Advanced Word

Processing Skills
• MAIL MERGE AND L ABEL GENERATION
• INTEGRATING IMAGES AND EXTERNAL
MATERIALS
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
1. use some advanced capabilities of Microsoft Word
commonly used to increase productivity and efficiency;
2. effectively use these features to help improve the
productivity of an organization through maximizing the
potential of Microsoft Word;
3. create form letters or documents for distribution to
various recipients;
4. create labels and envelopes for distribution; and
5. create media-rich documents for printing or publishing.
Scenario 1: You were tasked to create and send out formal
invitations for a promo campaign that a company is running.
You were also initially given a list often names of loyal
customers to send out to.

1. From the scenario above, describe briefly how you

would most likely complete the task of sending ten
invitations with individual names of recipients using
Microsoft Word 2013.
2. Give examples of documents that you can personalize
and send or distribute.
Scenario 2: You are making a report on the positive effects
of using solar energy to the environment. To make your
report more appealing, you thought of putting a picture of a
solar panel into your report. You also considered presenting
graphical data on the trends of worldwide initiatives on the
use of solar energy.

1. Describe briefly how you can insert pictures or images

in a Word document.
2. What other kinds of images or materials can be
inserted in a Word document?
In the professional world, sending out
information to convey important information is
vital. Because of ICT, things are now sent much
faster than the traditional newsletters or postal
mail. You can now use the Internet to send out
information you need to share. What if we could
still do things much faster—an automated way of
creating and sending uniform letters with
different recipients? Would that not be more
convenient?
Mail Merge and Label Generation
• Mail Merge

One of the important reasons in using computers

per se is its ability to do recurring tasks automatically.
But this ability has to be honed by learning the
characteristics and features of the software you use
with your computer. After all, no matter how good or
advance your computer and software may be, it can
only be as good as the person using it.
 This feature allows you to create documents and
combine or merge them with another document or
data file. It is commonly used when sending out
advertising materials to various recipients.
Mail merging basically requires two components:
the document that contains the message and the
document or file that generally contains the list of
names and addresses,
Two Components of Mail Merge
1. Form Document

Our sample letter above is what we call a

form document—the first component of our
mail merged document. It is generally the
document that contains the main body of the
message we want to convey or send. The main
body of the message is the part of the form
document that remains the same no matter
whom you send it to from among your list.
Also included in the form document is what we call place holders, also
referred to as data fields or merge fields. This marks the position on
your form document where individual data or information will be
inserted. From our sample document, the place holders are denoted
or marked by the text with double-headed arrows ( « » ) on each side
and with a gray background.
On a printed standard form, this will be the underlined spaces that you
will see and use as guide to where you need to write the information
that you need to fill out. In its simplest form, a form document is
literally a "form" that you fill out with individual information. A
common example of a form document is your regular tax form or
application form. Then there is also a form letter which is exactly like
the one in our example above.
2. List or Data File
The second component of our mail merged document is the list or
data file. This is where the individual information or data that needs
to be plugged in (merged) to the form document is placed and
maintained. One of the best things about the mail merge feature is
that it allows data file to be created from within the Microsoft Word
application itself, or it gets data from a file created in Microsoft Excel
or other data formats. In this way, fields that needed to be filled up
on the form document can easily be maintained without accidentally
altering the form or main document. You can easily add, remove,
modify, or extract your data more efficiently by using other data
management applications like Excel or Access and import them in
Word during the mail merge process.
 Label Generation

