient list alphabetically helps to ensure that the letters match up correctly with their corresponding envelopes or mailing labels, making the mailing process more efficient and reducing errors.
What is the 'Preview Results' button used for in the mail merge process?
-The 'Preview Results' button is used to display how the merge fields will look with the actual data from the data source, allowing users to check for formatting issues or errors before finalizing the merge.
How can users customize individual letters after performing a mail merge?
-Users can customize individual letters after a mail merge by choosing to create a file containing each letter. This allows them to edit the text further before printing, such as adding personal notes or correcting errors.
What is a common issue with mail merge regarding number formatting, as mentioned in the script?
-A common issue with mail merge is that it sometimes does not correctly format numbers, such as not adding commas to separate thousands in large numbers, even if the data was correctly formatted in the Excel file.
Why is it recommended not to save the letters file created during mail merge?
-It is recommended not to save the letters file created during mail merge because it can always be recreated by running the mail merge wizard again using the updated data source. Saving the original letter template ensures flexibility for future use.
Outlines
๐ Introduction to Mail Merge
The script introduces the concept of mail merge, a feature in Microsoft Word that simplifies the creation of customized documents like letters, envelopes, and mailing labels. The presenter, Rich Malloy, outlines a six-step process to use mail merge effectively. The demonstration uses a list of donor names and addresses to create personalized thank-you letters. The data source is an Excel file, and the script explains how to handle leading zeros in zip codes by formatting them as text. The letter template in Word is almost complete, except for the inside address, salutation, and the specific donation amount, which will be merged using mail merge fields.
๐ Mail Merge Wizard Steps
The script details the steps involved in using the Mail Merge Wizard in Word. It starts with launching the wizard from the Mailings tab and selecting the document to merge. The wizard then guides through selecting an existing list, which is an Excel file in this case, and choosing the appropriate worksheet. The script emphasizes the importance of sorting the list alphabetically for organization. It also explains how to insert merge fields for the address block and greeting line manually, as well as how to adjust formatting to ensure proper spacing and presentation in the final documents.
๐ Completing the Mail Merge Process
The final part of the script covers the last two steps of the mail merge process. It involves previewing the merged document to check for errors and making necessary corrections. The presenter demonstrates how to edit individual letters for further customization before printing. The script concludes with a warning about potential issues with number formatting during mail merge and suggests watching another video for solutions. The presenter encourages viewers to subscribe for more content on using Microsoft Office apps and thanks them for watching.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กMail Merge
๐กData Source
๐กMerge Fields
๐กWizard
๐กExcel
๐กSalutation
๐กZip Code
๐กPreview Results
๐กFormatting Numbers
๐กEdit Individual Letters
Highlights
Mail merge is a powerful tool in Microsoft Word for creating customized documents.
It can save time by automating the creation of multiple documents like letters, envelopes, and mailing labels.
The tutorial is presented by Rich Malloy from the Tech Help Today channel on YouTube.
The video demonstrates how to use mail merge in six easy steps.
A list of names and addresses, called a data source, is required for mail merge.
Excel is commonly used to create data sources for mail merge.
To preserve leading zeros in zip codes, add a dash at the end when entering them in Excel.
The mail merge process begins with selecting 'Start Mail Merge' from the Mailings tab in Word.
The Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard guides users through the process.
The wizard helps to select the type of document to create, such as letters.
Users can choose to use an existing document or create a new one for the mail merge.
The wizard asks for the location of the address list, which should be an Excel file in this case.
It's important to ensure that the list is in alphabetical order for easy matching with envelopes or labels.
Merge fields are inserted into the letter to customize the inside address and salutation.
The 'Insert Merge Field' dialog allows for the manual creation of the inside address.
The donation amount can be inserted into the letter using a merge field.
The preview feature can help identify formatting issues with the merge fields.
After finalizing the letter, users can choose to print or create a file with all the merged letters.
Individual letters can be edited before printing to add further customization.
The final step is to print the customized letters or save them as a document.
The video warns about potential issues with number formatting during mail merge.
The tutorial concludes by encouraging viewers to subscribe for more office app tips.
