How to do a Mail Merge in Word with an Access database

Click here if you have Microsoft Word 2002.

Mail merging is a process whereby merge fields interspersed through your standard or static text are replaced from a data source when printed. This feature allows you to send a one document to many recipients, with the personalized details for each.

First select Tools > Mail Merge.


Figure 1: Starting a new Mail Merge

A Wizard called the Mail Merge Helper will appear. The first step is to tell it which document will contain the merge fields.


Figure 2: The Mail Merge Helper

You can choose to use the currently open Word document or to open a new document.


Figure 3: Choosing a document to merge to

If you want to use an Access database (or an Excel Spreadsheet) as the source of data for your merge fields, choose the Open Data Source … option, under the Get Data Source item.


Figure 4: Opening a Link to Access

This will open up a file navigation dialog box shown below. Use this dialog box to point to the correct Access database file (or Excel Spreadsheet) that contains the merge field information.


Figure 5: Selecting the right Access database

Since a single database can contain more than one table, a further dialogue box appears enabling you to choose which table (or query) you wish to use a source for your merge fields. In this case, the SelectClient table is selected. (If you are merging with an Excel spreadsheet you will be offered a choice of named ranges - if any exist - or the entire spreadsheet.)


Figure 6: Choosing a table from a large database

The merge fields should appear in a temporary toolbar in Word, corresponding to the field names in the SelectClient table. Click on it, and a drop-down selection of merge fields appears. Just select a field and it is inserted into the document.


Figure 7: A drop down selection of merge fields to choose from

In this example, the merge fields from "SelectClient" table have been inserted in between the standard text. Once merged, the correct value of each record will be substituted where the merge fields are located.


Figure 8: Mixing your static text with the merge fields

Select (Highlight) the field that is to be converted to a bar code e.g. <<ClientID>> then click on Format > Style.


Figure 9: Applying a bar code style to a field

Select the style that represents the type of bar code you wish to generate e.g. Code 39 and click Apply.

Now that the Main document is prepared, you are ready for the merge. If you don't want to use all the records in the SelectClient table then you can use the Query Options in the Mail Merge Helper.


Figure 10: Mail Merge Helper Query Options

Clicking on Query Options brings up a dialog which lets you choose a part of your table. In this example, we are limiting the mail merge only to those whose suburb is "Chatswood".


Figure 11: Refining the records which will be merged into the document

The Mail Merge helper will now let you output the result in a variety of ways. In order to convert your field(s) into bar codes you must select Merge to: New document. This will create a single document containing all the letters (or Labels).


Figure 12: This creates one document containing each merge instance

Now that you have your merge document run the MergeBarCodes Macro to convert the formatted fields into barcodes.

Related Links:

Using the built in PostNet bar coding features of Microsoft Word
(Walks you through creating a mail merge document with PostNet bar codes.)