Empowerment Technologies

Lesson 03 – Advanced Word Processing Skills

Lesson Objectives

 Use some advanced capabilities of Microsoft Word commonly used to increase productivity and efficiency;
 Effectively use these features to help improve the productivity of an organization through maximizing the potential of Microsoft Word;
 Create form letters or documents for distribution to various recipients;
 Create labels and envelopes for distribution;
 Create media-rich documents for printing or publishing.

Lesson Discussion

In the professional world, sending out information to convey important information is vital. Because of ICT, things are
now sent much faster than the traditional newsletters or postal mail. You can now send much faster than the traditional
newsletters or postal mail. You can now use the Internet to send out information you need to share. What if we could
still do things much faster – an automated way of creating and sending uniform letters with different recipients? Would
that not be more convenient?

I. Mail Merge and Label Generation

A. Mail Merge

One of the important reasons in using

computers per se is its ability to do recurring
tasks automatically. But this ability has to be
honed by learning the characteristics and
features of the software you use with your
computer. After all, no matter how good or
advance your computer and software may be,
it can only be as good as the person using it.

In this particular part of our lesson, we

will learn one of the most powerful and
commonly used features of Microsoft Word
called Mail Merge. As the name suggests, this
feature allows you to create documents and
combine or merge them with another
document or data file. It is commonly used
when sending out advertising materials to
various recipients.

The simplest solution for the scenario

above is to create a document and just copy
and paste it several times then just replace the
details depending on whom you send it to. But
what if you have hundreds or thousands of
recipients? Would not that take too many
hours? What if you have a small database of
information where you can automatically
generate those letters?

Two Components of Mail Merge

1. Form Document

The first component of our mail merged

document is the form document. It is generally
the document that contains the main body of the
message we want to convey or send. The main
body of the message is the part of the form
document that remains the same no matter
whom you send it to from among your list.

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.
From our sample document, the place holders
are denoted or marked by the text with double-
headed arrows (<< >>) on each side and with a
gray background. On a printed standard form, this will be the underlined spaces that you will see and use as a guide to where you
need to write the information that you need to fill out. In its simplest form, a form document is literally a “form” that you fill out
with individual information. A common example of a form document is your regular tax form or application form.

2. List or Data File

The second component of our mail merged

document is the list or data file. This is where the
individual information or data that needs to be plugged in
(merged) to the form document is placed and maintained.
One of the best things about the mail merge feature is that
it allows data file to be created fro within the Microsoft
Word application itself, or it gets data from a file created
in Microsoft Excel or other data formats. In this way,
fields that needed to be filled up on the form document
can easily be maintained without accidentally altering the
form or main document. You can also easily add, remove,
modify, or extract your data more efficiently by using
other data management applications like Excel or Access
and import them in Word during the mail merge process.

Enter a caption

B. Label Generation

Included in the mail merge feature on Microsoft Word is the Label Generator. It just makes sense that after you
print out your form letters, you will need to send it to individual recipients in an envelope with the matching address
printed directly on the envelope or on a mailing label to stick on. By using virtually the same process as a standard mail
merge, Microsoft Word will print individual addresses to a standard form that it has already pre-formatted. Simply put,
it creates a blank form document that simulates either a blank label or envelope of pre-defined size and will use the data
file that you selected to print the information, typically individual addresses. So even in generating labels, the two
essential components of creating a merged document are present: the form document and the data file. Only in this case,
you did not have to type or create the form document yourself because it was already created and pre-formatted in
Microsoft Word. All you need to do is select the correct or appropriate size for the label or envelope and select the data
file that contains the addresses (data) to be printed. You can also preview your merged labels before printing if you want
to.

The Update Labels Icon can be found

under the Mailings tab.

II. Integrating Images and

External Materials

Integrating or inserting
pictures in your document is fun
and it improves the impression of
your document. A common use of
inserting a picture on a document
is when you are creating your
resume. Though seemingly
simple to do, your knowledge on
the different kinds of materials
that you can insert or integrate in
a Word document and its
characteristics can help you create
a more efficient, richer document
not only in content but also in
physical form. A better
understanding of the physical
form of your document as well as
the different materials you would
integrate in it would allow you to
be more efficient and versatile in
using Microsoft Word.
A. Kinds of Materials

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

1. Pictures

Generally, these are electronic or digital pictures or photographs you have saved in any local storage device. There are three
commonly used types of picture files. You can identify them by the extension on their file names.

a. .JPG/JPEG

This is pronounced as “jay-peg“ and is the short form of .jpeg or Joint Photographic Experts Group. Like all the
rest of the image file extensions, it identifies the kind of data compression process that it uses to make it more compatible
and portable through the Internet. 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. Unfortunately, it does not support transparency and therefore, images
of this file type can be difficult to integrate in terms of blending with other materials or elements in your document. But
if you are looking for the best quality image to integrate with your document then this is the image file type for you.
.JPG does not work well on lettering, line drawings, or simple graphics. .JPG images are relatively small in file size.