Included in the mail merge feature on Microsoft Word is the

Label Generator. It just makes sense that after you print out your
form letters, you will need to send it to individual recipients in an
envelope with the matching address printed directly on the
envelope or on a mailing label to stick on. By using virtually the
same process as a standard mail merge, Microsoft Word will print
individual addresses to a standard form that it has already pre­
formatted. Simply put, it creates a blank form document that
simulates either a blank label or envelope of pre-defined size and
will use the data file that you selected to print the information,
typically individual addresses.
 So even in generating labels, the two essential
components of creating a merged document are
present: the form document and the data file. Only in
this case, you did not have to type or create the form
document yourself because it was already created and
pre-formatted in Microsoft Word. All you need to do is
select the correct or appropriate size for the label or
envelope and select the data file that contains the
addresses (data) to be printed. You can also preview
your merged labels before printing if you want to.
Steps in creating a simple
mail merge:
1. Open Microsoft Word and
start a new blank document.
You can use the keyboard
shortcut Ctrl+N after
Microsoft Word has been
loaded or opened.
2. On the Mailings tab, from
the Start Mail Merge group,
choose Start Mail Merge
— ►Letters.
Type the letter below. You will
be typing in only the common
parts of the letter. The text that
does not change for each copy
you print.
3. Save your letter and name it
"Sample Letter."
4. Insert the fields you need in
the letter (Name, Company,
Address Line 1, Address Line 2,
Address Line 3, and Title). You
may want to make special
markings on these fields as you
are typing it. Most common
marking you can do is by typing it
in capital letters or ALL CAPS so
you can easily identify them later.
5. Save the main document
once more. You can use
Ctrl+S to quickly do this
step.
6. On the Mailings tab in the
Start Mail Merge group,
choose Select Recipients
— ►Type a New List.
7. Click the Customize
Columns button on the
dialog box for the New
Address List.
8. Select a field that you do not need then click the Delete
button. A confirmation dialog box appears.
9. Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box. The dialog box
closes, and the unnecessary field disappears.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for each field you do not need.
After removing the excess fields, the next step is to add
the fields you need.
11. To add a field that you need in your document, click
the Add button.
12. Type the field name on the prompt inside a small Add
Field dialog box and click the OK button.
13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for
each new field you need in
your main document.
14. Click the OK button on the
Customize Address List dialog
box to confirm your changes.
15. The New Address List
dialog box will appear again
ready for you to type in your
data.
16. Type the individual data from your list corresponding to Name,
Company, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, Address Line 3, and Title.
17. Press the Tab key each time to enter the next field.
18. To add a new record, press the Tab key after inputting the last
field.
When you press the Tab key on the last field in a record, a new
record is automatically created and added on the next line.
19. Repeat steps 16 through 18 until you enter all the records you
want.
Once you are done typing your data, click the OK button on the Add
New List dialog box to save your data. A special Save Address List
dialog box pops up, allowing you to save the recipient list.
20. Type a name for the
address list. Name it "Client
List."
21. Click the Save button. You
should be back on your main
document soon after.
22. Select a field placeholder
(ALL CAPS) in the main
document.
23. Click the Insert Merge
Field command button.
24. Choose the proper field to
insert into your text. For example,
if you are replacing the text name
in your document with a name
field, choose the Name Field from
the Insert Merge Field menu. The
field is inserted into your
document and replaces the ALL
CAPS text.
25. Continue adding fields until
the document is complete.
Repeat steps 22 through 24 as
necessary to stick all fields into
your document.
26. Save the main
document.
27. Choose Finish &
Merge to edit, print, or
send your merged
documents through
email.
28. Or you may want
to choose Preview
Results to check your
work before you send
it.
29. You should get a merged
document close to this one:
If you decide to print the
document, the Merge to Printer
dialog box appears, from which
you can choose records to print.
Choose All to print your entire
document. Alternatively, you can
specify which records to print.
Click OK. The traditional Print
dialog box appears. Click the OK
button again to print your
documents.
30. Save and close your document.
Integrating Images and External Materials
Integrating or inserting pictures in your document is fun
and it improves the impression of your document. A common
use of inserting a picture on a document is when you are
creating your resume. Though seemingly simple to do, your
knowledge on the different kinds of materials that you can
