Microsoft Word 2003
Mail Merge: Query Options
Word's Mail Merge feature allows you to customize the actual merge. For example, you can have the records sorted to print out in a specific order, or you can create a filter so you only merge records that meet specific criteria. These options are selected through the Query Options dialog box.
NOTE: For more information on the data document, refer to Mail Merge Wizard: An Overview.
Sorting the Records
By selecting a sort order, you can determine the order in which your records are merged and subsequently printed. For example, you could print letters in numerical order, by zip code, or alphabetically by last name.
Sorting the Records: QuickSort
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Open the main document
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From the Tools menu, select Letters and Mailings » Mail Merge...
The Mail Merge task pane appears. -
Under Select document type, make the appropriate selection
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Click NEXT: STARTING DOCUMENT
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Under Select starting document, make the appropriate selection
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Click NEXT: SELECT RECIPIENTS
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Under Select recipients, make the appropriate selection
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Click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST...
The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears -
Click the heading you want to sort by
HINT: Clicking the same heading again will reverse the order of the sort. -
Click OK
You are returned to the Mail Merge task pane.
Sorting the Records: Advanced Sort
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Open the main document
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From the Tools menu, select Letters and Mailings » Mail Merge...
The Mail Merge task pane appears. -
Under Select document type, make the appropriate selection
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Click NEXT: STARTING DOCUMENT
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Under Select starting document, make the appropriate selection
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Click NEXT: SELECT RECIPIENTS
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Under Select recipients, make the appropriate selection
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Click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST...
The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears. -
From the pull-down list located on the heading, select (Advanced...)
The Query Options dialog box appears.
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Select the Sort Records tab
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From the Sort by pull-down list, select the appropriate option
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To set the order in which the records will be sorted, select Ascending or Descending
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To set up another sort order(s), from the Then by pull-down lists, select the appropriate options
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To close the Query Options dialog box, click OK
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Click OK
You are returned to the Mail Merge task pane.
Establishing a Filter
By establishing a filter, you determine specific records to be merged and printed according to the criteria you select. For example, you may want to send letters only to personnel from a specific department.
Establishing a Filter: AutoFilter
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Open the main document
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From the Tools menu, select Letters and Mailings » Mail Merge Wizard...
The Mail Merge task pane appears. -
Under Select document type, make the appropriate selection
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Click NEXT: STARTING DOCUMENT
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Under Select starting document, make the appropriate selection
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Click NEXT: SELECT RECIPIENTS
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Under Select recipients, make the appropriate selection
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Click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST...
The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears. -
From the pull-down list located on the heading, select the entry to use as the filter
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Click OK
Only the records meeting the selected criteria will be merged.
Establishing a Filter: Advanced
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Open the main document
-
From the Tools menu, select Letters and Mailings » Mail Merge Wizard...
The Mail Merge task pane appears. -
Under Select document type, make the appropriate selection
-
Click NEXT: STARTING DOCUMENT
-
Under Select starting document, make the appropriate selection
-
Click NEXT: SELECT RECIPIENTS
-
Under Select recipients, make the appropriate selection
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Click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST...
The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears. -
From the pull-down list located on the heading, select (Advanced...)
The Query Options dialog box appears.
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Select the Filter Records tab
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From the first Field pull-down list, select the field on which you want to base your filter
EXAMPLE: To merge only the records of a specific job title, from the Field pull-down list, select Job Title -
From the Comparison pull-down list, select the type of comparison
EXAMPLE: To continue merging only the records of those who have a certain job title, from the Comparison pull-down list, select Equal to -
In the Compare to text box, type the value/text to which the information should be compared
EXAMPLE: To finish merging the records of those who are professors, in the Compare to text box, type Professor -
If you want to set up other criteria for filtering, select And or Or from the pull-down list and repeat steps 11-13 as necessary
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Click OK
Only the records meeting your criteria will be merged.
