LESSON 3: Advanced Word literally a “form” that you fill out with individual

information. A common example of a form

Processing Skills document is your regular tax form or application
form.
In the professional world, sending out information
to convey important information is vital. Because of
ICT, things are now sent much faster than the
traditional newsletters or postal mail. You can now
send much faster than the traditional newsletters or
postal mail. You can now use the Internet to send
out information you need to share. 

I. MAIL MERGE AND LABEL

GENERATION

A. Mail Merge
One of the important reasons in using computers per
se is its ability to do recurring tasks automatically.
But this ability has to be honed by learning the
characteristics and features of the software you use
with your computer. After all, no matter how good
or advance your computer and software may be, it
can only be as good as the person using it.

As the name suggests, this feature allows you to 2. List or Data File
create documents and combine or merge them with
another document or data file. It is commonly used This is where the individual information or
when sending out advertising materials to various data that needs to be plugged in (merged) to the
recipients. form document is placed and maintained. One of
the best things about the mail merge feature is that it
Two Components of Mail Merge allows data file to be created from within the
1. Form Document Microsoft Word application itself, or it gets data
It is generally the document that contains the from a file created in Microsoft Excel or other data
main body of the message we want to convey or formats. In this way, fields that needed to be filled
send. The main body of the message is the part of up on the form document can easily be maintained
the form document that remains the same no matter without accidentally altering the form or main
whom you send it to from among your list. document. You can also easily add, remove,
modify, or extract your data more efficiently by
           Also included in the form document is what using other data management applications like
we call place holders, also referred to as data fields Excel or Access and import them in Word during
or merge fields. This marks the position on your the mail merge process.
form document where individual data or
information will be inserted. From our sample
document, the place holders are denoted or marked
by the text with double-headed arrows (<< >>) on
each side and with a gray background. On a printed
standard form, this will be the underlined spaces
that you will see and use as a guide to where you
need to write the information that you need to fill
out. In its simplest form, a form document is
 label or envelope and select the data file that contains the
addresses (data) to be printed. You can also preview
your merged labels before printing if you want to.

II. Integrating Images and External

Materials
   Integrating or inserting pictures in your document is
fun and it improves the impression of your document. A
common use of inserting a picture on a document is
when you are creating your resume. Though seemingly
simple to do, your knowledge on the different kinds of
materials that you can insert or integrate in a Word
Mail Merge document and its characteristics can help you create a
more efficient, richer document not only in content but
also in physical form. A better understanding of the
physical form of your document as well as the different
B. Label Generation materials you would integrate in it would allow you to
It just makes sense that after you print out your be more efficient and versatile in using Microsoft Word.
form letters, you will need to send it to individual
A. Kinds of Materials
recipients in an envelope with the matching address
1. Pictures
printed directly on the envelope or on a mailing label to
          Generally, these are electronic or digital
stick on. By using virtually the same process as a
pictures or photographs you have saved in any local
standard mail merge, Microsoft Word will print
individual addresses to a standard form that it has
storage device. There are three commonly used
already pre-formatted. Simply put, it creates a blank
types of picture files. You can identify them by the
form document that simulates either a blank label or
extension on their file names.
envelope of pre-defined size and will use the data file
that you selected to print the information, typically
individual addresses. So even in generating labels, the
two essential components of creating a merged
document are present: the form document and the data
file. Only in this case, you did not have to type or create
the form document yourself because it was already
created and pre-formatted in Microsoft Word. All you
need to do is select the correct or appropriate size for the
    This is pronounced as “ping“. It
stands for Portable Network Graphics. It was built
around the capabilities of .GIF. Its development was
basically for the purpose of transporting images on
the Internet at faster rates. It is also good with
transparencies but unlike .GIFs, it does not support
animation but it can display up to 16 million colors,
so image quality for this image file type is also
remarkably improved. .PNG allows the control of
the transparency level or opacity of images.

