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Using Word To Create Mailing Labels

One of the powerful features of CommenceRM 3.0 is its tight integration with the Word Mail merge facility. This allows you to quickly and easily set up Commence letter, label and envelope templates which use the power and efficiency of Word Mail merge. Several customers have asked for assistance when using Word for mailing labels. You can create mailing labels very easily, by following the steps below.

 

Adding Label Templates

To add a new label template using Microsoft Word 2000, XP or 2003:

  1. From the Word menu bar, select Commence -> Add Label Template. The Add Commence Label Template dialog appears.

  1. Enter a brief description of the template in the Label Template Name box. The description could include information such as how it will be used, or simply what size label will be produced using the template. (e.g. 3x10 Labels).
  2. Using the Category drop-down list, select the Commence category that will be used as your data source. This category should contain the names and addresses of your contacts.
  3. If this template will be used by more than one client in the workgroup, turn on the Shared checkbox.
  4. Press Create Label to continue with the label template creation process. 
  5. The Select Fields for Label Template dialog (below) will appear. Do not click Cancel at this stage, if you do it will close the window and discard your template.

The next step is to select all the fields from the list that you want to appear on the labels.  

Hint: Keyboard users can scroll through the list of fields using the up and down arrows on the keyboard, and use the spacebar to select a field. A checkmark will appear next to all fields that have been selected.

  1. Press Create Template to continue with the label template creation process. 

The message box below will appear which has instructions what to do next.

  1. Click the OK button and then the Merge Helper dialog box (below) will appear. 

  1. At the same time the Label Options window (below) will appear in front of the Merge Helper dialog box

 

  1. Select the correct label type and size. For example, choosing ’5660 - Address’ which will create 30 labels to a page. If the size you need is not listed, press F1 for more information about creating your own custom labels in Word. When you are finished, press OK.

 

Differences with Word 2000, XP

If you are using Word 2000 or XP, follow the above procedures for setting up a label template. Then after you press the OK button in step 10, follow these instructions:

  1. The Create Labels dialog box will appear (below). Press the Insert Merge Field button and select each field that you want to appear in the label, which will probably be all of them.

 

Position and format the fields so that they will look correct when the data is merged and they are printed. You may add spaces and other punctuation, plus arrange fields on separate lines as needed

An example label might look like this:

«Name»

«Company_Name_xSortx»

«Address_1»

«Suburb» «State» «Postcode»

  1. If required, you may place a barcode on your label by pressing Insert Postal Bar Code. You will be prompted to select which fields contain the address and zip code information. Use the drop-down list to select the appropriate fields from Commence. 
  2. When you are finished designing the label , press OK to take you back to the Mail-merge helper screen.

  1. You may close the Mail Merge Helper by pressing Close. It is not necessary to get a data source or merge the data at this point.
  2. The label template will now appear as a Word document called PIM000*.doc, and will look something like the following:

{ MERGEFIELD Name}

{ MERGEFIELD Company Name}

{ MERGEFIELD Address}

{ MERGEFIELD Suburb} 

{ MERGEFIELD State}

{ MERGEFIELD Postcode}

 

{ MERGEFIELD Name}

{ MERGEFIELD Company Name} 

{ MERGEFIELD Address}

{ MERGEFIELD Suburb} 

{ MERGEFIELD State}

{ MERGEFIELD Postcode}

  

{ MERGEFIELD Name}

{ MERGEFIELD Company Name}   

{ MERGEFIELD Address}

{ MERGEFIELD Suburb} 

{ MERGEFIELD State}

{ MERGEFIELD Postcode}

{ MERGEFIELD Name}

{ MERGEFIELD Company Name} 

{ MERGEFIELD Address}

{ MERGEFIELD Suburb} 

{ MERGEFIELD State} 

{ MERGEFIELD Postcode}

 

{ MERGEFIELD Name}

{ MERGEFIELD Company Name} 

{ MERGEFIELD Address}

{ MERGEFIELD Suburb} 

{ MERGEFIELD State}

{ MERGEFIELD Postcode}

{ MERGEFIELD Name}

{ MERGEFIELD Company Name}   

{ MERGEFIELD Address}

{ MERGEFIELD Suburb} 

{ MERGEFIELD State} 

{ MERGEFIELD Postcode}

 

  1. Now save your template in Word by selecting Commence>Save Commence Template.  Do NOT simply choose File>Save because this will not save properly. 

You can now use this template to print labels from Commence. 

 

Differences with Word 2003

The process to create label templates with Word 2003 is slightly different to the procedure for Word 2000/XP.  Follow steps 1-10 for setting up a label template. Then after you press the OK button in step 10, follow these instructions from there on:

  1. The Mail Merge Helper dialog box will appear. Leave everything as it is and click on the Close button which will close the Mail Merge Helper dialog box. It is not necessary to get a Data source or Merge the data at this point.

 

  1. Now Word will open the label template which will look something like this:
 |  { NEXT }
 { NEXT }  { NEXT }
 { NEXT }  { NEXT }

The cursor will be in the first label on the sheet. 

  1. To insert the Commence fields, there is a button on the Word Mail Merge toolbar, called "Insert Merge Fields". This button is the first one to the left of the "Insert word Field" drop down menu and is the one highlighted below:

  1. A dialog box will open which will allow you to select the fields you want in the label. Once you have inserted all the fields, click Close.
  2. You can then position and format the fields so that they will look correct when the data is merged and they are printed. You may add spaces and other punctuation, plus arrange fields on separate lines as needed
  3. To populate the rest of the labels with the same format, there is another button also on the Word Mail Merge Toolbar which is called "Propagate Labels", which is highlighted below. 

Click on this button to fill the entire sheet.

  1. Now save your template in Word by selecting Commence>Save Commence Template.  Do NOT simply choose File>Save because this will not save properly.

You can now use this template to print labels from Commence. 

 

Printing Labels

You can now use the label template that you just set up from Commence.  The process to use a label template is just the same as sending letters.

 To print labels for all contacts in your Commence view:

  1. Open a view containing all the contacts which you want  the labels to go to. This view does not need to be formatted for labels. 
  2. Select Tools -> Send Letter or select the button on the tool bar. The Send Letter Dialog Box is displayed.
  3. By default, a single label will be created for the Selected Item in your view. To print labels for all contacts in the view, choose All Items from the Send Letter To: list at the top of the dialog.
  4. The label template which you just created, will now be in the templates list so select it.
  5. Confirm the destination (e.g. Printer) and choose whether or not you wish to preview the labels before completing the merge.
  6. Select Merge. Pressing the Merge button runs the merge process and sends the finished labels to the selected destination.
  7. If you chose to preview, the completed labels will be displayed in Word. You may edit the finished labels if necessary before printing.

 

Last Modified: 10:29, May 21, 2004.
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