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#1
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
Hi...
I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
#2
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
It's not usually worth the trouble. You can try to save a merge document
after you have created one, but there is no reliable way to select that merge document for reuse, especially since you need to start your merge from Outlook, not Word. If you only want to send to a subset of your Contacts, you are far better off selecting those Contacts in Outlook first, then starting the merge from there. Trying to filter your Contacts from Word will not work unless you have already segregated them into separate Contact Folders that you have enabled as email address books. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "Steve" wrote in message ... Hi... I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
#3
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
Hi Russ...
Ok... I kind of figured the "reuse" part... was just hoping there was something simple since 1-2 of the things I want to do are recurring. But... they're not often enough to battle with. On the main part tho... when I started my LABELS in Outlook... it shot over to Word and gave me the "Mail Merge Helper"... which let me run selection criteria. But when I started FORM LETTERS (and ENVELOPES if I remember correctly)... Word started with a blank page... no "Mail Merge Helper" where I could select from!? Thanks for your help so far!! Steve "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message ... It's not usually worth the trouble. You can try to save a merge document after you have created one, but there is no reliable way to select that merge document for reuse, especially since you need to start your merge from Outlook, not Word. If you only want to send to a subset of your Contacts, you are far better off selecting those Contacts in Outlook first, then starting the merge from there. Trying to filter your Contacts from Word will not work unless you have already segregated them into separate Contact Folders that you have enabled as email address books. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "Steve" wrote in message ... Hi... I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
#4
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
Actually, the Mail Merge Helper is now obsolete and should not be used. You
are still forced to use it for Labels, however, because Word has no other dialog that allows you to select the Label type. After the Label type is selected you should be dismissing the Mail Merge Helper and using the newer method for doing the merge: the mail merge toolbar. All other merges go directly to the merge document where you should be also using the mail merge toolbar. You can also use the mail merge task pane, but it is more awkward. You have no doubt noticed that mail merges make a mockery out of the so called integration between Outlook and Word that the Office Suite is so fond of advertising. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "Steve" wrote in message ... Hi Russ... Ok... I kind of figured the "reuse" part... was just hoping there was something simple since 1-2 of the things I want to do are recurring. But... they're not often enough to battle with. On the main part tho... when I started my LABELS in Outlook... it shot over to Word and gave me the "Mail Merge Helper"... which let me run selection criteria. But when I started FORM LETTERS (and ENVELOPES if I remember correctly)... Word started with a blank page... no "Mail Merge Helper" where I could select from!? Thanks for your help so far!! Steve "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote in message ... It's not usually worth the trouble. You can try to save a merge document after you have created one, but there is no reliable way to select that merge document for reuse, especially since you need to start your merge from Outlook, not Word. If you only want to send to a subset of your Contacts, you are far better off selecting those Contacts in Outlook first, then starting the merge from there. Trying to filter your Contacts from Word will not work unless you have already segregated them into separate Contact Folders that you have enabled as email address books. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "Steve" wrote in message ... Hi... I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
#5
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
Steve, nobody and I mean nobody knows what your going through better than
myself. IN outlook 2000, I used to be able to simply select a group of contacts by category, and then go to the mail merge wizard, which then promptly brought up the merge wizard in word, and then there was a very simple MERGE button that completed the process. IN outllook 2002, 2003 and 2007 you'll notice that merge button is GREYED out. I was at a computer conference in Boston when 2003 came out and pointed this out to the guy on the podium. On a 30 foot screen in front of 1500 people, you can only imagine the laughter. The guy stepped off the podium and handed me his business card and said he promised this feature would be fixed. Imagine my surprise when it was still not fixed in Outlook 2007. Then to add insult to injury, try to do a mail merge in word 2007, and try to include only names from a certain category in outlook. I gave up. I imagine theres a way to do it, but in my beta, category was not a choice. This entire process is so easy using MS works, any version. Outlook is simply a database, why can't I take my xmas list category and merge it to a certain label type in 3 steps? (assuming of course that we're using just the home address fields or just the business fields, it should of course take more steps if you were trying to do both). This has been the most frustrating aspect of office for me. And no one at MS seems to care. Yes and to expect that a finished merged label document would be automatically updated with new names that had been added to outlook? That's asking too much, seeing as in the dumbed down version of MS office, called MS works, it is no problem. Just one more bone as long as i'm venting, when creating labels in word 2007 or any version of word for that matter, after you add lets say the "first" name field, you would think that all you would have to do is tap the space bar to add the second field. No such luck. You must first close the fields window, THEN tap the space bar, THEN open the add fields button if you can find it, to then add the second field etc. Again in the much cheaper MS works, any version, you can simply add a field then tap, space or enter to go to next line. WHATS WITH THAT? Any one interested in providing me with a workaround, save it. I just want my software to work. Apparently thats why that call it MS works. They should call office Don't Works. My apologies to the hard working developers out there, I know it must be hard to be criticized on the hard work that you do, but you must admit, i'm not asking for much. PS. MS Access accomplishes many of these task quite simply but, i'd rather just grab a category from Outlook (instead of importing my list every time) with the click of a mouse and make labels out of them. (see outlook 2000). jf "Steve" wrote: Hi... I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
#6
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
Rant noted. Deficiencies with mail merges widely acknowledged. As I've
