Merge to Simplify!

Presented by

Monica Hawthorne

Introduction

Mail Merge is a word-processing function that can save tremendous amounts of time on bulk communication tasks, enabling teachers to address email or postal mail to individual members of student households instead of using impersonal generic salutations such as “To whom it may concern,” or “Dear parent or legal guardian.” The process can also be used to design mailing labels for printing on adhesive paper.  

Introduction

Such customization implies a high degree of professionalism, as well as a sincere interest in student welfare, and thus can facilitate the development of teacher-parent relationships. Mail Merge can also be used to create multiple membership cards and certificates for students listed in a data source is just a few minutes!

Training Outline

Launch the program needed to complete your mail merge process.

Save a file with an appropriate file name in an appropriate location.

Create an Excel spreadsheet that will be used as the data source for your mail merged file.

Design a document that can be mail merged with the desired data content.

Complete the mail merge process with the assistance of the Microsoft Office Mail Merge Wizard.

Preview, Complete the Merge, and Print the Merged Document

Lesson 1: Launching a Program

The learner will launch the programs necessary to create the data file and desire mail merged document with 100 % accuracy.

Lesson 1: Content

Launching a program in Windows OS is a simple task, once you have decided which program you need. The activities in this booklet will only use Microsoft Office products.

To launch a Microsoft Office product on your computer you need to follow these simple steps:1. Click the in the bottom left corner of your screen.

2. Click All Programs.

3. Locate the Microsoft Office 2013 folder and click it.

4. Select the program you would like to open from the list.

Lesson 1: Content

If you would like to view a demonstration of these steps along various other ways to start a program view the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysw2iWgH8gc.

Lesson 1: Practice Activity

Start the following programs and open blank file. Read any dialog boxes that may appear and follow the steps provided. (Note: You will only see dialog boxes if you have never opened these programs on the computer you are currently using.)

1. Microsoft Office Excel 2013.

2. Microsoft Office Word 2013.

3. Microsoft Office Publisher 2013.

Lesson 1: Wrap-up

Now that you understand how to start a program and begin a blank document you are ready to begin creating your content.

Lesson 2: Saving a File

The learner will save files to appropriate locations and using appropriate file names 100% of the time.

Lesson 2: Introduction

Choosing a logical and consistent way to name and organize your files allows you and others to locate and use them. Ideally, the best time to think how to name and structure the documents and directories you create is at the start of a project (University of Cambridge, 2012).

Lesson 2: Introduction

Agreeing on a naming convention will help to provide consistency, which will make it easier to find and correctly identify your files, prevent version control problems when working on files collaboratively, and generally prevent errors in research. Organizing your files carefully will save you time and frustration and prevent duplication or errors by helping you and your colleagues find what you need when you need it (University of Cambridge, 2012)

Lesson 2: Content

Whether you are working on a stand-alone computer, or on a networked drive, the need to establish a system that allows you to access you files, avoid duplication and that can be backed up, takes a little planning. A good place to start is to develop a logical folder structure. The following tips should help you develop such a system:

Lesson 2: Content

Use folders ‐ group files within folders so information on a particular topic is located in one place.

Name folders appropriately ‐ name folders after the areas of work to which they relate (Magnet, HealthSci, MainOffice, HonorRollCertificates, etc.) This avoids confusion in shared workspaces if a member of staff leaves, and makes the file system easier for new staff or subsequent projects to navigate.

Lesson 2: Content

Be consistent – When developing a naming scheme for your folders it’s important that once you’ve decided on a method, you stick to it.

Separate ongoing and completed work ‐ As you start to amass lots of folders and files, it’s a good idea to start thinking about separating your old documents, from those you are currently working on.

Lesson 2: Content

Try to keep your ‘My Documents’ folder for files you're actively working on, and every month or so, move the files you're no longer working on to a different folder or location, such as a folder on your desktop, a special archive folder or an external hard drive.

Backup – Ensure that your files, whether they are on your local drive or on a network drive, are backed up. You can use the HISD Hub as a backup location for files on your computer. Files that you upload to the Hub will always be there even if your computer crashes. You can even access files on the Hub from any computer, or other devices, that you have internet access with.

Lesson 2: Content

Assigned Task Acceptable File/Folder Names

Create ID Cards for Bus riders that include their name, student ID, Bus route, and pick up and drop off times.

