Creating a Mail Merge

Click here for instructions on Creating a Data Merge File in the SCAC Software

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONVERTING "MAIL.TXT" FILE CREATED IN SCAC SOFTWARE INTO "TABLEMAIL.DOC" IN PREPARATION FOR LABELS / LETTERS MERGE USING MICROSOFT WORD 2000 OR 2003:

Open your WORD application; then open the file prepared in the "Letters/Labels" feature of the SCAC software. It will always be titled "mail.txt." Notice that the first line in the document contains the field names of the data for your merge (i.e. SSN, Last Name, First Name, etc.)

Click on File, Page Setup and under "Orientation", click "Landscape" so that you will be able to see all of the columns in the table that you are about to create below. Click OK.

Click EDIT, SELECT ALL to select all of the records.

Click TABLE, CONVERT, TEXT TO TABLE. The "Convert Text to Table" dialog box appears. Under "Table Size", change the number of columns to reflect the appropriate number of fields (i.e. 12). Under the heading "Separate Text At" choose "Commas" if you selected the "Commas Delimited" layout option when creating your mail.txt file in the SCAC software (which was recommended). Click OK. You should see your data in a table format under the appropriate field names. After scrolling to the right, if you cannot see all of your columns, click anywhere in the table and decrease the left and right margins to approximately 0.2" (under File; Page Setup).

Click FILE, SAVE AS. Name this file "TableMail" (recommended file name; choose any file name you wish, but one that will allow you to easily find and retrieve the document).

Make sure the "save as type" box reflects "Word Document" (not text file, etc.)

After saving, close this file.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LETTERS/LABELS MERGE USING MICROSOFT WORD 2000

At blank screen, go through the steps to merge, i.e. Tools, Merge, Create Document, Open Data File, etc. INSERT FIELD NAMES into form letter or labels format. Save. Click Merge.

NOTE: If the Form Letter was already prepared and saved prior to this merge, open the Form Letter first, then start the merge process; Click "Use Active Window" when prompted to create the forms document.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LETTERS MERGE USING MICROSOFT WORD 2003

Click on Tools, Letters and Mailings, Mail Merge. The Mail Merge guide appears on the right side of the screen. Follow steps throughout the guide:

Step 1. Select Document Type (i.e. letters): click on the blue font at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide to go to the next step, Starting Document.

Step 2. Select Starting Document: choose either Use Current Document if you have your letter already open or Start from Existing Document if you need to open your letter. If you select the latter, a dialog box opens for you to locate and open your existing document. (Either double-click on "More Files..." highlighted or click on the "Open..." button if your letter document isn't listed B it will be listed only if you have used it in a recent merge.)

Click on Next: Select Recipients at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide.

Step 3. Under Select Recipients, click Use an Existing List; click Browse (blue font). The Select Data Source dialog box appears. Find and double-click on the data file that you just created in the SCAC Setoff Debt software. It will be named TableMail. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears on the screen. Choose from options "Select All" (default), or click on "Clear All" and then click on individual records you wish to merge; click OK. (This may be useful if one or more of your letters jam when printing or you have some other problem with certain letters. You can return to this point and select only those letters that need to be reprinted.) Click on Next: Write Your Letter (blue font) at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide. This will be where you insert merge fields.

Step 4. Under Write Your Letter, click on "More Items...." (blue font); this will bring up your merge fields associated with the data file you just selected in Step 3. (IMPORTANT NOTE: If you get a message re: SQL being used and that data will be inserted into your document, click NO B don=t click Continue because instead of placing merge fields in your document , it will place the actual data, i.e. the first and last name, address, etc., of the first person in your database.) After placing your curser where the address information should be inserted, double-click on the appropriate merge fields (First Name, Last Name, Street, City, State, Zip, SSN, Account Number, Debt Amount, etc.) then click Close to get out of the Insert Merge Fields dialog box. Next go to the merge fields and place the fields (using the space bar, Enter key and/or cut and paste) appropriately in your letter. NOTE: You can elect to place and space as you insert the fields; however, you'll have to close the Insert Merge Field dialog box each time and then reopen to insert the next field.

Step 5. Click Next: Preview Your Letters (blue font at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide). Your first merged letter will appear on the screen with the appropriate information inserted. If you need to go back and edit your letter, click on Previous: Write Your Letter

Step 6. Click Next: Complete the Merge if everything looks OK in the preview. Under "Merge", click "Edit Individual Letters" (blue font) and this will merge your letters to a new document on screen. The Merge to New Document dialog box appears on screen; click "All", then click OK. The merge in now complete.

NOTE: If the Mail Merge guide disappears from your screen at any time during this process, simply click on Tools, Letters and Mailings, Mail Merge and it should reappear exactly where you left off.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LABELS MERGE USING MICROSOFT WORD 2003

Click on Tools, Letters and Mailings, Mail Merge. The Mail Merge guide appears on the right side of the screen. Follow steps throughout the guide:

Step 1. Select Document Type (i.e. labels): click on the blue font at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide to go to the next step, Starting Document.

Step 2. Select Starting Document: click on "Label Options" in the blue font under "Change Document Layout".

The Label Options dialog box will appear. Select the appropriate label format (i.e. size) under Product number (i.e. 5160 - Address). Click OK. A sheet of the appropriate size label will appear on the screen.

Click on Next: Select Recipients at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide.

Step 3. Under Select Recipients, click Use an Existing List; click Browse (blue font). The Select Data Source dialog box appears. Find the data file that you just created in the SCAC Setoff Debt software. It will be named TableMail. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears on the screen. Choose from options "Select All", or click on individual records you wish to merge; click OK. <<Next Record>> appears on all labels except the first one. Click on Next: Arrange Your Labels (blue font) at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide. This will be where you insert merge fields.

Step 4. Under Arrange Your Labels, click on "More Items...." (blue font); this will bring up your merge fields associated with the data file you just selected in Step 3. (IMPORTANT NOTE: If you get a message re: SQL being used and that data will be inserted into your document, click NO B don=t click Continue because instead of placing merge fields in your document , it will place the actual data, i.e. the first and last name, address, etc., of the first person in your database.) Double-click on the appropriate merge fields (First Name, Last Name, Street, City, State, Zip) then click Close to get out of the Insert Merge Fields dialog box. Next go to the first label showing the merge fields and space the fields appropriately in address format. (If you space as you insert, you=ll have to close the Insert Merge Field dialog box each time and then reopen to insert the next field.) VERY IMPORTANT: Under Replicate Labels, click on "Update All Labels" to put the merge fields in all the labels of your document. If you don=t, your labels will print one per sheet!

Step 5. Click Next: Preview Your Labels (blue font at the bottom of the Mail Merge guide). If you need to go back and rearrange your labels, click on Previous: Arrange Your Labels. If you do make any changes in the first label where you inserted the merge fields, you MUST reclick "Update All Labels" to revise all labels of your document.

Step 6. Click Next: Complete the Merge if everything looks OK in the preview. Under "Merge", click "Edit Individual Labels" (blue font) and this will merge your labels to a new document on screen. The Merge to New Document dialog box appears on screen; click "All", then click OK. The merge in now complete.