5.3 Executing and Outputting

Executing and Outputting

The final stage of the mail merge process is execution. Up to this point, you have only set up a main template document, connected it to a data source, inserted merge fields, and previewed the results. The merge is not actualized until you choose an output option and execute the merge. Executing the merge combines the template and the data source into their final form, depending on whether you want to save the output, print it physically, or transmit it electronically. This section outlines the execution options, the procedures for printing labels and envelopes, and important troubleshooting steps.

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Output Options for Completing the Merge

When you click Finish & Merge on the Mailings tab, the word processor presents three primary output options:

1. Merge to New Document (Edit Individual Documents)

When selected, the word processor runs the merge and compiles the results into a new, separate file (often named Letters1). If your mailing list contains 100 records and the main document is a one-page letter, the output file will be a single 100-page document. Each recipient's letter is separated by a section break, ensuring that the margins, headers, and footers of each letter remain independent. You can edit individual pages of this new document—such as adding a personal handwritten note to a specific client—before printing or saving the file.

2. Merge to Printer

Selecting this option bypasses the creation of a new file. A dialog box will ask you whether to print All records, the Current record, or a specific range (e.g., records 10 through 25). The printer prints each record as a separate job or continuous stream of pages.

3. Merge to Email (Send Email Messages)

To utilize this option, two requirements must be met:

1. The data source must contain a field with valid email addresses for each recipient.
2. The computer must have an active email client (such as Microsoft Outlook) integrated with the word processor. Upon execution, a dialog box prompts you to select the field containing the email addresses, type a subject line, and select the mail format (e.g., HTML, Plain Text, or Attachment). The word processor then automates the sending of individual emails through the client.

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Printing Envelopes and Labels

A frequent application of mail merge is printing custom envelopes and adhesive labels. This requires precise layout settings to avoid wasting paper and alignment sheets.

Setting Up Envelopes:

1. Create a new document and start the Mail Merge Wizard, selecting Envelopes as the document type.
2. Open Envelope Options to configure the envelope size (e.g., Size 10 is standard for business letters) and the font style/placement for both the return address and delivery address.
3. The main document window will resize to match the envelope dimensions.
4. Insert a delivery address placeholder by clicking inside the center address box area and choosing Address Block or individual fields.
5. In the bottom-left or top-left, input the static return address.
6. Execute the merge using Merge to Printer or Merge to New Document.

Setting Up Labels:

Labels are printed on sheets containing grid patterns of individual stickers.

1. Select Labels in the Mail Merge Wizard.
2. In the Label Options dialog box, select the label vendor (e.g., Avery) and the specific product number (e.g., 5160). This sets the exact height, width, and number of columns/rows to match your physical label sheet.
3. The document will display a grid table structure. If gridlines are invisible, enable them by going to the Table Tools layout tab and selecting View Gridlines.
4. In the very first label cell (top-left), construct your address layout using merge fields (e.g., «First_Name» «Last_Name» followed by address lines).
5. CRITICAL STEP: Click the Update Labels (or Propagate Labels) button on the Mailings tab. This copies the design and merge fields from the first cell to all other cells on the sheet. It also inserts a hidden «Next Record» rule prefix in every subsequent cell, instructing the mail merge engine to pull the next row of data for the next label, rather than printing the same contact over the entire page.

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Best Practices and Troubleshooting

• Test Print: Before printing hundreds of labels on expensive sheets, print a single page on standard plain paper. Hold the printed page up against the label sheet to verify that the text aligns perfectly within the label margins.
• Suppress Blank Lines: If some records do not have data for a specific line (e.g., Address_Line_2 is empty), the merge might print an unsightly blank line. Built-in blocks like the Address Block suppress empty lines automatically. If inserting individual fields, you must configure field rules (like the \f switch in Word) to suppress empty lines.
• Verify Mail Client Online Status: When performing an email merge, make sure your mail client is set to online mode and your outbox is processing messages; otherwise, the merged emails will sit in the queue without being sent.