insert or integrate in a Word document and its characteristics
can help you create a more efficient, richer document not only
in content but also in physical form. A better understanding of
the physical form of your document as well as the different
materials you integrate in it would allow you to be more
efficient and versatile in using Microsoft Word.
Kinds of Materials
There are various kinds of materials Microsoft Word is capable of integrating
to make your documents richer, more impressive, and more informative.
1. Pictures.
Generally, these are electronic or
digital pictures or photographs you
have saved in any local storage device.
There are three commonly used types
of picture files. You can identify them
by the extension on their file names.
a. JPG.
This is pronounced as "jay-peg," and is the short form for .jpeg or
Joint Photographic Experts Group. Like all the rest of the image file
extensions, it identifies the kind of data compression process that it
uses to make it more compatible and portable through the Internet.
This type of image file can support 16.7 million colors that is why it is
suitable for use when working with full color photographic images.
Unfortunately, it does not support transparency and therefore,
images of this file type can be difficult to integrate in terms of
blending with other materials or elements in your document. But if
you are looking for the best quality image to integrate with your
document, then this is the image file type for you. JPG does not work
well on lettering, line drawings, or simple graphics. JPG images are
relatively small in file size.
b. .GIF.
This stands for Graphics Interchange Format. This type of image
file is capable of displaying transparencies. Therefore, it is good for
blending with other materials or elements in your document. It is
also capable of displaying simple animation. Apparently, this may not
be too useful on a printed document but if you are sending
documents electronically or through email, or even post documents
into a website, then this could be quite impressive. The downside is
that it can only support up to 256 colors so it is good mostly on logos
and art decors with very limited, and generally solid colors. .GIF is
much better for logos, drawings, small text, black and white images,
or low-resolution files.
c. .PNG.
This is pronounced as "ping." It stands for Portable
Network Graphics. It was built around the capabilities
of .GIF. Its development was basically for the purpose
of transporting images on the Internet at faster rates.
It is also good with transparencies but unlike .GIFs, it
does not support animation but it can display up to
about 16 million colors, so image quality for this image
file type is also remarkably improved. .PNG allows the
control of the transparency level or opacity of images.
2. Clip Art.
This is generally a .GIF type; line art drawings or
images used as generic representation for ideas
and objects that you might want to integrate in
your document. Microsoft Word has a library of
clip arts that is built in or can be downloaded and
used freely. There are still other clip arts that you
can either purchase or freely download and use
that come from third-party providers.
3. Shapes.
These are printable objects or materials that
you can integrate in your document to enhance
its appearance or to allow you to have some
tools to use for composing and representing
ideas or messages. If you are designing the
layout for a poster or other graphic material for
advertising, you might find this useful.
4. Smart Art.
Generally, these are predefined sets of
different shapes grouped together to form
ideas that are organizational or structural in
nature. If you want to graphically represent
an organization, process, relationships, or
flow for infographic documents, then you
will find this easy and handy to use.
5. Chart.
Another type of material that you can integrate
in your Word document that allows you to
represent data characteristics and trends. This is
quite useful when you are preparing reports that
correlate and present data in a graphical manner.
You can create charts that can be integrated in
your document either directly in Microsoft Word
or imported from external files like Microsoft
Excel.
6. Screenshot.
Sometimes, creating reports or manuals for training
or procedures will require the integration of a more
realistic image of what you are discussing on your
report or manual. Nothing can get you a more realistic
image than a screenshot. Microsoft Word even
provides a snipping tool for your screen shots so you
can select and display only the part that you exactly like
to capture on your screen.
 Integrating Images and External Materials
Integrating or inserting pictures in your document is fun
and it improves the impression of your document. A common
use of inserting a picture on a document is when you are
creating your resume. Though seemingly simple to do, your
knowledge on the different kinds of materials that you can
insert or integrate in a Word document and its characteristics
can help you create a more efficient, richer document not only
in content but also in physical form. A better understanding of
the physical form of your document as well as the different
materials you integrate in it would allow you to be more
efficient and versatile in using Microsoft Word.
Kinds of Materials