already posted, most of us have managed to figure out how to work through this without too much difficulty. Your claim that mail merges aren't improved in Outlook 2007 have no basis. Get a grip. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "jimmy fallon" wrote in message ... Steve, nobody and I mean nobody knows what your going through better than myself. IN outlook 2000, I used to be able to simply select a group of contacts by category, and then go to the mail merge wizard, which then promptly brought up the merge wizard in word, and then there was a very simple MERGE button that completed the process. IN outllook 2002, 2003 and 2007 you'll notice that merge button is GREYED out. I was at a computer conference in Boston when 2003 came out and pointed this out to the guy on the podium. On a 30 foot screen in front of 1500 people, you can only imagine the laughter. The guy stepped off the podium and handed me his business card and said he promised this feature would be fixed. Imagine my surprise when it was still not fixed in Outlook 2007. Then to add insult to injury, try to do a mail merge in word 2007, and try to include only names from a certain category in outlook. I gave up. I imagine theres a way to do it, but in my beta, category was not a choice. This entire process is so easy using MS works, any version. Outlook is simply a database, why can't I take my xmas list category and merge it to a certain label type in 3 steps? (assuming of course that we're using just the home address fields or just the business fields, it should of course take more steps if you were trying to do both). This has been the most frustrating aspect of office for me. And no one at MS seems to care. Yes and to expect that a finished merged label document would be automatically updated with new names that had been added to outlook? That's asking too much, seeing as in the dumbed down version of MS office, called MS works, it is no problem. Just one more bone as long as i'm venting, when creating labels in word 2007 or any version of word for that matter, after you add lets say the "first" name field, you would think that all you would have to do is tap the space bar to add the second field. No such luck. You must first close the fields window, THEN tap the space bar, THEN open the add fields button if you can find it, to then add the second field etc. Again in the much cheaper MS works, any version, you can simply add a field then tap, space or enter to go to next line. WHATS WITH THAT? Any one interested in providing me with a workaround, save it. I just want my software to work. Apparently thats why that call it MS works. They should call office Don't Works. My apologies to the hard working developers out there, I know it must be hard to be criticized on the hard work that you do, but you must admit, i'm not asking for much. PS. MS Access accomplishes many of these task quite simply but, i'd rather just grab a category from Outlook (instead of importing my list every time) with the click of a mouse and make labels out of them. (see outlook 2000). jf "Steve" wrote: Hi... I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
#7
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
Grip noted.
I never said Mail Merges weren't improved. I was impressed till I got to the part where I could select only a certain category to send to. Couldn't find it. I gave a list of features that haven't worked in the last 3 major upgrades of Office. I'll settle for an answer to one of them. A step by step on how to make a mailing list to a category of contacts in Outlook 2007. To make it easy lets just say the home address. IN outlook 2000 it was simple (from within outlook) 1. choose a category by clicking on it. 2. Tools - mail merge 3. choose labels, label type 5160's 4. create the label by choosing field names. 5. click the merge button IN outlook 2002,3,and 7 it's 9 clicks to get the merge button that is STILL greyed out. I'll settle for a step by step from within Word, even though I don't think I should have to. I think that is a perfectly fair criticism. jf "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote: Rant noted. Deficiencies with mail merges widely acknowledged. As I've already posted, most of us have managed to figure out how to work through this without too much difficulty. Your claim that mail merges aren't improved in Outlook 2007 have no basis. Get a grip. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "jimmy fallon" wrote in message ... Steve, nobody and I mean nobody knows what your going through better than myself. IN outlook 2000, I used to be able to simply select a group of contacts by category, and then go to the mail merge wizard, which then promptly brought up the merge wizard in word, and then there was a very simple MERGE button that completed the process. IN outllook 2002, 2003 and 2007 you'll notice that merge button is GREYED out. I was at a computer conference in Boston when 2003 came out and pointed this out to the guy on the podium. On a 30 foot screen in front of 1500 people, you can only imagine the laughter. The guy stepped off the podium and handed me his business card and said he promised this feature would be fixed. Imagine my surprise when it was still not fixed in Outlook 2007. Then to add insult to injury, try to do a mail merge in word 2007, and try to include only names from a certain category in outlook. I gave up. I imagine theres a way to do it, but in my beta, category was not a choice. This entire process is so easy using MS works, any version. Outlook is simply a database, why can't I take my xmas list category and merge it to a certain label type in 3 steps? (assuming of course that we're using just the home address fields or just the business fields, it should of course take more steps if you were trying to do both). This has been the most frustrating aspect of office for me. And no one at MS seems to care. Yes and to expect that a finished merged label document would be automatically updated with new names that had been added to outlook? That's asking too much, seeing as in the dumbed down version of MS office, called MS works, it is no problem. Just one more bone as long as i'm venting, when creating labels in word 2007 or any version of word for that matter, after you add lets say the "first" name field, you would think that all you would have to do is tap the space bar to add the second field. No such luck. You must first close the fields window, THEN tap the space bar, THEN open the add fields button if you can find it, to then add the second field etc. Again in the much cheaper MS works, any version, you can simply add a field then tap, space or enter to go to next line. WHATS WITH THAT? Any one interested in providing me with a workaround, save it. I just want my software to work. Apparently thats why that call it MS works. They should call office Don't Works. My apologies to the hard working developers out there, I know it must be hard to be criticized on the hard work that you do, but you must admit, i'm not asking for much. PS. MS Access accomplishes many of these task quite simply but, i'd rather just grab a category from Outlook (instead of importing my list every time) with the click of a mouse and make labels out of them. (see outlook 2000). jf "Steve" wrote: Hi... I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
#8
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HOWTO: Mail Merge & Form Letters??
