In the "Mail Merge" window, click the "Create" button below the "Main document" option and then choose the document type you desire. As we are producing a batch of invitation letters, we should select the "Form Letters" type (see Figure 2).

Figure 2

A dialogue box will pop up. Click the "Active Window" button to select the current new Word document to be the main document (see Figure 3).

Figure 3

Now click the "Get Data" button below the "Data source" option, followed by "Open Data Source" (see Figure 4).

Figure 4

Here we can choose either data file ("db.doc" or "db.xls") that we made in the last issue. I will demonstrate the remaining steps with the "db.doc" file. When chosen, the dialogue box (see Figure 5) will appear to remind you that there aren't any merge fields found in your main document. Just click the "Edit Main Document" button to enter the main document instantly.

Figure 5

You may notice that the main document window looks very similar to an ordinary Word document window except that it has a "Mail Merge" toolbar (see the circled area of Figure 6). Meanwhile you can leave the personal particulars of your guests aside and type the letter on the blank page of the window (see Figure 6).

Figure 6

Next time I will show you how to insert the personal particulars of each guest into the invitation letter and this will demonstrate the use of "Mail Merge" fully.

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