computer std 6 lesson 4: mail merge in ms...
TRANSCRIPT
COMPUTER
STD 6
LESSON 4: MAIL MERGE IN MS WORD 2010
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Mail merge and its advantage
Components of mail merge
Apply mail merge feature to generate document with varying addresses
Steps to be followed during mail merge
Printing merge letters
Mail merge is one of the most dynamic and useful features of MS word 2010. It
allows you to print several documents with almost identical or little varying
content. Let us consider the following situation.
Suppose you have an invitation letter to be sent to 100 recipients including
your friend and relatives. In each letter only name and address of the recipient
will be different.
How would you take the printout of these 100 letters?
One possible solution is given below:
Type the letter to the first recipient.
Sent the letter to the printer for printing.
When printing the current letter is over, edit the letter and change the
name and address for the second recipient.
Send this letter to printer.
Repeat these steps for all the remaining recipients.
Though the above-mentioned algorithm will solve the given problem, however
it is highly inefficient. Imagine the time and effort required for the whole
operation!
Mail merge offers an extremely easy solution. This feature can be effectively
used in situation such as :
Creating letters for multiple recipients
Composing and sending email messages to multiple recipients
Printing envelopes for multiple recipients
Printing lables
Components of mail merge
In Mail merge, basically there are two documents ( fig 1).
1. Main document: The letter or text to be sent to all the recipients.
2. Data storage: The file where the addresses of all the recipients are stored.
The procedure of combining the main document with the data source is known
as Merging and final document is called the Merged document.
Mail merge requires you to type the letter (or the main document) and the
recipient list only once. It produces the individual documents automatically.
All the relevant tools are grouped in the Mailing tab (fig.2). These tools are
very powerful.
Mail Merge through wizard
Click on the Mailing tab and then click on the start Mail Merge option. On the
menu, click on the Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard…. Option (fig.3). The Mail
Merge dialog box appears (fig.4).
Step 1 of 6
Select the type of document you would like to create.
As you click on different document type, a brief explanation of that
document type is displayed in the middle section of the dialog window.
You may create a letter, email message, envelope, label or a directory.
Step 2 of 6
In this step, you need to specify your main document. You have three
choices—use the current document or a template or use an already existing
document.
If you select Use the current document, then the word document
opened in the active window will be taken as your main document (fig.
5a).
Template is a pre-designed form of a document which can be used with
minor or no changes. To create document using a template, select Start
from a template option (fig. 5b). Select a template from the list of
templates.
To use an already existing document, select Start from existing
document option. A list of existing files is displayed from which you can
select one.
Click on the Next: Select recipients to move to the next step.
Step 3 of 6
This step helps us specify a data source from where Mail Merge will read data
and insert the same into the main document. There are three options available
for specifying recipients (fig 6).
Use an existing list: To use an existing list of recipients, click on the
Browse…. Link (fig. 6a) and in the Select Data Source dialog box, locate
and click the data source you want.
Select from Outlook contacts: MS Word 2010 permits you to select the
recipients’ particulars from the contact list of Outlook express. Outlook
Express is an email client software installed on your windows system. To
connect to Outlook Express contact list, click on the Select from Outlook
Contacts and then click on the Choose Contacts Folder to specify the
folder in which your contacts file reside (fig.6b). In the Select Contact
List Folder dialog box , click on the contact list you want, and then click
the OK button.
Type a new list: you should use this option when you want to create a
new list of recipients. Click on the Type a new list option and then click
on the Create…link. The New Address list dialog box opens up (fig 8).
In the New Address list dialog box, type the detail of the recipients. You
may leave entries blank if you wish. As you can see, there are six
command buttons in this dialog box.
New Entry: This command button adds a new blank row in the list.
Find…: This command button opens a Find Entry dialog box. You can
search an entry in the list using this option.
Delete Entry: This command enables you to remove a selected entry
from the list.
Customize columns….: This command allows you to work with the
columns of the list.
OK and Cancel: OK saves the list while Cancel the data entry.
In this manner you can enter the details of all the recipients and then
click the OK button.
Deleting a Column
To delete a particular column, follow the steps given below:
Step 1 : In the New Address List dialog box, click on the Customize Columns
button. the Customize address list dialog box appears.
Step 2: Click on the Company Name entry and then click on the Delete button.
confirmation dialog box appears(fig.10).
click on Yes if you want to delete and click on NO if you want to remain that
field.
