Address Labels 

Fabian4 recommends that you use the Microsoft Word Mail Merge feature to generate your address labels.  Use the Fabian4 template to get you started, or generate your own.

Summary:

1. Export the "Entry Form Data" csv file from the export page - this includes all the address and event option data;
2. Open the csv file and save as an Excel spreadsheet (Mail Merge seems to work better when linked to a .xls/.xlsx file rather than a .csv file);
3. Download the Fabian4 Address Labels Mail Merge Template for Avery L7160.doc (right click and select Save Target As ..);
4. Open the Mail Merge Template and link it to the Entry Form Data spreadsheet;
5. Optionally filter the data.  E.g. Competitors (count) > 0 to exclude forms where all the competitors have cancelled, Online = False for postal entrants only, or No. of Printed Results > 0 where this is one of your event options;
6. Print your labels on Avery L7160 (3 across * 7 down = 21 labels) A4 paper.

Requirements:

1. Microsoft Word and Excel:  All versions of Word support Mail Merge, but if you don't have Word and Excel then check out the prices on Amazon or Ebay.
2. Label Paper: The Fabian4 mail merge template uses Avery L7160 labels.  Sold by Viking and other stores.  Generate your own template to use with other labels.

Online Video Training:

The following Microsoft training videos use Word 2007, but the principals are the same in previous versions.

1. For beginners Mail Merge I - Use mail merge for mass mailings
2. For competent Word users unfamiliar with Mail Merge Mail Merge II - Use the Ribbon and perform a complex mail merge
3. Get the essentials - skip straight to this point in mail merge II

Using the Fabian4 Mail Merge template step by step:

1. Logon as the event organiser.  Export the "Entry Form Data" file from the export page - use the standard "," delimiter.  Save it to your hard drive.
   
   
2. Open the Entry Form Data csv file and save as an Excel spreadsheet (Mail Merge seems to work better when linked to an .xls/.xlsx file rather than a .csv file).
   
   
3. Download the Fabian4 Address Labels Mail Merge Template for Avery L7160.doc (right click and select Save Target As ..).  Save it to your hard drive.
   
   
4. Open the mail merge template.  In Word 2007 select the Mailings tab on the ribbon.  In previous versions of Word display the Mail Merge toolbar.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Select Recipients (button 1) - Use this button to link the template to the Entry Form Data .xls/.xlsx spreadsheet.  Select the Use Existing List... sub-menu.
   
   
   
   
   Navigate to the Entry Form Data Excel spreadsheet and Open it.
   
   
   
   
   Click OK (there is only 1 table to select).
   
   
   
6. Edit Recipient List (button 2) - Use this button to filter the address list.  For example you may wish to set the Competitors (count) > 0 to exclude forms where all the competitors have cancelled and also exclude those forms relating to the purchase of event options only (I.e. where the competitor/s had entered earlier on a different form number).  Other common filters include Online = False for the postal entrants only, or if you had an event option "No. of printed results", then filter on this field such that "No. of printed results" > 0 to prepare your result envelope labels.
   
   
7. Insert Merge Field (button 3) - Use this button to add extra information to your labels.  For example rather than just "(Form: <<Form_No>>)" you may wish to add the number of programmes to be inserted into the envelope.  Extend the bottom line of the 1st label with "(Form: <<Form_No>>  Progs: )", place the cursor at the insertion position, and click the Insert Merge Field button.  Select the relevant field from the data.
   
   
8. Update Labels (button 4) - Replicate any changes made to the first label to all labels.
   
   
9. Preview Results (button 5) - Preview the addresses.
   
   
10. Finish & Merge (button 6) - 2 options are available:
    i) Edit Individual documents - creates a new document containing all the labels, that you can view, edit and print;
    ii) Print Documents - send labels directly to the printer.
    
    
11. Save the template.  To link the saved template to a later Entry Form Data export, use the Select Recipients button.