2. Clip Art
 This is generally a .GIF type; line art
drawings or images used as generic representation
a. .JPG/JPEG for ideas and objects that you might want to
          This is pronounced as “jay-peg“ and integrate in your document. Microsoft Word has a
is the short form of .jpeg or Joint Photographic library of clip arts that is built in or can be
Experts Group. Like all the rest of the image file downloaded and used freely. There are still other
extensions, it identifies the kind of data clip arts that you can either purchase or freely
compression process that it uses to make it more download and use that come from third-party
compatible and portable through the Internet. This providers.
type of image file can support 16.7 million colors
that is why it is suitable for use when working with
full color photographic images. Unfortunately, it
does not support transparency and therefore, images
of this file type can be difficult to integrate in terms
of blending with other materials or elements in your
document. But if you are looking for the best 3.  Shapes
quality image to integrate with your document then           These are printable objects or materials that
this is the image file type for you. .JPG does not you can integrate in your document to enhance its
work well on lettering, line drawings, or simple appearance or allow you to have some tools to use
graphics. .JPG images are relatively small in file for composing and representing ideas or messages.
size. If you are designing the layout for a poster or other
graphic material for advertising, you might find this
b. .GIF useful.
This stands for Graphics Interchange
Format. This type of image file is capable of
displaying transparencies. Therefore, it is good for
blending with other materials or elements in your
document. It is also capable of displaying simple
animation. Apparently, this may not be too useful
on a printed document but if you are sending
documents electronically or through email, or even
post documents into a website, then this could be
quite impressive. The downside is that it can only
support up to 256 colors so it is good mostly on
logos and art decors with very limited, and
generally solid colors. .GIF is much better for logos,
drawings, small text, black and white images, or
low-resolution files.
c. .PNG 4. Smart Art
          Generally, these are predefined sets of usually used when you need to place your image at
different shapes grouped together to form ideas that the beginning of a paragraph. When placed between
are organizational or structural in nature. If you texts in a paragraph or a sentence, it distorts the
want to graphically represent an organization, overall appearance and arrangement of the texts in
process, relationships, or flow for infographic the paragraph because it will take up the space it
documents, then you will find this easy and handy needs vertically, pushing whole lines of texts
to use. upward.
B. Square
5.  Chart This setting allows the image you inserted to
Another type of material that you can integrate in be placed anywhere with the paragraph with the text
your Word document that allows you to represent going around the image in a square pattern like
data characteristics and trends. This is quite useful frame.
when you are preparing reports that correlate and
present data in a graphical manner. You can create C. Tight
charts that can be integrate in your document either This is almost the same as the Square
directly in Microsoft Word or imported from setting, but here the text “hug” or conforms to the
external files like Microsoft Excel. general shape of the image. This allows you to get a
more creative effect on your document. This setting
can mostly be achieved if you are using an image
6. Screenshot that supports transparency like a .GIF or .PNG file.
Sometimes, creating reports or manuals for training D. Through
or procedures will require the integration of a more This setting allows the text on your
realistic image of what you are discussing on your document to flow even tighter taking the contours
report or manual. Nothing can get you a more and shape of the image. Again, this can be best used
realistic image than a screenshot. Microsoft Word with .GIF or .PNG type of image.
even provides a snipping tool for your screen shots E. Top and Bottom
so you can select and display only the part that you This setting pushes the texts away vertically
exactly like to capture on your screen. to the top and/or the bottom of the image so that the
image occupies a whole text line on its own.
III. Image Placement F. Behind Text
This allows your image to be dragged and
placed anywhere on your document but with all the
texts floating in front of it. It effectively makes your
image look like a background.
G. In Front of Text
As it suggests, this setting allows your
image to be placed right on top of the text as if your
image was dropped right on it. That means
whatever part of the text you placed the image on, it
will be covered by the image.

IV. Key Terms

 Mail Merge – a feature that allows you to
create documents and combine or merge them
with another document or data file.
 Form Document – the document that
contains the main body of the message we want
A. In Line with Text to convey or send.
This is the default setting for images that are  Data File – includes the individual
inserted or integrated in your document. It treats information or data or the recipient’s
your image like a text font with the bottom side information.
totally aligned with the text line. This setting is
 Merge Field/Place Holder – marks the
position on your form document where
individual data or information will be inserted.
 .JPG – file extension for the Joint
Photographic Experts Group picture file.
 .PNG – file extension for Portable Network
Graphics image file.
 .GIF – file extension for the Graphics
Interchange Format image file.
 Clipart – line art drawings or images used
as a generic representation for ideas and objects.
 Smart Art – predefined sets of different
shapes grouped together to form ideas that are
organizational or structural in nature.
 Text Wrap – adjusts how the image
behaves around other objects or text.