Mail Merge-of-ms-word

Mail Merge

Being a word processing tool, Writer is a commonly preferred and used tool to write letters. But, in day to day life there are many scenarios when one would want to send the same letter to multiple recipients by just changing minor details like salutations or appointment date, timings, etc.For example, your school wants to send letters to the parents of all children who reported late for the school in the past month (let's assume 50 students). Hence, though the recipients change, but the main content of the letter does not change.
Hence, Mail Merge can be understood as that feature of Open Office Word Processor using which you can simultaneously produce multiple copies of the main document by replacing few text strings marked by field markers from a data source. This is often used of envelopes invitations, marketing promotions, etc.

Component of Mail Merge
There are two main components involved in the mail merge process - the data source and the main document which could be a form letter, or a mailing label or an envelope. A third important component which becomes the common link between the data source and the main document is the field. Let us now understand these in detail.

Data Source (Recipient List)
Data source in the database containing the recipient data records for the mail merge. It consists of variable fields that need to be substituted in the main document to create the final document instance. These can be understood as the mailing lists which can be in the form of databases, spreadsheets or text files. A mailing list can be generated during the mail merge process or you could use an already existing data source.

Form Letter
The base document that is sent out to the recipients and contains the common text of the letter/mailer is known as the Form letter. It can also be generated during the mail merge process or you could use an already document.

Merge Fields
Merge Fields refers to the column heading/field names for the table (data source) which can be anything like Name, Address, Telephone, Salutation, Id, etc. under which the individual records are stored. The main document contains the Merge Fields as field markers from the data source indicating which field from the data source needs to be placed where in the main document. These are replaced by actual entries from the data source at the time or printing the document.

Envelope: This option is used to create different shape and size of envelope for mailing.

Labels: we can select numbers of label available.

Using Mail Merge Wizard
Open a new document with file → New → Text Document.
To use mail merge wizard in Writer.

Click on Tools → Start Mail Merge. Open the drop-down button, click the step-by-step mail merge wizard.

There are some basic steps involved in the mail merge process and the mail Merge Wizard takes us through each of these on after the other. These are:

1. Select Document Type
This step allows you to choose the type of document.

• Letters
• E-mail messages
• Envelopes
• Labels
• Directory

Select Letter → Next.

2. Selecting Starting Document
This wizard gives the following options to select you staring document.

• Use the current document.
• Create a new document.
• Use an existing document.
• Use a template.

Select the current document → Next.

3.Select Recipients

• Use an exiting list.
• Select from outlook contact.
• Type a new list

If you haven't already created the address list, click on Create button. This will open the New Address List dialog box, where you can add records. 

• Select the Type a new List and Click the create Button...
• Click on create button.

This will open the new address list dialog box, where you can add records.

• Click on the Customize button.

A Customize Address List dialog box will open, where you can add, delete or rename fields are per your requirement.

• Click on OK.

The writer will ask you to save the file as a .csv file.

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👉 The control will move back to Select Address List dialog box. Now, click on OK. If you already have an address list, click on Add and select the file.

Select the address list and click on OK. the wizard can also exclude certain records; click on Filter to choose them.

👉 Next, Select the address block to appear on the letter.

👉 Click on More... to see additional choices. the Select Address Block dialog box shows six choice.

👉 Select the address block and click on Edit button, which will open the New Address Block dialog box.

👉 In the New Address Block dialog box, you can add or delete address elements using the arrow buttons on the left. To move elements around, use the arrow buttons on the right. For example, to add an extra space between first and last names, click on <Last Name> and then click on the right arrow button.

👉 Next, match the wizard's fields with your fields, so that items like <Last Name> and "Surname" match correctly (this step is required when the data source is a spreadsheet or a table).

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👉 If the addresses of do not display correctly, click on Match Fields. The Match Fields dialog box opens.

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The Match Fields dialog box has three columns.

• Address elements are the terms the wizard uses for each field, such as <First name> and <Last Name>.
• Matches to field column lets you select, for each address element, the field from you data source that matches it.
• Preview column displays the content for this field form the selected address block, so you can double-check that the match is correct.

👉 Click on OK to return to step 3 of the wizard. Use the arrow buttons to check all the addresses.

👉 Click on Next.

4. Create Salutation

select Create a salutation for the letter. In case of a unchecked Insert personalized salutation, you can use a more general salutation without referring to the recipient directly, such as "To whom it may concern".

The wizard has a preview pane at the bottom to check on the records.

5. Adjust Layout

This step lets you adjust the location of the address block and salutation on the document. You can place the address block use Up and Down buttons to move the elements.

6. Edit Document

This step allows you to exclude particular recipients form the mail merge. Also, this step lets you edit the body of the document.

• Click on Edit Document. This will shrink the wizard to a small window so you can easily edit the letter.
• You can add additional data here too.

          To do this,

• Click on Edit Document in step 6 of the wizard.
• Select Insert menu option → Fields → Other. The Fields dialog box opens.
• Click on the Database tab → Select Mail Merge Fields.
• Under Database selection find you data source. Expand it to see the fields.
• Select the field you want to insert, then click on Insert button to insert the field.
• Click on Close button.

7. Personalize Document

To personalize your document, make selections as per your choice.

8. Save, Print or Send 

Not that the mail merge process is complete, you can save the original sample letter, save the merged document, print the letters or send email messages.

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To save the starting document and the merged document,

• select Save starting document to reveal the Save starting document section containing the Save starting document button.
• Click on this button. Save as dialog box will appear.
• Save your document.

          OR

• Click on Save merged document. This will reveal the Save merged document setting section.
• Select to save either the complete file containing all the individual, generated letters or as a separate file for each letter.

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To print the letters, select Print merged document and make you choices.

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