Step 3: Click the OK button to delete the specified column.
Adding a column
To do so, follow the steps given below.
Step 1: Click on the Customize columns button.
Step 2: In the Customize Address list dialog box, click on the Add button. The
Add field dialog box appears.
Step 3: Fill in the desired column name in the Add field dialog box, i.e., Nick
Name. Click OK button to add the column.
Renaming a column
To do so, follow the steps given below.
Step 1: click on the Customize Columns button.
Step 2: select the column “Title’ to be renamed.
Step 3: click on the Rename button. The Rename field dialog box appears.
Step 4: Fill in the desired column name in the dialog box, i.e., Salutation. Click
the OK button to rename the column (fig.12).
Moving a column Up or Down in the list
You can change the order of appearance of a column. Select the column to be
moved up or down. Move the column up the list by clicking on the Move Up
button or move the column down by clicking on the Move Down button in the
Customize Address List window.
Editing an existing Address list
MS Word 2010 allows you edit an already existing address list.
To do so, follow the steps given below.
Step 1: Click on the Use an existing list in the Select recipient window.
Step 2: Click on the Edit recipient list. The Mail Merge recipients box opens up
(fig. 13).
Step 3: You can select (or Unselect) recipients in the list by clicking on the
check boxes given in front of the entries.
Step 4: You can sort the address list using the Sort option. You can include or
exclude recipients depending on certain condition using the filter option. You
can look for a recipient using the Find recipient option. You can detect
whether an entry has been made more than once using the Find duplicates
option. You can also check whether addresses have been correctly entered
(requires address validator software installed) using the Validate addresses
option.
Having prepared the recipients list, move on to next step by clicking on Next:
Write your letter link.
Step 4 of 6
In this step you have to write the content of the main document.
After completing the content of the main document, you are supposed to
insert merge fields at appropriate places. Merge Field is a placeholder that is
inserted in the main document. These placeholders are replaced with the data
from the selected data source at the time of taking the printout.
A merge field can be inserted in the letter where you want to insert name,
address and other data from the data source that you just created.
Inserting Merge Fields
To insert a merge field in main document, follow the steps given below.
Step 1: Place the cursor at the location in the main document where you want
to insert a merge field.
Step 2: Click on:
Address block… to insert a block of address (fig.15) . An address block is
a placeholder in which the data from data source can be embedded.
In the Insert Address Block dialog box, select the address elements you
want to include and the formats you want to apply on them, and then
click on the OK button(fig.15).
Greeting line… to insert a line of greeting (fig 16.). Select the greeting
line format, which includes the salutation, name format, and so on.
Select the text that you want to appear in cases where Word can’t
interpret the recipient’s name.
Greeting line is the placeholder where a line of greeting will appear in
the main document. To prepare a greeting line follows the steps given
below.
Step 1 : Click on the Greeting line… in the Mail Merge window. The
Insert Greeting line window will appear. Create your choices to form a
greeting line.
Step 2: Click the OK button to insert the placeholder (fig 16).
Electronic Postage… to insert an electronic postage stamp. To insert this
field you must first install Electronic postage software.
More items.. to insert other fields from the selected data source.
To insert a field from a data source, follow the steps given below:
Step 1 : place the cursor at the desired location in the main document.
Step 2: Click on the More items… link. These opens the Insert Merge Field
dialog box (fig 17.)
Address fields automatically mapped to corresponding fields in your data
source even if the data source’s fields don’t have the same name as your fields.
For such fields click on the Address Fields option.
To select from fields that take data directly from the existing data in a data
source, click on the Database Fields option.
Step 3: Click on the Insert to insert merge field and then click on the Close
button.
Merge field appear in the main document enclosed within << << and >> >>
symbols called merged field characters.
Formatting the Merged Data
To apply format effect on a merge field, follow the steps given below:
Step 1: In the main document, select the field that you want to format,
including the surrounding merged field characters ( << << >> >>).
Step 2 : on the Home tab, apply formatting effects using the Font menu.
Changed format will be reflected and maintained in every copy of the merged
main document.
These complete the Mail Merge basic documents. You can now save the main
document by clicking on the Save or Save As option in the File tab. Name the
document as per your choice, and then click on the Save button.
Move to the next step by clicking on Next: Preview your letters link on the
Mail Merge wizard.
Step 5 of 6
The next step allows you to preview the individual letters created by the Mail
Merge (fig. 19).