RHSBusRiders_2014-2015

Create a folder that you can save all Honor Roll certificates and data files to for the 2014-2015 school year.

RHS Honor Roll (2014-2015)

Create Perfect Attendance Certificates for Cycle 1

RHSCycle1_PerfectAttendance

Create file folder labels for all Magnet students that include their name, student ID, date of birth, and Magnet track

MagStudentLabels

Lesson 2: Practice Activity

What name would you give the following files?

1.A file that contains the data for Magnet student ID card mail merge.

2.A file that contained Honor Roll Certificates for Cycle 6.

3.A file that contains data for faculty parking tags that will be mail merged?

4.A folder that will contain all Perfect Attendance data files and merged certificates for the school year?

5.A file that contains mail merged parking permits for students?

Lesson 2: Wrap-upKey things to remember when creating a file names

Decide on a file naming convention at the start of the school year. Useful file names are: consistent meaningful to you and your colleagues. allow you to find the file easily.

It can be useful if you and your department can agree on the following elements of a file name: Vocabulary – choose a standard vocabulary for file names, so that

everyone uses a common language. Examples: Cycle1_PerfectAttendace, Cycle2_HonorRoll, MagnetStudentLabels

Punctuation – decide on conventions for if and when to use punctuation symbols, capitals, hyphens and spaces.

Order - confirm which element should go first, so that files on the same theme are listed together and can therefore be found easily.

Numbers – specify the amount of digits that will be used in numbering so that files are listed numerically e.g. 01, 002, etc.

Lesson 3: Creating a Data File for Mail-Merging

The trainee will produce, a data file containing all required merge content and appropriate column headings 100% of the time.

Lesson 3: Content

You use a mail merge when you want to create a large number of documents that are mostly identical but include some unique information. For example, you can use a mail merge to create a product announcement that you are sending to your top 1,000 customers. The text of the letter is always the same, but the name and address are different for each customer.

These customer names and addresses are stored in a data source, which is a file that contains the unique information that you want to include.

Lesson 3: Content

View the video at this link to see how to create a data file using Microsoft Office Excel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luIMpky-_Qg

Lesson 3: Content

Before you create your data source, consider the kinds of information that you want to include in your final merged publication. Be sure to structure your data source file so that it has all of the data that you will need for your merge

Lesson 3: Content

The first row in your data source, the header row in the table below, lists the column names. These column names are the names of the data fields that you insert into your mail merge or e-mail merge publication as placeholders for the text or picture data.

Lesson 3: Content

Below the header row, the columns of data, or data fields, contain the specific information that will display in place of the associated merge field. Each row, or record, in your table below the header row lists a complete set of information for each record.

Lesson 3: Practice Activity

1. Start Microsoft Office Excel.

2. Select Blank workbook from your list of options.

3. Create Headings in Row 1 for all components of the mail merge

In cell A1 type Last name In cell B1 type First name In cell C1 type ID In cell D1 type Grade In cell E1 type Gender In cell F1 type DOB

Lesson 3: Practice Activity

4. Enter the information below for five sample students that folder labels will be created for in Task 4.

Lesson 3: Practice Activity

As you are entering your data if you see ######## instead of numbers you have entered you need to resize your columns by clicking the line between the capital alphabets at the top of the screen and dragging it to your desired size.

Lesson 3: Practice Activity

5. Once you have entered all of your desired data, you can sort it to be in any order you choose using the Sort & Filter feature located in the Edition section of the Home ribbon. To see how to use this feature view this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Bh0TaCRKQ.

Lesson 3: Practice Activity

6. Save your data file to your Desktop with the file name SampleStudents.xlsx.

Lesson 3: Wrap-up

In a data file, information is organized into columns and rows.

Each column represents a category, such as first name, last name, company, or street address.

Each row, except for the first row, represents one complete record or set of data.

The first row is special. Called the Header row, it contains the column names. This row is very important because it will be the name of the merged fields that you insert into your final document.

Lesson 4: Designing the Necessary Product

The trainee will analyze task requirements to determine an appropriate design, and produce the document that will be merged with content from the data file 100% of the time.

Lesson 4: Content

View the video at this link to see how to create a simple certificate using Microsoft Office Word https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VftXUVYi4eM.

