Use FTP (WinSCP) to download three files to your computer. The files are available at wirth.cs.uakron.edu. Use your unix ID and password to log in to the FTP server. Use the remote go to or open directory command to access the folder named /home/vonneumann/faculty/margush/public_html/125/. Copy the folder (and contents) named mailmergelab to your computer. Exit the FTP application.
Inside this folder, open the Excel document (Contacts) and the Word document (Apology). You may close the spreadsheet after looking at its contents. You will be creating a mail merge using these contacts and the letter found in the Word document. The letter will be personalized and sent to each of the contacts in the spreadsheet.
But first, add the company logo to the letter (it is a GIF file located in the same folder). Place it in the top right of the letter in a way that does not interfere with the flow of the text of the letter.
Begin the mail merge development by selecting tools, letters and mailings, mail merge. We will use the mail merge wizard to help with the task of setting up the merge operation. We want to create letters and use the current document as the basis of the merge.
We also want to select recipients from an existing list (the Excel spreadsheet). Use the browse option to select the contacts file from the same folder. The data is in sheet 1. You should initially select all of the contacts in the file.
Next, edit the letter. You must replace the blue text with information from the spreadsheet. Use the more items choice in the wizard to insert mail merge fields into the letter at the appropriate point. The contact field should go in three different locations. Be sure to type your name at the bottom of the letter. Check the image on the right as a guide to what it should look like when finished.
Use the preview letters option to view the letters. There are buttons to cycle through the recipients and see the changes to the letter.
Before going on, let's edit the recipient list. Click the dropdown by the state heading and select advanced. We want to filter the records so the State field is equal to VA. Click OK when the list shows only NY contacts.
Finally, complete the merge. Print the letters and turn them in.