Article: Q195609
Product(s): Word 97 for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:97
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbualink97 kbdta word97 kbmergekbfaq
Last Modified: 14-NOV-2000
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
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SUMMARY
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This article describes how to use the mail merge feature in Word to create
labels. A mail merge involves merging a main document with a data source. A main
document contains the text and other items that remain the same in each label. A
data source contains the information that changes in each label, such as the
name and address of each recipient.
Merge fields, which you insert into the main document, instruct Word where to
print information from the data source. When you perform the mail merge, Word
replaces merge fields in the main document with information from the data
source. Each row (or record) in the data source produces a individual label.
MORE INFORMATION
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The following procedure demonstrates how to perform a mail merge to create
labels.
Step 1: Main Document
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Start a new document to create a new label, or open an existing document used
previously to merge labels.
1. Open the document in Word. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge. The Mail
Merge Helper dialog box appears.
2. Under "1. Main Document," click Create, and then click Mailing Labels.
3. Click Active Window. The active document becomes the Mail Merge main
document.
4. Word returns to the Mail Merge Helper.
Step 2: Data Source
-------------------
The data source contains the information that can vary in each label. You can
open an existing data source created in Word, or you can create a new data
source and fill in the addressee information.
NOTE: The data source can also be created in another program such as Microsoft
Excel or Microsoft Access, or you can use a personal address book created in
Microsoft Exchange or Schedule+, or you can use an ASCII text file, or another
delimited file.
1. Under "2. Data Source," click Get Data.
2. The options are to create a new data source, open an existing data source,
Header Options, or use Address Book.
Use the appropriate method for the type of data source you want to use:
Method 1: Create a New Data Source:
a. The Create Data Source dialog box appears with a list of field names
commonly used in form letters, mailing labels, and envelopes. You can
rename the fields and remove the fields you don't need. To add field
names, type the name in the Field Name box, and then click Add Field Name.
Click OK when you're done.
Word prompts you to save the data source.
b. Name the file and click OK.
Word displays a message with the options Edit Data Source and Edit Main
Document.
c. Click Edit Data Source.
d. The Data Form dialog box is displayed for you to enter your addressee
information. If there's no information for a particular field, leave the
box blank.
The set of information in each form makes up one data record.
After entering the information for a record, click Add New to move to the
next record. After adding all of your data, click OK.
e. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge. The Mail Merge Helper dialog box
appears.
f. Skip to the "Step 3--Edit Main Document" section later in this article.
Method 2: Open an Existing Data Source:
a. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Get Data.
b. Click Open Data Source.
c. From the list of files in the dialog box, select the data source you want
to use, and then click OK.
If the data source you want is not in the list of files, click the
appropriate drive and directory. Then select the appropriate option in the
List Files of Type box.
Word then displays a message to set up the main document.
d. Click Set Up Main Document.
e. Skip to the "Step 3--Edit Main Document" section later in this article.
Method 3: Use Address Book
a. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Get Data and select Use Address
Book.
The Use Address Book dialog box appears with the available address books
listed under "Choose Address Book."
b. Select the Address Book you want to use as your data source.
Word may prompt you to confirm the data source if Confirm Conversions is
selected as an option.
If you are using an a address book or contact list from Schedule+, Word
prompts you to log on to Schedule+ and provide a password if necessary.
If you use an address book from Exchange, Word prompts you to log on to the
Exchange services.
Word displays a message to set up the main document.
c. Click Set Up Main Document.
d. Skip to the "Step 3: Edit Main Document" section later in this article.
Step 3: Edit Main Document
--------------------------
1. Word displays the Label Options dialog box. Click the type of printer (dot
matrix/laser), the type of label product (such as Avery), and product number.
If you are using a custom label, click Details and enter the size of the
label.
Word displays the Create Label dialog box. The insertion point is blinking in
the box under Sample Label. This is where you insert the merge fields to
represent where on the label Word should print the information from the data
source.
2. Click Insert Merge Field in the Create Label dialog box. Click the
appropriate merge field.
Make sure you type any spaces or punctuation you want between two merge fields
or after a merge field.
3. When you have finished placing the merge fields on the sample label, click
OK.
This step returns you to the Mail Merge Helper.
Step 4: Perform the Merge
-------------------------
1. Under "3. Merge the Data with the Document," click Merge. Word displays the
Merge dialog box. (Choosing the Query option instead of Merge gives you the
option to select certain data records to participate in the merge or to sort
the records in the data source.)
2. Under Merge To, click New Document to display the merged document on the
screen. This allows you to view the envelopes before printing them. (Select
Printer to send the envelopes directly to the printer.)
3. With New Document selected in Merge To, click Merge.
4. After the merged document appears on the screen, you can save this as a
separate document, or you can send the merged document to the printer by
clicking Print on the File menu.
Online Help Topics
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For more information about mail merge, click Contents and Index on the Help menu.
Click the Index tab, and type "Mail Merge" in the search window. The applicable
topics will be listed for you to choose from. Select a topic and click Display.
Or click the Office Assistant, type "mail merge," click Search, and then click to
view the "Print or send a mail-merge document" topic.
NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the
Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component
Additional query words: mail merge labels data source tools create helper secondary howto lables
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Keywords : kbualink97 kbdta word97 kbmerge kbfaq
Technology : kbWordSearch kbWord97 kbWord97Search kbZNotKeyword2
Version : WINDOWS:97
Issue type : kbhowto
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