Lesson 4: Content

View this video to see how to create a certificate using Microsoft Office Publisher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8JNK9EEmIQ.

Lesson 4: Content

TaskRecommended

Software ReasoningCreate Mail-Merged ID Cards

Microsoft Office Publisher

You can select a template that already includes graphics and text. The content of the template can be easily adjusted and manipulated to get your desired design. Template components in Publisher are easier to manipulate than those in Word.

Create Mail-Merged Labels

Microsoft Office Word

If the content of your labels is limited to text, Word is the best software to use because the Mail Merge Wizard will walk you through every step. Very little design will need to be done. However, if you want to include graphics on your labels Microsoft Office Publisher would be a better choice.

Create Mail-Merged Certificates

Microsoft Office Publisher

You can select a template that already includes graphics and text. The content of the template can be easily adjusted and manipulated to get your desired design. Template components in Publisher are easier to manipulate than those in Word.

Lesson 4: Practice Activity

What is the best software to use for each of the following tasks?1. Create mail merged ID cards for campus office

workers.

2. Create mail merged Perfect Attendance Certificates.

3. Create mail merged Form for each teacher to enter their birthday on.

4. Create mail merged labels for student permanent folders.

5. Create mail merged address labels for students.

Lesson 4: Activity Answers

1. Microsoft Office Publisher –You can add logos and move content around on the card using textboxes that are easier to relocate than those in Word.

2. Microsoft Office Publisher or Word – Both software offer templates that can be easily adjusted for the desired content and mail-merged with data.

3. Microsoft Office Publisher or Word – When using a simple text form just choose which one you are more familiar with to make things easier for you. Publisher offers a feature that allows you to print 2 or more forms on 1 sheet of paper, which can be useful if the form does not need to use an entire sheet of paper.

4. Microsoft Office Word – This is a simple task and Word will keep it simple for you.

5. Microsoft Office Word – This is a simple task and Word will keep it simple for you.

Lesson 5: Completing the Mail-Merge

The trainee will complete the mail-merge process by creating labels that will include the data from the SampleStudent data file created in Task #3 Practice Activities.

Lesson 5: Content

View this video for a brief introduction of the mail merge process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvBQbj35mG4 .

Lesson 5: Content

View this video to see a sample of mail merging address labels http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/use-mail-merge-to-create-multiple-labels-video-VA104043037.aspx.

Lesson 5: Content

In a mail merge, Word pulls the information from your mailing list into your label document.

Making labels with mail merge can get complicated—but it basically involves four steps.

Lesson 5: Content

1. Set up a document that matches your label sizeClick Mailings > Start Mail

Merge > Labels.In the Label vendors list,

click the company that made the labels you’re going to print on.

In the Product number list, click the number that matches the product number on your package of labels.

Lesson 5: Content

2. Connect the document to your address list On the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients >

Use an Existing List if you already have a list in an Excel spreadsheet or an Access database. Or click Choose from Outlook Contacts if you want to use your Outlook contacts. If you don’t already have a list, you can type a new list in Word.

Browse to the list you want, and then click Open.

If your list’s in Excel and Word prompts you, click $Sheet1, and then click OK.

If you want to make labels for only some of the names in your list, click Edit Recipient List.

Check the names you want to add to your labels.

Lesson 5: Content

3. Add the names and addresses Click Address Block. Choose how you want the name to

appear. TIP To be sure Word finds the

names and addresses in your list, click Match Fields. Check that the fields you want appear in the list. If a field you want says (not matched), click the drop-down list for that field and then click the column name that matches that column in your list. When you’ve matched all the fields you want, click OK.

Lesson 5: Content Click OK, and then click Update Labels. You can also insert a picture—for example, a logo. After you add

the picture, click the Layout Options button . Then position the picture by clicking Square or Tight. Click Update Labels to see the picture on each label.

TIP Any time you make a change—for example, adding a picture—click Update Labels to see the change applied to each label.

Lesson 5: Content

4. Preview and print the labels Click Preview Results, and then click the arrows to

make sure the labels look right. If the labels have too much space between each

line, select the whole address in the first label, right-click, click Paragraph, and type 0 in the Before and After boxes, and click OK. Then click Update Labels to see the change applied to each label.

TIP If the addresses looks like they’re too close to the top of the labels, click before the address in the first label, press Shift+Enter, and click Update Labels.

