Mail Merge Lesson

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Mail Merge

Mail Merge allows the user to create documents and combine or merge them with another document or data file. Mail
merging basically requires two components: the document that contains the message and the document or files that
generally contains the list of names and addresses.

Two Components of Mail Merge


1. Form Document – contains the main body of the message you want to send. The main body of the message
remains the same no matter whom you send it to. Also included in the form document is what we call place
holders, also referred to as data fields or merge fields. This marks the position on your form document where
individual data or information will be inserted (Ex: <<Name>>, <<Company>>, <<Address Line 1>>).
2. List or Data File – it’s where the individual information or data that needs to be plugged in (merged) to the form
document. Mail merge allows data file to be created from within the Microsoft Word application itself, or gets
data from a file created in Microsoft Excel. Fields that needed to be filled up on the form document can easily
be maintained without accidentally altering the form or the main document.

Integrating Images and External Materials


There are various kinds of materials Microsoft Word is capable of integrating to make your documents richer, more
impressive, and more informative.

1. Pictures. There are three commonly used types of picture files. You can identify them by the extension on their
file names.
a. .JPG. Pronounced as “jay-peg”, and is the short term for Joint Photographic Experts Group. This type of
image file can support 16.7 million colors that is why it is suitable for use when working with full color
photographic images. .JPG does not work well on lettering, line drawings, or simple graphics. .JPG images
are relatively small in file size.
b. .GIF. This stands for Graphics Interchange Format. This type of image file is capable of displaying
transparencies. It is good for blending with other materials or element in your document. It is also capable
of displaying simple animation if you are sending documents electronically, or even post documents into a
website. It can only support up to 256 colors so it is good mostly on logos, drawings, small text, black and
white images, or low-resolution files.
c. .PNG. Pronounced as “ping”. It stands for Portable Network Graphics. Its development was basically for
the purpose of transporting images on the internet at faster rates. It is also good with transparencies but
unlike .GIFs, it does not support animation but it can display up to about 16 million colors. Image quality for
this image file is remarkably improved.
2. Clip Art. This is generally a .GIF type; line art drawings or images used as generic representation for ideas and
objects that you might want to integrate in your document.
3. Shapes. These are printable objects or materials that you can integrate in your document to enhance its
appearance or to allow you to have some tools to use for composing and representing ideas or messages. If you
are designing the layout for a poster or other graphic material for advertising, you might find this useful.
4. Smart Art. These are predefined sets of different shapes grouped together to form ideas that are organizational
or structural in nature. If you want to graphically represent an organization, process, relationships, or flow for
infographic documents, then you will find this easy and handy to use.
5. Chart. Another type of material that you can integrate in your Word document that allows you to represent
data characteristics and trends. This quite useful when you are preparing reports that correlate and present
data in a graphical manner.
6. Screenshot. When creating reports or manuals for training or procedures requires the integration of a more
realistic image of what you are discussing on your report or manual. Microsoft Word even provides a snipping
tool for your screen shots so you can select and display only the part that you exactly like to capture on your
screen.

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