Example of a .jpeg format picture.

b. .GIF

This stands for Graphics Interchange Format. This type of

image file is capable of displaying transparencies. Therefore, it is
good for blending with other materials or elements in your
document. It is also capable of displaying simple animation.
Apparently, this may not be too useful on a printed document but
if you are sending documents electronically or through email, or even post documents into a website, then this could be
quite impressive. The downside is that it can only support up to 256 colors so it is good mostly on logos and art decors
with very limited, and generally solid colors. .GIF is much better for logos, drawings, small text, black and white images,
or low-resolution files.

Error! Filename not specified.

Example of a .gif format picture.

c. .PNG

This is pronounced as “ping“. It stands for Portable Network Graphics.

It was built around the capabilities of .GIF. 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 16 million colors, so image quality for this image file type is also
remarkably improved. .PNG allows the control of the transparency level or
opacity of images.

Example of .png format picture.

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. Microsoft Word has a library of clip
arts that is built in or can be downloaded and used freely. There are still
other clip arts that you can either purchase or freely download and use that
come from third-party providers.
Clip Art Icon in Microsoft
Office 2010.

3. Shapes

These are printable objects or materials that you can integrate in

your document to enhance its appearance or 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.

Shapes Icon under the Insert ribbon tab.

4. Smart Art

Generally, 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.

Smart Art

5. Chart

Another type of material that you can

integrate in your Word document that allows you
to represent data characteristics and trends. This is
quite useful when you are preparing reports that
correlate and present data in a graphical manner.
You can create charts that can be integrate in your
document either directly in Microsoft Word or
imported from external files like Microsoft Excel.

Chart – Used to illustrate and compare data.

6. Screenshot

Sometimes, creating reports or manuals for training or procedures will require the
integration of a more realistic image of what you are discussing on your report or manual. Nothing
can get you a more realistic image
than a screenshot. 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.

Screenshot Icon – can be found under the Insert tab.

III. Image Placement

Layout of text wrapping options.

A. In Line with Text

This is the default setting for images that are inserted or

integrated in your document. It treats your image like a text font with
the bottom side totally aligned with the text line. This setting is
 usually used when you need to place your image at the beginning of a paragraph. When placed between texts in a paragraph or a
sentence, it distorts the overall appearance and arrangement of the texts in the paragraph because it will take up the space it needs
vertically, pushing whole lines of texts upward.

B. Square

This setting allows the image you inserted to be placed anywhere with the paragraph with the text going around the image in
a square pattern like frame.

C. Tight

This is almost the same as the Square setting, but here the text “hug” or conforms to the general shape of the image. This
allows you to get a more creative effect on your document. This setting can mostly be achieved if you are using an image that
supports transparency like a .GIF or .PNG file.

D. Through

This setting allows the text on your document to flow even tighter taking the contours and shape of the image. Again, this
can be best used with .GIF or .PNG type of image.

E. Top and Bottom

This setting pushes the texts away vertically to the top and/or the bottom of the image so that the image occupies a whole
text line on its own.

F. Behind Text

This allows your image to be dragged and placed anywhere on your document but with all the texts floating in front of it. It
effectively makes your image look like a background.

G. In Front of Text

As it suggests, this setting allows your image to be placed right on top of the text as if your image was dropped right on it.
That means whatever part of the text you placed the image on, it will be covered by the image.

IV. Key Terms

 Mail Merge – a feature that allows you to create documents and combine or merge them with another document
or data file.
 Form Document – the document that contains the main body of the message we want to convey or send.
 Data File – includes the individual information or data or the recipient’s information.
 Merge Field/Place Holder – marks the position on your form document where individual data or information will
be inserted.
 .JPG – file extension for the Joint Photographic Experts Group picture file.
 .PNG – file extension for Portable Network Graphics image file.
 .GIF – file extension for the Graphics Interchange Format image file.
 Clipart – line art drawings or images used as a generic representation for ideas and objects.
 Smart Art – predefined sets of different shapes grouped together to form ideas that are organizational or structural
in nature.
 Text Wrap – adjusts how the image behaves around other objects or text.

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