Mail Merge with Postalsoft and Microsoft Word

Every now and then, we get questions on how to go about doing a mail merge with Microsoft Word and DeskTop Mailer/Business Edition.  Microsoft Word, a third-party software, is technically outside of our support.  The SAP Community Network blogs, however, gives support engineers, like me, some freedom to provide how-tos with third-party software.

Before we start, you'll need a presorted mailing list.  In this tutorial, I will use the sample mailing list that's presorted as Standard automated letters.  The final product will give us a nicely merged letter with Microsoft Word, complete with an Intelligent Mail Barcode.  Here's how.

Export the presorted mailing list from Postalsoft:

1. Go to File > Export...
2. Select Microsoft World mail merge as the export file format.
   
3. Click Next.
4. Select Presorted records.
   
5. In the Export Presort Information screen, ensure Presorted pieces is checked.
   
6. Click Next to go to the Export Fields step.
7. The default mapping is usually sufficient, so just click Next.
8. Finally, give it a file name and click Finish to save it somewhere.
   

We're half way there! Start a new mail merge in Microsoft Word:

1. In a new Word document, click on the Mailings tab.
   
2. Go to Start Mail Merge > Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard...  The Mail Merge wizard will appear as a panel on the right.
   
3. On the Mail Merge wizard panel, choose the type of document.  In this example, I would like to create a letter.
   
4. Click Next: Starting document.
5. In this example, we have started with a blank document, so just click Next: Select recipients.
6. Make sure Use an existing list is selected.  Click Browse...
   
7. Locate the exported mailing list.  I've saved mine on the Desktop.
   
8. A dialog box will pop up to let you manipulate and confirm your mailing list.  In this example, I want to keep my mailing list unchanged.  Click OK.
   
9. Click Next: Write your letter.
   
10. First, we'll add the address block.  Click Address Block on the menu.
    
11. Choose a name format and double check everything looks alright in the preview before clicking OK.
    
12. Next, we'll insert the Intelligent Mail Barcode.  Go to Insert Merge Field > IM_BAR
    
    
13. Click on Preview Results, and you will see what we've got so far.  What are those letters!?
    
14. Don't worry... those random letters makes up our Intelligent Mail Barcode.  We'll need to select a font before it will look like a barcode.  Highlight the barcode digits.
    
15. Change the font to USPSIMBCompact.  You should now see an Intelligent Mail Barcode!
    
16. Add any additional fields you'd like and make it look pretty.  You are done!