Unclear what you're doing wrong. Just follow the prompts. Outlook/Word 2007
even tells you to dismiss the Mail Merge Helper and use the Ribbon, where all your merge opions are active and none grayed out. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "jimmy fallon" wrote in message news Grip noted. I never said Mail Merges weren't improved. I was impressed till I got to the part where I could select only a certain category to send to. Couldn't find it. I gave a list of features that haven't worked in the last 3 major upgrades of Office. I'll settle for an answer to one of them. A step by step on how to make a mailing list to a category of contacts in Outlook 2007. To make it easy lets just say the home address. IN outlook 2000 it was simple (from within outlook) 1. choose a category by clicking on it. 2. Tools - mail merge 3. choose labels, label type 5160's 4. create the label by choosing field names. 5. click the merge button IN outlook 2002,3,and 7 it's 9 clicks to get the merge button that is STILL greyed out. I'll settle for a step by step from within Word, even though I don't think I should have to. I think that is a perfectly fair criticism. jf "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote: Rant noted. Deficiencies with mail merges widely acknowledged. As I've already posted, most of us have managed to figure out how to work through this without too much difficulty. Your claim that mail merges aren't improved in Outlook 2007 have no basis. Get a grip. -- Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] "jimmy fallon" wrote in message ... Steve, nobody and I mean nobody knows what your going through better than myself. IN outlook 2000, I used to be able to simply select a group of contacts by category, and then go to the mail merge wizard, which then promptly brought up the merge wizard in word, and then there was a very simple MERGE button that completed the process. IN outllook 2002, 2003 and 2007 you'll notice that merge button is GREYED out. I was at a computer conference in Boston when 2003 came out and pointed this out to the guy on the podium. On a 30 foot screen in front of 1500 people, you can only imagine the laughter. The guy stepped off the podium and handed me his business card and said he promised this feature would be fixed. Imagine my surprise when it was still not fixed in Outlook 2007. Then to add insult to injury, try to do a mail merge in word 2007, and try to include only names from a certain category in outlook. I gave up. I imagine theres a way to do it, but in my beta, category was not a choice. This entire process is so easy using MS works, any version. Outlook is simply a database, why can't I take my xmas list category and merge it to a certain label type in 3 steps? (assuming of course that we're using just the home address fields or just the business fields, it should of course take more steps if you were trying to do both). This has been the most frustrating aspect of office for me. And no one at MS seems to care. Yes and to expect that a finished merged label document would be automatically updated with new names that had been added to outlook? That's asking too much, seeing as in the dumbed down version of MS office, called MS works, it is no problem. Just one more bone as long as i'm venting, when creating labels in word 2007 or any version of word for that matter, after you add lets say the "first" name field, you would think that all you would have to do is tap the space bar to add the second field. No such luck. You must first close the fields window, THEN tap the space bar, THEN open the add fields button if you can find it, to then add the second field etc. Again in the much cheaper MS works, any version, you can simply add a field then tap, space or enter to go to next line. WHATS WITH THAT? Any one interested in providing me with a workaround, save it. I just want my software to work. Apparently thats why that call it MS works. They should call office Don't Works. My apologies to the hard working developers out there, I know it must be hard to be criticized on the hard work that you do, but you must admit, i'm not asking for much. PS. MS Access accomplishes many of these task quite simply but, i'd rather just grab a category from Outlook (instead of importing my list every time) with the click of a mouse and make labels out of them. (see outlook 2000). jf "Steve" wrote: Hi... I spent most of yesterday figuring out how to make Christmas labels from my Outlook XP Contacts... main concern was selecting records (based on Home_Address" "). However, the same procedure does NOT appear when trying to build a "form letter". The "label" process jumped over to Word XP and displayed the "Mail Merge Helper" window... "form letter" simply jumped to a blank document. I don't see where I can run a selection query (and I'm not excited about copping out and changing the "view" inside Outlook... yet). Anyone have an idea??? While talking about "form letters"... anyone know how to build a "form letter" template... which I can re-use at other times?? I want the letter to remain the same but, of course, my Outlook Contact data will be changing?!!!! Thanks in advance! Steve |
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