How to Print Mailing Labels from Excel XP: Master Mail Merge

Mail Merge is Microsoft's software for printing formatted addresses -- in form letters, on envelopes, on labels, and so on -- from address lists that you've built in Excel, Access, SQL, or other Microsoft Office software.

Mail Merge is a great resource if you have sizable mailings -- Christmas cards, volunteer organization, or business contacts, for example.

This eHow article talks about just one way to use Mail Merge: taking address information from a spreadsheet in Excel XP, and formatting it to print on adhesive labels that you can purchase from any office supply store.

If you've never used Mail Merge before, you'll have to have your Office XP disk available to install the Mail Merge software. The steps below assume you've already installed that functionality, but if you haven't you'll be prompted to insert the disk at the appropriate time.

The steps below also assume you've purchased your labels, or know exactly which labels you're going to purchase. Specifying which labels you're using is one of the first steps in the procedure.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Excel XP
• Microsoft Word XP
• Mailing labels
• Printer
• If you've never done Mail Merge before, the disk for Office XP.

Instructions

1. Type your address information into Excel. Row 1 in Excel must label the type of information in each column, and address content goes into rows 2 and following. My labels in row 1 were "last name", "first name", "street address", "city", "state", "ZIP", and "country". The software seemed happy with that wording -- formatted my labels without needing any further instructions.

2. Save AND CLOSE your Excel spreadsheet.

3. Open Microsoft Word.

4. In the Word "Tools" menu, click "Letters and Mailings", and then click "Mail Merge Wizard".

5. In the Mail Merge wizard, select the "Labels" option, then at the bottom of the wizard click "Next: Starting document".

6. In the "Select starting document" section, "Change document layout" should already be selected. If not, select it.

   In the "Change document layout" section, click the "Label options" link.

7. In the Label options dialog box, select your printer type, select the product number of the label you're using, and click "OK".

8. If the Mail Merge warning box appears, click "OK".

9. At the bottom of the Mail Merge wizard, click "Next: Select recipients".

10. In the "Select recipients" section, "Use an existing list" should already be selected. If not, select it.

    In the "Use an existing list" section, click the "Browse" link.

11. In the Select a Data Source dialog box, navigate to the Excel spreadsheet that has the addresses you want to print, select it, and click "Open".

12. In the Select Table dialog box, click the sheet that has your addresses and click "OK".

13. In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, select the check boxes of addresses you want to print (or clear the check boxes of addresses you don't want to print) and click "OK".

14. At the bottom of the Mail Merge wizard, click "Next: Arrange your labels".

15. Click "Address block".

16. In the Insert Address Block dialog box, select your desired formatting options and click "OK".

17. In the Mail Merge wizard, click the "Update all labels" button.

18. At the bottom of the wizard, click "Next: Preview your labels".

19. If you want to change font or font size, select the text you want to change and reformat now.

20. In the Mail Merge wizard, click "Next: Complete the merge".

21. Load your label stock in your printer (or do a test run - now that the labels are set up you can do as many tests as you need before printing).

22. Click "Print".

23. If the Merge to Printer dialog box appears, select "All" and click "OK".

24. In the Print dialog box, specify your preferences, and print as you would for any printing task.

25. When you're done printing, save the Word doc before closing. Next time you open it, even if you've edited the Excel spreadsheet, the doc will open up-to-date, with all the changes you've made in Excel.

Tips & Warnings

• Even though I'm not a speedy typist, typing addresses into Excel and figuring out how to do Mail Merge took less time than addressing envelopes by hand.

• When you save the Word document that you print labels from, Mail Merge magically refers back to the Excel spreadsheet. Maintain your address list in Excel, and every time you open the Word document your changes will be reflected. Just say "Yes" when the dialog box asks if it's okay to run the SQL command.

• The bottom line: You only have to maintain your list in one location. Now THAT's cause for celebration!

• Save and close the Excel spreadsheet before running Mail Merge or opening the Word document.