PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS: APPLICATION TECHNIQUES

Welcome Back!!!
 

This time we will have the tools that will help us do task with the help of productivity tools. 
We will use advance skills in dealing with some office works and some other aspects in
relation to technology.

just a reminder!

 DIGITAL SUBMISSION :      email to [email protected] & Submission Link on this

portal

 ·        Use common productivity tools effectively by maximizing advanced

application techniques.
 ·        Create an original or derivative ICT content to effectively communicate or
present data or information related to specific professional tracks.
 ·        Use advanced tools and techniques found in common productivity and
software applications in developing ICT content for specific professional tracks.
 Day  1

“For every task, there is a corresponding productivity tool that can be used”.

Productivity tools are used to maximize one’s time and to make the task easier to
accomplish..

Now, if you are requested to send letters to 100 people, how will you create and print the
letter? Are you going to type the content of the letter and then replace the name address
and other information 99 times?

Productivity tools will help you with this problem. Now let us talk about MAIL MERGE.

I. Mail Merge and Label Generation

A. Mail Merge

          One of the important reason in using computers is its ability to do same identical
tasks automatically. This ability has to be honed by learning the characteristics and features
of the software you use with your computer. 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 lesson, we will learn one of the most powerful and commonly used features of
Microsoft Word called Mail Merge. What is mail merge? It is a toolkit used to produce
multiple documents with a given template, editing the basic information that is supplied by
structured dataset.

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?
What are the steps of  mail merge?

The mail merging process generally requires the following steps:

1. Creating a Main Document and the Template.

2. Creating a Data Source.
3. Defining the Merge Fields in the main document.
4. Merging the Data with the main document.
5. Saving/Exporting.
 Now let us go to the First. Creating an New Document or use a Template.

I do believe you know how to create a new document on Microsoft Word. if in case you
don't know how, Open the application word on your computer and select File  -
> New then choose from Blank or Template. and there you have a new document ready
for processing. Do not forget to save your work, Filename and location for you are use it
later. But before you do that, of course you need to have the document content. 

Second, Creating Data Source,  we are going to use Microsoft Excel as data source.  That
means you need to have a new excel file for you to place your data. again do not forget
your filename and location again. 

Now for Excel, the first row should be the label of the information like NAME and other
personal information needed for mailing. then followed by the all the information needed.
if encoded you need to SAVE AS file type TEXT TAB DELIMITED. 

THIRD,  to define the MERGE FIELDS, it will be done in MS Word, in the document, instead
of placing the name for example, you will insert the merge field. Example of what you will
see in the document is like this <NAME>. so for the rest of the needed information you will
do that. To insert, you need to SELECT RECIPIENT->USE EXISTING LIST-> SELECT THE
FILE. next click on START MAIL MERGE  icon under MAILINGS TAB to select the source of
information. Reason why i requested you to remember the filename and location of excel
file.  

next is to MERGE, after setting up everything, you will go to MAILINGS -> FINISH &
MERGE. 

you will now choose EDIT INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS,so that you can scan for errors. 

now your merge is ready for printing.

There are Two Components of Mail Merge. We have

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. 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 from 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.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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.