Mail Merge

Valentino-46 · 11-03-2009, 07:28 AM

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help. I've got about 300 of the same letter to send out to different addresses and was going to use mail merge. The addresses for the letters are in a Word document and I think they need to be in either Excel or Access for the data source - is there any way I can import them into these without having to copy and paste each individual address (would ideally prefer Excel as more familiar with this). Alternatively, is there any way I can use the Word document containing the address as the date source? Help!

**macropod** · 11-03-2009, 12:23 PM

Hi Valentino,

You can use a Word document as a data source for a mailmerge. Simply set it up as a table with one row per record, a different column for each field, and a header row defining each field

Valentino-46 · 11-04-2009, 03:48 AM

Hi Macropod - thanks for that, I'll give it a go.

aurelius2000 · 11-04-2009, 01:35 PM

You can also use excel as a data sheet. Format an excel document with the address requirements. Then save it as a data sheet. After that, you can format in word how you want the addresses to appear in the document as well as have the letter already pretyped WITH the address fields that need typed in. I will provide you a link with step by step instructions from microsoft.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ex...037601033.aspx

Hope this helps

**macropod** · 11-04-2009, 01:52 PM

Hi Aurelius,

Unless the data, which are already in a Word document, are in a table layout, Valentino will still have to go through the process I outlined before the data can be used for a mailmerge. Since the data are already in Word, it's probably easiest to do it there and, once it's done, Valentino may as well use that document as the mailmerge data source.

I can't see that copying the data to Excel would enhance the process. It also adds the overhead of getting Word to run an Excel session, establish DDE/ODBC links etc.

aurelius2000 · 11-04-2009, 02:05 PM

True and good point. I was just making a suggestion as far as future endeavors. He may have documents in excel that he may need to use the mail merge function with excel.

Your solution is the one to use in his situation. Just trying to provide some more ideas as to mail merging with other applications as an FYI. I should have posted that in my previous post. My apologies

**macropod** · 11-04-2009, 02:31 PM

Hi Aurelius,

No offence taken. Have a nice day.

aurelius2000 · 11-04-2009, 02:49 PM

You too macropod. Thanks for understanding

11-03-2009, 07:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
Valentino-46 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 2 OS: Windows 2003	Mail Merge Hi, I wonder if anyone can help. I've got about 300 of the same letter to send out to different addresses and was going to use mail merge. The addresses for the letters are in a Word document and I think they need to be in either Excel or Access for the data source - is there any way I can import them into these without having to copy and paste each individual address (would ideally prefer Excel as more familiar with this). Alternatively, is there any way I can use the Word document containing the address as the date source? Help!

11-03-2009, 12:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
macropod TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 559 OS: Vista	Re: Mail Merge Hi Valentino, You can use a Word document as a data source for a mailmerge. Simply set it up as a table with one row per record, a different column for each field, and a header row defining each field __________________ Cheers macropod (MS MVP -Word)

11-04-2009, 03:48 AM	#3 (permalink)
Valentino-46 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 2 OS: Windows 2003	Re: Mail Merge Hi Macropod - thanks for that, I'll give it a go.

11-04-2009, 01:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
aurelius2000 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 143 OS: Windows XP SP3/Windows Vista SP2	Re: Mail Merge You can also use excel as a data sheet. Format an excel document with the address requirements. Then save it as a data sheet. After that, you can format in word how you want the addresses to appear in the document as well as have the letter already pretyped WITH the address fields that need typed in. I will provide you a link with step by step instructions from microsoft. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ex...037601033.aspx Hope this helps

11-04-2009, 01:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
macropod TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 559 OS: Vista	Re: Mail Merge Hi Aurelius, Unless the data, which are already in a Word document, are in a table layout, Valentino will still have to go through the process I outlined before the data can be used for a mailmerge. Since the data are already in Word, it's probably easiest to do it there and, once it's done, Valentino may as well use that document as the mailmerge data source. I can't see that copying the data to Excel would enhance the process. It also adds the overhead of getting Word to run an Excel session, establish DDE/ODBC links etc. __________________ Cheers macropod (MS MVP -Word)

11-04-2009, 02:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
aurelius2000 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 143 OS: Windows XP SP3/Windows Vista SP2	Re: Mail Merge True and good point. I was just making a suggestion as far as future endeavors. He may have documents in excel that he may need to use the mail merge function with excel. Your solution is the one to use in his situation. Just trying to provide some more ideas as to mail merging with other applications as an FYI. I should have posted that in my previous post. My apologies

11-04-2009, 02:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
macropod TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 559 OS: Vista	Re: Mail Merge Hi Aurelius, No offence taken. Have a nice day. __________________ Cheers macropod (MS MVP -Word)

11-04-2009, 02:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
aurelius2000 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 143 OS: Windows XP SP3/Windows Vista SP2	Re: Mail Merge You too macropod. Thanks for understanding