Transcripts
here's the problem you have to create 20
customized letters each with a different
insight address and salutation
and here's the solution mail merge mail
merge is this incredibly powerful tool
included with microsoft word that
enables you to create dozens of
customized letters envelopes
mailing labels reports and all sorts of
other documents and these documents
would normally take you hours but with
mail merge you can do all this in just a
few mouse clicks
hi i'm rich malloy here at the tech help
today channel on youtube in this video
i'm going to show you how you can use
mail merge in just six easy steps i hope
you find this information useful and if
so please consider subscribing so you
can keep up with our other videos on
getting the most out of your office apps
in this demonstration we're going to
perform a fairly typical mail merge task
we're going to start with two things a
list of a dozen names and addresses and
the letter and we're going to use mail
merge to create a dozen customized
letters to make it as easy as possible
we are going to use a feature in the
windows version of word called the
step-by-step mail merge wizard wizards
are wonderful features that guide you
through certain difficult tasks
unfortunately the wizard is not
available in the macintosh version of
word if you're using a mac take a look
at our video on easy mail merge for the
mac i will be using the latest microsoft
365 version of word but the procedure is
practically identical for almost all
older versions of word before we get
started let's make sure we have
everything we need first as i mentioned
before we need a list of names and
addresses i'm going to pretend that we
are working for a charitable foundation
and we need to send out letters thanking
a list of donors for their recent
contributions this list is technically
called a data source most people use
excel to create their data sources so
that's what we will do here's a list of
12 donors each with names addresses and
a recent contribution to get a copy of
this excel file just click on the link
in the description below because we are
using excel we had to do a little fancy
footwork with the zip codes in some
states in the us the zip code starts
with zero but excel thinks the zip code
is a number and it automatically deletes
the leading zero thinking it is
unnecessary to preserve the leading
zeros i added a dash at the end of each
zip code which signals to excel that the
code should be treated as text and not
adjusted you can tell that the zip codes
are now text because they are on the
left sides of the cells the other thing
we need is a letter to send to our
donors here's a letter i already created
in word it simply thanks to donors and
tells them how great they are again you
can download the word file by clicking
the link below in the description note
that this letter is pretty much complete
all that is missing is the inside
address the salutation or greeting line
you know the part that says dear
jennifer
and in the first paragraph there is even
some space for the actual amount of the
donor's contribution okay we have our
letter open in word let's get started
with the first of the six steps so we go
to the mailings ribbon and you guessed
it we click start mail merge the menu
lists all the different documents we can
create with mail merge but we want the
bottom choice the step-by-step mail
merge wizard the wizard opens a task
pane on the right side of the window in
the first step the wizard is just asking
us what type of document we are working
on as i mentioned before we have a
number of choices by default it chooses
letters which is exactly right so all we
need to do is click the next button in
the lower right corner that was easy one
down five more steps to go in step two
the wizard wants to know which word
document we want to use the third choice
lets us create a new document based on
the previous one that could be kind of
handy but we already have our document
open so all we need to do is accept the
default choice which is use the current
document so we click the next button and
go on to step three that was easy two
steps two mouse clicks not bad in step 3
the wizard is asking us about the people
we want to send our letter to as you can
see if we don't already have a list you
can use the third choice to create a
list right here but we do have a list so
we'll accept the default choice of use
an existing list and now we must tell
the wizard where that address list is we
click the browse button and just browse
to the excel file i showed you earlier
by default mail merge always looks in a
new folder it creates called my data
sources but our excel file is located
somewhere else so we just browse to that
folder and choose the file now because
it is an excel workbook the wizard asks
us which worksheet we want to use and
there is really only one worksheet in
our excel file so if the wizard was
really a real wizard it would have
already known the answer but remember
it's only a computer program so we just
click the ok button then we get to
choose which of the recipients in our
list should get our letter we could
select individuals by just using the
check boxes or
we can select groups of individuals by
clicking the arrows in the column
headers for example we can choose to
send the letter only to people in
connecticut and massachusetts but let's
undo that and send it to everybody also
note that we can sort our recipients if
we have a large list we can save on
postage by sorting our recipients by zip
code our list is small so we don't care
about that but we do want to be sure our
list is in alphabetical order this will
make it easy to match up our letters
with their corresponding envelopes or
mailing labels we sort a list first by
first name and then by last name all we
need to do now is click the ok button
and go on to step 4.
