Mail Merge is a microsoft trick that uses both Microsoft Word and Excel to combine all your addresses onto individual pages for distribution. The key with this power is making the addresses look beautiful and unique without spending a fortune on hiring a company to do this for you. I use Mail Merge for all my special occasion mail including Holiday cards, our wedding announcements, party invitations, and yearly photos.
What You Need
Before You Start:
Before you start your mail merge, you will need to have a list of addresses in Microsoft Excel (learn more about Excel). You will want headers at the top of each column. The words: “First Name”, “Last Name”, etc. I like to use a “Family Name” column header. This way, I can make unique “send to” labels such as: “Mr. & Mrs. Pilato” or “The Pilato Family” or “Pilato Projects” – Things like that.
Here is an example:
Microsoft Mailings
Open Microsoft word and select “Mailings” in the top row
Step 1: Start Mail Merge"
Once you are in “Mailings” you will see a new menu. Choose “Start Mail Merge
From the “Start Mail Merge” dropdown, you will select “Envelopes”
You will be sent to a pop-up screen requesting an envelope size. After you make your size selection, you will click the “ok” button.
Since we are working with a 5×7 envelope, I am selecting the first option: “Size 6 3/4 (3 5/8 x 6 1/2 in)”
Step 2: Select Recipients
Once you choose your envelope size, the screen will refresh and look like the size of your envelope. It will include a text box with a dotted border. You will now select the excel sheet you have saved with all the addresses on it. From the Mailings tab, you will click on “Select Recipients”. When the dropdown appears, chose “Use an Existing List…”
Step 3: Insert Merge Fields
If you choose the correct file, you will see that your options in the mailing tab will turn from grey to available. You can now select “Insert Merge Field” A dropdown will appear with the column headers you created in the excel sheet at the beginning.
When you click on your merge fields, they will start to appear on the envelope below. Be sure to add spacing and punctuation where necessary.
- 1st line: Select “Family Name” and click “Enter” on your keyboard.
- 2nd line: Select “Address”, hit the space bar two times, then select “Suite” (or you can put the suite on its own line.)
- 3rd line: Select “City”, insert a comma, then hit the space bar. Select “State”, hit the space bar two times, then select “ZIP”
Step 4: Formatting
When you want to start editing the look and size of the font, the placement, etc. You can select “Preview Results” from the Mailing tab. To the right of that option, you will see the number 1 with arrows to the left and right. This number represents the rows on your address excel sheet. If you want to see what a specific address will look like, just select the number row it is in.
Inserting an Icon or Image
If you want to add an icon with the address to add some extra special flare, this is how you do it! I put my icon below the address, but you can put them on either side of the “Family Name” field, or to the right/left of the entire address. Totally up to you.
Select the “insert” tab, then choose “icons”. From there a pop-up will appear with a search bar. Type in an icon you want to use or a theme for inspiration. Once you find the icon you like, select it (or multiple) and click the “insert” button.
Formatting template
You will see that I have offset my template to the right. This is because when I go to print, my printer moves the whole text box to the left. Compensating a little on the right will ensure my address is centered.
Step 5: Finish Merge & Print!
Now is the part we can get excited about! You are just a few clicks away from completing your Mail Merge!
1st you will select “Finish & Merge” from the Mailings tab. From the dropdown, select “Edit Individual Documents”. This will allow you to see any possible imperfections on all your addresses before you start to print. Microsoft word will load a file that has every recipient that will print on their own envelope for you to review.
After you select “Edit individual Documents”, this pop-up will appear asking which “records” you want to merge. This is basically saying “Do you want to merge all the rows in your excel file or just one, or from a range?” Select “ALL”
Before You Print
Every printer is different. You will want to make a few test prints using regular paper cut into a 5×7 size. You can use an envelope as a template to trace, then cut your regular printer paper.
The test prints are to help show how you should insert your envelopes into your printer. Since the envelopes are specific, you want to make sure the flap is in the back and at the top when you print your address.
You will also want to see if the spacing for your addresses is even, ensure the font is the right size, and if look for any other imperfections you want to fix.
If there is an issue, you can edit that individual page on the full preview, or you can exit out of the preview below and you will be sent back to the end of step 4.
Final Thoughts
When you create a mail merge, it will save you so much time. Especially if you are sending mail to the same people throughout the year. Invitations, announcements, holiday cards, wedding specialties, you name it!
I encourage you to have multiple tabs on your address excel file. For example, one tab could be immediate family, or extended family, friends only, out of state, etc. This way you can create a mail merge based on a specific tab without removing important information from your excel sheet. As long as you keep this sheet up-to-date, you will no longer waste time writing out each individual address, or asking family members for their addresses every year.
You can create a mail merge to fit your unique style or look professional without the cost. Draw inspiration from Google, Pinterest, Shutterfly, or Vistaprint. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy creating, and please share what you came up with!