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Creating Letters Using Mail Merge in MS Word 2007
Introduction to Mail Merge-Creating Letters in MS Word 2007
Needed Software: Microsoft Word 2007 and Excel 2007 on your computer
Overview: Creating an Excel spreadsheet and using Word to create letters for a Mail Merge
Set up a new data source in an Excel spreadsheet and save it. A spreadsheet contains information
needed for your letters to pull data from, for your final mail merge.
Next you will go into Word and write the letter and merge your Excel data into that letter for the mail
merge.
(If you have an existing Excel database then you can start your Mail Merge in Word 2007)
A. Open and create an Excel spreadsheet-start entering data in the columns and rows.
• In the columns you will type in the Headings you need for this spreadsheet. ( First Name, Last
Name, Address, Pies, etc)
• In the rows you type in the specific (recipients) information: Alan (First Name), Smith(Last
Name), 1234 Maple Ave(Address), Apple(Pies), etc. Once saved, you can always add to this list in
the future.
• You can name Sheet 1, at the bottom of the spreadsheet, with a date for that weeks orders, and
continue adding sheets as the weeks go on.
• When finished entering the data, Name this excel spreadsheet and Save it.
Title
Mr.
Ms.
Mr.
Mr.
Ms.
Ms.
First Name
Alan
Annie
Mark
Elliot
Mary
Samantha
Last Name
Smith
Black
smith
Stevens
Higgins
Hart
Address
1234 Maple Ave
5678 Oak St.
56-11 Clover Dr.
23-01 Hillside Ave
15-36 65th Ave
18 Willow Dr.
City
Flushing
Flushing
Los Angeles
Jamaica
San Diego
Los Angeles
State
N.Y.
N.Y.
CA
N.Y.
CA
CA
Postal Code
pie
11367 apple
11367 cherry
90211 peach
11369 mango
90234 lemon
90288 apple
Queens College ~ Office of Converging Technologies ~ Training Group
718-997-4875 ~ [email protected] ~ I-Bldg 214
# of pies
5
10
8
7
10
4
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B. Open Word and on the Ribbon, click on the Mailings Tab.
On the Mailings tab there are 4 groups to go step by step in, from left to right to complete your mail
merge for letters.
1. In the Start Mail Merge Group- You will select your document type, in this case a letter.
Then work with your excel spreadsheet.
a) Click Start Mail Merge Button-Select the Drop down arrow and select Letters
b) Click Select Recipients Button –scroll down and choose Use Existing List
c) Select Data Source Box opens-choose where you have your Excel Spreadsheet saved
and click Open
d) Select Table Box opens and click OK.
e) Click Edit Recipient List Button-Mail Merge Recipients List opens-this is your Excel list
and where you can edit your data (alphabetize, add or delete names). Click OK when
done.
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2. In the Write and Insert Fields Group- Write your Letter and insert fields such as address
blocks, greetings field, merge fields, and match fields.
a) Click Address Block Button-Insert Address Block opens and you can preview from your
recipients list and add in Match Fields (Mr/Ms -Title) and click OK.
b) Select Greeting Line-choose the type of greeting you want for your letter (Dear,To, first
name, more formal)
c) Insert Merge Field (pies) while writing and creating the letter. This is where you write
and complete your letter.
3. The Preview Results Group is next
a) Click on Preview Results Button where you can see your letter with its actual data
fields pulled from the Excel spreadsheet, inserted into your merged word document.
You can make a correction on the letter and it will update all your letters.
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4. In the Finish Group- click on Finish & Merge, and then click Print Documents.
a) Click on Finish and Merge Button
b) Select Print Document. Print ready to print your letters
c) Merge to Printer box opens, select OK
d) Print Box opens, select your printer, select OK(merge is complete and is printing your
letters)
Important: Saving the Main Document
Remember that the MERGED DOCUMENTS that you save are separate
from the MAIN DOCUMENT. It's a good idea to save the MAIN
DOCUMENTS ITSELF if you plan to use it for another mail merge.
When you save the main document, you also save its connection to the data file.
The next time that you open the main document, you are prompted to choose whether you
want the information from the data file to be merged AGAIN into the main document.
•
If you click Yes, the document opens with information from the first record merged in.
•
If you click No, the connection between the main document and the data file is broken.
The main document becomes a standard Word document. Fields are replaced with the
unique information from the first record.
Quick Review:
• Connect the document to your data source (contains file names and addresses of
recipients.
• Refine your list of recipients in your data list.
• Add placeholders (mail merge fields) to your document.
• Preview and complete the merge before you print all.
Queens College ~ Office of Converging Technologies ~ Training Group
718-997-4875 ~ [email protected] ~ I-Bldg 214