PUB2000: Frequently Asked Questions About Mail Merge (307259)

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• Q: What is mail merge?
  
  A: The mail merge feature allows you to combine a Publisher publication with information from your data source to create a set of customized publications, such as invitation cards, name tags, mailing labels, and envelopes.
• Q: How does mail merge work?
  
  A: The first step in performing a mail merge is to create a data source or connect to a data source. Publisher can use data from a variety of external sources, or you can create your own data source by using tools that are included with Publisher. You can also use ASCII (text) files as a data source, as long as data is arranged in tables with clearly defined fields. Each row of the table must constitute a complete record. A column (field) can contain only one type of information, for example, a phone number.
  
  The next step is to create a publication. The dimensions of the publication determine the dimensions of the merged copies. Thus, if you create a set of mailing labels, create a publication that is the size of one label.
  
  While you are creating a publication, you can insert placeholders (or field codes) into the publication. Placeholders tell Publisher where to insert the information from the data source file.
  
  After you create both a data source and a publication, merge the data source and the publication.
  
  The final step in performing a mail merge is to print the publication. You can print copies of all of the records or print only specific records. In each printed copy, Publisher replaces the placeholders with the information that corresponds to each record in the data source file.
  
  NOTE: If you print a small publication, such as a label, multiple copies of your publication may be printed on a single sheet. In this case, Publisher considers a sheet of 30 labels to be 30 copies of a single, label-sized publication that is printed on a single sheet.
• Q: Can I use Publisher to create a data source file?
  
  A: Yes. Publisher has a tool that you can use to create address lists and other simple data sources.
• Q. What types of files can Publisher use as a data source file?
  
  A. Publisher can use databases that you create in Microsoft Access, Microsoft FoxPro, dBASE, and Microsoft Works. Publisher can also use Microsoft Excel worksheets , Microsoft Word tables, and Microsoft Outlook contact lists. You can also use plain text (ASCII) files.
• Q: What is the format of the data file that is created in Publisher?
  
  A: The address list tool in Publisher creates files in the Microsoft Database (.mdb) format. This is also the format the mail merge database engine uses internally. The .mdb format is also used by Microsoft Access and is not case sensitive.
• Q: How many fields can a data source file contain?
  
  A: Publisher can use files that contain up to 255 fields. Each field name can contain up to 64 characters.
• Q: How many records can a data source file contain?
  
  A: There is no practical limit to the number of records a data source file can contain. The maximum number of records depends on your computer's memory and available disk space.
• Q: Can I modify an existing address list?
  
  A: Yes. You can add and remove fields from an address list. You can also modify existing records.
• Q: What happens if I add more records to the address list?
  
  A: The next time that you open the publication, the new records appear.
• Q: What happens if I move my address list to another folder?
  
  A: The next time that you open the publication, Publisher prompts you for the new location of the address list.
• Q: Can Publisher select only specific records from the data source?
  
  A: Yes. If you want to use only selected records from your data source, you can apply a filter to your data. The filter allows you to specify the criteria by which the data will be selected. In addition, you can use a sorting feature to control the order in which the records are merged with your publication.
• Q: Is the Publisher mail merge feature the same as the Word mail merge feature?
  
  A: The mail merge feature in Publisher is very easy to use, but it does not have all of the features of the Word mail merge feature. For example, Word fields that allow you to include additional information and control how data is inserted into your document are not included in the mail merge feature in Publisher.

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