Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Merging and Printing.
by Allen Wyatt
(last updated October 7, 2017)
In a previous tip you learned how to check your data file against your master document to make sure Word could read both and merge them correctly. The next step is to actually merge your main document and data file to create the finished, merged documents. Word allows two different ways of doing this: you can merge to a new document, or you can merge directly to the printer.
Which method should you use? It depends on your comfort level with your final document. If you are fairly certain that your main document is set up properly and there is little chance for errors, then you can print directly to the printer. If, on the other hand, you may need to make some last minute changes before printing or you just want to see what the final output will look like, then you should print to a new document.
You can merge directly to the printer by first making sure that the Mailings tab of the ribbon is displayed. Click the Finish & Merge tool in the Finish group, and you can see your options. You'll want to click Print Documents in order to merge directly to the printer, or click Edit Individual Documents if you want to merge to a new document.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9740) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Merging and Printing.
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