Microsoft® Word 2010 In Depth

14. Performing Mail and Data Merges

Understanding Mail Merges

Mail merge combines a main document with a list of database records to create customized copies of the main document for each record.

The most common type of mail merge, of course, is a mailing. Mail merging was originally developed to create form letters, like the kind you probably get in your mailbox every day that address you by name and suggest that you buy some can’t-live-without product.

Word’s mail merge feature can actually do much more than generate form letters, however. You can use it to generate envelopes, labels, personalized copies of business reports or children’s stories, auction catalogs—just about anything that combines fixed text with variable text.

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