Preview option allows you to view the various letters that have been
generated using the Mail merge feature (Fig: 20).
To preview the letters, click on the arrows to navigate through all the
letters of recipients in the list one by one.
To locate and preview a specific letters, click on the Find a
recipient…link, and then enter the search criteria in the Find Entry dialog
box.
Step 6 of 6
The merged letters are ready to be used. The letters can be edited to
personalise individual documents, printed or saved for future use.
You can print the merged letters by clicking on the Print command and
following the procedure.
Mail Merge without Wizard
In the previous section. We learnt how to do mail merge using the wizard.
Wizards are very useful in learning the steps and concepts for beginners.
However, as you gain experience and confidence you can start using individual
and tools manually to carry out mail merge operations.
Printing Emails, Labels and envelopes
Emails (Electronic Mails) are messages in electronic form which can be
exchanged between various people around the world through internet.
Label is a small rectangular piece of paper containing relevant information.
Labels are often pasted on delivery packages or desks or any other place where
a little identification information is required.
Envelopes are thin paper bags over which an address is printed. Envelopes
often carry letters, documents and any other flat object.
Emails, labels and envelopes can be printed just as you print letters using Mail
Merge tool. You just have to specify the right document type in the
appropriate step of the Mail Merge Wizard. A little practice will make these
processes clear.
Useful links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13ErZxwVecg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UusH-4DvFaw
WORKSHEET
Ex. A Choose the correct option.
1. Which of the following tab has options to work with Mail Merge ?
a) Review b) Insert c) Mailings d) Home
2. How many steps are there in the Mail Merge Wizard?
a) 3 b) 4 c) 5 d) 6
3. In which folder is the recipient list saved ?
a) Mega Data Source b) Mine Data Source
c) More Data Source d) My Data Source
4. In which step do you need to specify your main document in the mail merge
wizard?
a)Step 1 b)Step 2 c)Step 3 d)Step 4
5.This is small rectangular piece of paper containing relevant information for
identification.
a)email b)label c)envelope d)letter
Ex.B State True or False and correct the false statements.
1. Mail Merge Wizard can be used to send letters to any number of people.
2. The data source of the Mail merge can be an Excel spreadsheet.
3. Merge field characters can be inserted from the keyboard.
4.Buttons like First, Previous ,Next and Last are provided to navigate between
the records of
the recipients.
5. A recipient can be removed individually from the mail merged document.
Ex.C Arrange the following steps in the proper sequence of
Mail Merge.
1. Complete the letter and add merge fields. Step:___
2. Set up and display your letter. Step:___
3. Select document type. Step:___
4. Preview your letters and fine-tune the recipient list. Step:___
5. Print the letters. Step:___
6. Locate or create a data source and then select recipients. Step:___
Ex.D Answer the following questions.
Q:1 What is Mail Merge?
Q:2 Define Main Document and Data Source in context of mail merging.
Q:3 How many steps are primarily involved in Mail Merge? Write about them.
Q:4 List the various utilities that are provided in MS Word 2010 to work with
data source.
WORKSHEET - SOLUTIONS
Ex. A
1. c) Mailings
2. d) 6
3. d) My Data sources
4. b)Step 2
5. b) label
Ex.B
1.True
2.True
3.False
T.S – Merge field character can not be inserted from the keyboard.
4.True
5.True
Note: T.S –True Sentence
Ex.C
1. Select document type. Step: 1
2. Set up and display your letter. Step: 2
3. Locate or create a data source and then select recipients. Step:3
4. Complete the letter and add merge fields. Step:4
5. Preview your letters and fine-tune the recipient list. Step:5
6. Print the letters. Step:6
Ex.D
1. Mail Merge is a utility that allows you to send letters with similar
information to a number of persons who reside at different locations.
2. Main document: It is a document which has the standard text to be sent all
the recipients.
Data source: It is the file where the addresses of all the recipients are stored.
3. There are 6 primarily involved in Mail Merge.
Step 1: Select document type
Step 2: Set up and display your letter.
Step 3: Locate or create a data source and then select recipients.
Step 4: Complete the letter and add merge fields.
Step 5: Preview your letters and fine-tune the recipient list.
Step 6: Print the letters.
4. The various utilities that are provided in MS Word 2010 to work with data
source are:
1.New Entry
2.Find
3.Delete Entry
4.Customize Columns
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