From the course: Optimizing Your Work with Microsoft 365

Creating envelopes and labels

From the course: Optimizing Your Work with Microsoft 365

Creating envelopes and labels

“

- [Instructor] One of the most effective uses of mail merge is creating labels for mass communication. It adds a nice touch of professionalism when mailings are addressed easily and properly. In this lesson, I'm going to show you ways to use Word and Excel to create a mail merge for generating your own labels. Please note that the mail merge feature is only available in the desktop version. To get started, I'll open a blank Microsoft Word document and select mailings from the top ribbon. Next, select start mail merge and then the step by step mail merge wizard. The mail merge wizard takes you through the process of creating labels step by step. When the mail merge panel opens on the right side of the screen, select labels then select next, starting document. Select label options, then look up the label vendor and product number for your physical labels and select OK. To view the label grid, go to the Layout tab on the top ribbon and select view grid lines. Then move on to the next step by selecting next, select recipients. Follow along by downloading the list in the exercise file, it's called example contact list. Select browse to find your recipient list Excel document, then select Open. In the next window, make sure the first row of data contains column headers box is selected and select OK. This lets Word know that the first row does not contain mailing information for your labels. Now you can check your list and when you're sure everything is correct select OK. Select next arrange your labels when you're ready to move on. Add the appropriate address information by selecting address block and view how the addresses will appear in the insert address block window. You can preview each recipient by going through the arrows at the top of the box. If the data isn't going into the labels correctly, try editing the match fields to make sure the appropriate headings line up. For example, first name needs to align with the first name heading and address one with the billing address and so on and so forth. Once you've confirmed everything is correct, select OK, and update all labels and then move on to the next step, preview your labels. Finally, you're ready to complete the mail merge by selecting next, complete the mail merge. Now you're ready to print your labels, select print and select if you want to print all or some of the labels and then select, OK. You can select OK again if all printer information is accurate and your labels will print out. Setting up labels takes a few steps, but once it's complete, you've set yourself up for success and all your labeling needs are addressed. Try creating labels or envelopes for your next mailing project.

Contents