Create mail merge with OpenOffice: Here's how

OpenOffice offers a practical assistant to create a form letter. And this is how you use the tool.

Create mail merge in OpenOffice.Org Writer

1. In the menu, click on "Tools" -> "Mail Merge Assistant ...".
2. First choose. whether you want to use the current or another document for the mail merge, and click on "Next".
3. Now decide whether you want to write a letter or an email. In this example we choose letter. Click on Continue".
4. In this step, you take care of the addresses and select the source of the addresses at the top. This can be, for example, a CSV file or an OpenOffice spreadsheet. However, you can only create the address list by clicking "Create" when selecting the recipient list.
5. Below you can select the layout of the address block. Under "More ..." you will find further suggestions or can create your own samples. Click on Continue".
6. In this step, you can insert a suitable letter speech if you wish, which can also be designed according to your wishes by clicking on "New ...".
7. In the next step you can select the position of the address block.
8. The next step is the most important: With a click on "Edit document ..." each of your changes affects every letter in the series. With a click on the button at the top left you will get back to the assistant.
9. The last step behaves like the last, with the difference that the changes you make now only take place on the document that you are currently editing. The letter is, so to speak, personalized.
10. Finally, you can save or send your document if you have selected "Email" as the type.

OpenOffice version 3.4.1 was used