Creating a Word-Based Print template with mail merge

If your Word document does not include mail merge fields, see Creating a Print template with a Wizard.

There are three general steps required when you want to import a Word file that includes mail merge fields:

• Create a Word document that includes mail merge fields

• Import the Word Mail Merge document as a template

• Add the data source to create the data model

Create a Word document that includes mail merge fields

If you do not already have a mail merge document and data file, you will need to create one in Word. Also, you need to have your data file in a format supported by Word.

1. Create or open a Word document.

2. Enter the content for the document, including placeholders for the data you want to use.

3. If you already know what your data fields are called you can enter them directly. You can also derive them from the data source by selecting Mailings, then Select Recipients > Use an Existing List .

4. Select the data file that you want to use. Word will attempt to automatically determine the file type and select appropriate options, but you can adjust the parameters if needed.

5. As you create your Word document, you insert the fields using Insert Merge Fields.
   

6. Save the file.

Import the Word Mail Merge document as a template

1. From within Connect Designer, select File > New and then select the Word-based Print template.

2. Navigate to the Word document, select it, then select Finish to import the file. Note that the mail merge fields are automatically converted to the proper format for Designer. Images from the word file are in the Images folder, and a script is created for each of the fields detected in the file.

3. Modify the template as needed. You may want to place imported images on the master page, add headers or footers, etc.

4. Continue with importing the data source.

Add the data source to create the data model

1. Select File > Add data > From File Data Source and navigate to the data source.

2. Select the file. The wizard displays a preview of the data with the attributes of the file that were automatically detected. Adjust the attributes if necessary.

3. Select Finish to import the data. At this point you can use the Preview tab to review the template with the data in place.