1. Pictures.
Generally, these are electronic or digital
pictures or photographs you have saved in
any local storage device. There are three
commonly used types of picture files. You
can identify them by the extension on their
file names.
a. JPG.
This is pronounced as "jay-peg," and is the short form for .jpeg or
Joint Photographic Experts Group. Like all the rest of the image file
extensions, it identifies the kind of data compression process that
it uses to make it more compatible and portable through the
Internet. This type of image file can support 16.7 million colors that
is why it is suitable for use when working with full color
photographic images. Unfortunately, it does not support
transparency and therefore, images of this file type can be difficult
to integrate in terms of blending with other materials or elements
in your document. But if you are looking for the best quality image
to integrate with your document, then this is the image file type for
you. JPG does not work well on lettering, line drawings, or simple
graphics. JPG images are relatively small in file size.
b. .GIF.
This stands for Graphics Interchange Format. This type of image
file is capable of displaying transparencies. Therefore, it is good
for blending with other materials or elements in your document.
It is also capable of displaying simple animation. Apparently, this
may not be too useful on a printed document but if you are
sending documents electronically or through email, or even post
documents into a website, then this could be quite impressive.
The downside is that it can only support up to 256 colors
so it is good mostly on logos and art decors with very limited,
and generally solid colors. .GIF is much better for logos,
drawings, small text, black and white images, or low-resolution
files.
c. .PNG.
This is pronounced as "ping." It stands for Portable
Network Graphics. It was built around the
capabilities of .GIF. Its development was basically for
the purpose of transporting images on the Internet
at faster rates. It is also good with transparencies but
unlike .GIFs, it does not support animation but it can
display up to about 16 million colors, so image
quality for this image file type is also remarkably
improved. .PNG allows the control of the
transparency level or opacity of images.
2. Clip Art.
This is generally a .GIF type; line art drawings or
images used as generic representation for ideas
and objects that you might want to integrate in
your document. Microsoft® Word has a library
of clip arts that is built in or can be downloaded
and used freely. There are still other clip arts
that you can either purchase or freely
download and use that come from third-party
providers.
3. Shapes.
These are printable objects or materials
that you can integrate in your document
to enhance its appearance or to allow you
to have some tools to use for composing
and representing ideas or messages. If you
are designing the layout for a poster or
other graphic material for advertising, you
might find this useful.
4. Smart Art.
Generally, these are predefined sets of
different shapes grouped together to form
ideas that are organizational or structural
in nature. If you want to graphically
represent an organization, process,
relationships, or flow for infographic
documents, then you will find this easy and
handy to use.
5. Chart.
Another type of material that you can integrate
in your Word document that allows you to
represent data characteristics and trends. This
is quite useful when you are preparing reports
that correlate and present data in a graphical
manner. You can create charts that can be
integrated in your document either directly in
Microsoft® Word or imported from external
files like Microsoft Excel.
6. Screenshot.
Sometimes, creating reports or manuals for
training or procedures will require the
integration of a more realistic image of what
you are discussing on your report or manual.
Nothing can get you a more realistic image than
a screenshot. Microsoft® Word even provides a
snipping tool for your screen shots so you can
select and display only the part that you exactly
like to capture on your screen.
Image Placement
In practice, inserting an image or any other material in your
document is quite easy especially if the material already
exists in your local storage device. It is just a matter of
opening up the image file through the Microsoft® Word
dialog box or wizard. Sometimes, if the image you would like
to insert is on a web page currently displayed on your
screen, it could be copied and pasted. The real challenge is
where to put the image you inserted or where to move it. In
this part of the lesson, we will study the different
characteristics of text wrapping options that you can use
with the image you integrated in your document.
1.'In Line with Text.
This is the default setting for images that are inserted or
integrated in your document. It treats your image like a text
font with the bottom side totally aligned with the text line.
This setting is usually used when you need to place your
image at the beginning of a paragraph. When placed
between texts in a paragraph or sentence, it distorts the
overall appearance and arrangement of the texts in the
paragraph because it will take up the space it needs
vertically, pushing whole lines of texts upward as in the
example below.
2. Square.
This setting allows the image you
inserted to be placed anywhere
within the paragraph with the text
going around the image in a
square pattern like a frame.
3. Tight.
This is almost the same as the Square
setting, but here the text "hugs" or
conforms to the general shape of the
image. This allows you to get a more
creative effect on your document. This
setting can mostly be achieved if you are
using an image that supports transparency
like a .GIF or .PNG file.
4. Through.
This setting allows the text on your
document to flow even tighter,
taking the contours and shape of
the image. Again, this can be best
used with a .GIF or .P.NG type of
image.
5. Top and Bottom.
This setting pushes the texts away
vertically to the top and/or the
bottom of the image so that the
image occupies a whole text line
on its own as in the example.
6. Behind Text.
This allows your image to be
dragged and placed anywhere on
your document but with all the
texts floating in front of it. It
effectively makes your image look
like a background.
7. In Front of Text.
As it suggests, this setting allows your image
to be placed right on top of the text as if your
image was dropped right on it. That means
whatever part of the text you placed the image
on, it will be covered by the image. In our
example below, notice the difference between
using a .PNG file (on the left) with a
transparency effect, and a JPG file on the right.