Use mail merge when you want to create a set of documents such as a standard letter or email that is sent to many people. Each letter has common text, but personal unique information is added to individualise the letters . The unique information is merged from a separate document such as an Excel file or Access database

 

A mail merge can be performed by using  a step by step wizard or the whole process can be performed manually by using the Mailings tab. To start the mail merge wizard, click the Start Mail Merge command and select Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard.

To perform a manual mail merge, from the Mailings tab:

1. Click the Start Mail Merge command and select the type of mail merge

2. Click the Select Recipients command and select the type of list of data (names, addresses etc.)

a. Type New List – Allows immediate entry of a new list of data. The new list is stored as an Access Database.
b. Use Existing List- Allows the selection of an existing file like an Excel workbook or an access database. One the file is selected, select the relevant table or worksheet within that file.
c. Select from Outlook Contacts

3. The list can be sorted or filtered to meet a specific criteria or records can be omitted from the merge. Click the Edit Recipients command.

a. Un-tick records to be omitted
b. Use the arrows next to the column headings to sort and filter
c. For more advanced sorting and filtering options, use the hyperlinks.

4. Create an address block:

a. Select the format for the recipients names.
b. Click the Match Field Button

c. Use the drop down boxes to choose the field names (column headings) from your list that correspond to the field names the mail merge uses.
d. Click OK . The <<Address Block>> field name  is shown.

5. To see the actual data in place of the field name, click the Preview Results command.

6. To insert a greeting line, click the Greeting Line command and choose the format of the greeting line.

7. To insert any other mail merge field into the document, click the Insert Merge Field command and select the required field.

8. Use the navigation buttons to view the document for each record in the mail merge data list.

9. To complete the mail merge,

a. Edit Individual Documents -creates a new Word document containing all the merged data. This enables additional information to be added to specific recipients. A dialog box is shown to select which records are to be merged:

i. All
ii. Current
iii. A range

b. Print Documents- sends the merged documents direct to the printer. Select which records are to be merged.

c. Send Email Messages –send the mail merge as emails. A dialog box is shown to select:

i. Use the To drop down box to select which field in the list contains the email addresses the mailings will be sent to
ii. Enter a Subject Line for the email
iii. Select the Mail Format
iv. Select which records are to be merged.

Formatting Mail  Merge Fields with Switches
Any formatting in the data source (e.g. Excel worksheet) is not carried through to the mail merge document and additional formatting instructions must be added to individual fields. These are called switches.

To add a switch to a merge field, the field code must be shown. To see the field code, right click over the merge field and select Toggle Field Codes.
The switch is added after the mail merge field name (e.g. “Account”) and before the closing  }. The switch always begins with the back slash (\).
Once the switch has been added, right click again over the field and select Update Field

Here are some useful switches

Note
To display a percentage correctly a calculation of multiplying the merge field is performed. The whole calculation must be contained within a set of { } brackets, but these cannot be simply typed in they must be inserted by pressing on Ctrl + F9. The correct procedure to create this field is
1. Position the cursor at the position of the percentage field in the document.
2. Press Ctrl +F9 on the keyboard, a pair of highlighted { } brackets appear.
3. With the cursor in between the brackets, insert the merge field using the Insert Merge field command on the Ribbon.
4. Right click over the field, and select Toggle Field Codes.
5. In between the 2 closing brackets  } } enter the switch as shown.