in step 4 the wizard wants us to write
our letter well you say we've already
written our letter but not quite here is
where we get to add the special mail
merge parts a couple of these parts are
listed in the task pane on the right
there is the address block which gives
us the inside address
and the greeting line
note that mail merge has created these
merge fields designated by double angle
brackets let's click the preview results
button in the mailings ribbon to see
what they really look like
if these two buttons work fine for you
okay that's great but most of the time
they don't as in this case look at the
mistakes here and here
so let's undo that and turn off the
preview results button
now let's try it again using a more
traditional approach this will take a
little longer but will give you a better
idea of how mail merge works
now what we're going to do is click more
items instead of creating the inside
address automatically we're going to
build it ourselves and in the first line
of the inside address is the title and
name of our recipient so we click title
notice that a merge field called title
appears in our letter this simply tells
mail merge to insert an item from the
title column of our excel list in this
location
then insert first name and then last
name and now we can close or cancel the
insert merge field dialog
you might notice there's something
missing between the merge fields and
spaces it would be so nice if mail merge
would automatically insert those spaces
but no we have to do it ourselves just
click between the double angle brackets
and tap the spacebar let's do the same
thing between the first and last names
now we tap the enter or return key and
go on to the next line sometimes the
second line of the inside address is a
company name but our recipients all have
home addresses so it's simply the street
address to insert the street address
we'll use a different technique which is
a little easier up in the mailings
ribbon there is a button for insert
merge field but this is one of those two
part buttons be sure to click the bottom
half
that shows a menu of items and we can
just click on street and tap the enter
key
the next line is the city comma space
comma state space and zip
don't forget those spaces
word will usually put some space after
each line which is unnecessary here so
we will remove the space by selecting
the first two lines and setting the
after space to zero on the layout ribbon
now we have to do the greeting line or
salutation we'll type deer and insert
the title again
a space and the last name
make sure there is a colon after the
last name and finally one more thing we
have to insert the donation amount
we will click right after the dollar
sign in the first sentence and insert
the donation field it looks a little
strange of all these merge fields but
here's the good news we're all finished
with step four that was the hard step
the last two steps are a piece of cake
so let's click the next button and go on
to step 5.
look at this much better right now mail
merge has replaced the merge fields with
actual data from our excel file to see
how each address will look we can use
the arrow button in the task pane at the
right or the button in the mailings
ribbon above our job here is simple just
look for problems and here's one we
somehow forgot to put a space between
the state and the zip code no problem we
just click and tap the space bar oh
here's another problem there should not
be a space between the dollar sign and
the number again no problem we'll just
delete it let's check the addresses
again
pretty good
now just one more step
now on to the last step step six here is
where we actually merge our address list
with our letter as you can see in the
task pane on the right there are two
choices we can print all of our letters
or we can create a file containing each
of the letters
this last choice will enable us to edit
the individual letters to customize them
even further before printing them
click edit individual letters mail merge
then asks if we want to merge all the
records arose in our address list
usually we click ok
now mail merge creates a new document
entitled letters which consists of
several pages each page is a different
letter to see each letter we can simply
scroll down in the document
let's say that one of the donations was
particularly generous in the last letter
we can modify the text in the first
sentence to signify that we are
especially grateful for this donation
another advantage of creating this new
document is that it gives us another
chance to check for errors
everything looks good so all we need to
do is print the file just click file and
once we have finished printing we can
close the letters file note that we do
not need to save it we can always
recreate it by clicking the edit
individual letters button but we
definitely need to save our letter
document we can use it again when we get
a new batch of donations
all we need to do is update all the rows
or records in the excel file and then
run the mail merge wizard again
so that's it mail merge in six steps not
too bad right you now have a dozen
customized letters printed all you need
now are some printed envelopes or
mailing labels which can also be done
with mail merge but that's the subject
for another video
before we end this i do have to warn you
about one of the most annoying problems
with mail merge this amazingly powerful
feature sometimes doesn't know how to
format numbers
if you click the preview results button
to turn it on and go to the last letter
you will notice that the donation amount
is lacking a comma to separate thousands
the comma was in the excel file but now
it's gone
there is a way to fix this in fact there
are three ways to fix this which i
outline in another video check the link
in the description below
so that's it now you know mail merge
personally i'm a big fan of mail merge
it has a few rough edges but i love how
it can save me countless hours of
drudgery i hope you will enjoy using it
too if you found this video helpful
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watching
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