Lesson 5: Content

Click Finish and Merge, and then click Print Documents.

Print a one-page test by clicking From in the Merge to Printer box and then typing 1 and the number of labels that fit on one page. For example, if your label sheets have 30 labels on each page, type 1 and 30.

If the test page looks the way you want it, load your labels into your printer, click Print Documents again, and click All.

Lesson 5: Content

Save your label file for next time When you save the mail merge document, it stays

connected to your mailing list. To use the mail merge document again, open it and click Yes when Word prompts you to keep that connection. Then, if you want to change which people or items you include in the merge, click Edit Recipient List to sort, filter, and select them.

Lesson 5: Practice Activity

Use the steps above, and the instruction video provided in the introduction, to create mail merged file folder labels for the all of the students listed in your SampleStudent data file.

1. Create your labels on Avery US Letter 8160 labels.

2. Make sure that each label includes the following information for all students in your list: Last name, First name ID Grade Gender DOB

3. You will need to make necessary adjustments to your font so that all of the content will fit on the labels.

Lesson 5: Wrap-up

Once you have completed your merge the first few lines of your Word document will look similar to this (The boarders will not appear in your document, they were only added here so that you can see how the content will be printed in the label).

Lesson 6: Preview, Complete the Merge, and Print the Document

The trainee will examine printer options, and paper selection, and determine necessary adjustments to print the merged file containing all of the content for each intended recipient 100% of the time.

Lesson 6: Content

What you do now depends on what type of document you're creating.

If you are merging letters, you can print the letters or modify them individually.

If you choose to modify the letters, Word saves them all to a single file, with one letter per page.

No matter what type of document you are creating, you can print, transmit, or save all or just a subset of the documents.

Lesson 6: Content

View this video on previewing and printing a mail merged document https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRA2fmWIx7U.

Lesson 6: Content

After you add fields to your main document, you are ready to preview the merge results. When you are satisfied with the preview, you can complete the merge.

You can preview your merged documents and make changes before you actually complete the merge.

Lesson 6: Content

To preview, do any of the following in the Preview Results group of the Mailings tab:

Click Preview Results. Page through each merged document

by using the Next Record and Previous Record buttons in the Preview Results group.

Preview a specific document by clicking Find Recipient.

NOTE Click Edit Recipient List in the Start Mail Merge group on the Mailings tab to open the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, where you can filter the list or clear recipients if you see records that you don't want to include.

Lesson 6: Content

Complete the merge

You can print the merged documents or modify them individually. You can print or change all or just a subset of the documents.

If you want to print a subset of the documents, you can specify the set by a range of record numbers.

Lesson 6: ContentPrint the merged documents

1. On the Mailings tab, in the Finish group, click Finish & Merge, and then click Print Documents.

2. Choose whether to print the whole set of documents, only the copy that's currently visible, or a subset of the set, which you specify by record number.

Change individual copies of the document

3. On the Mailings tab, in the Finish group, click Finish & Merge, and then click Edit Individual Documents.

4. Choose whether you want to edit the whole set of documents, only the copy that's currently visible, or a subset of the set, which you specify by record number. Word compiles the copies that you want to edit into a single file, with a page break between each copy of the document.

After you finish editing the new file of documents, you can print the documents by clicking the File tab, clicking Print, and then clicking the Print button.

Lesson 6: Practice Activity

Print merged address labels on a regular sheet of paper, using the data file you created in activity #3, so that you can view your final product.

Lesson 6: Wrap-up

Save the main document Remember that merged documents that you save are separate from

the main document. It's a good idea to save the main document 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.

Assessment and Evaluation

The practice activities in this booklet walked you through the process of creating labels for a list of students. You can use these same steps to create ID card and/or certificates for these same students by merging the specific data that you need into the desired document.

To assess your understanding of the mail merge process create the following merged documents for all of the students in your SampleStudent Excel file, finalize your merge and print the document.

Assessment and Evaluation1. Certificate of Appreciation that includes the students’ first

and last names.

2. A student ID card, 3” wide and 2.5” tall, that includes the following items for each student:

First and last name ID Grade. Also add

Image of school mascot School name at top of card Current academic year

Format all of the content so that it is easy to see and read on each card.

HINT: Your first step should be selecting the best software for your desired outcome. So do a little planning first to save yourself some time.

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