Using Microsoft Office XP or 2003, how do I use information in my Contacts folder to print envelopes for mailing?

If you are using Office XP or Office 2003 and want to use your Outlook Contacts folder to print envelopes for mailing, you can perform a mail merge using Word. Follow the directions below:

Note: For Office 2007, see About mail merges using Microsoft Office in Windows.

1. Open Word. From the Tools menu, choose Letters and Mailings, and then Mail Merge Wizard. In Word 2003, choose Letters and Mailings, and then Mail Merge... .
   
   
2. In the frame that appears on the right, click Envelopes, and then click the blue arrow labeled Next: Starting Documents.
   
   
3. Click Envelope Options, and in the resulting dialog box, select the envelope size for your envelopes. You can also set the desired fonts for the "Delivery address" and the "Return address".
   
   
4. From the Printing Options tab, beneath "Feed method", make the appropriate selection for your printer. From the drop-down list beneath "Feed from:", select the proper tray for your printer. Click OK.
   
   
5. From the bottom of the frame, click the blue arrow labeled Next: Select recipients.
   
   
6. Choose Select from Outlook contacts, and then click Choose contacts folder.
   
   
7. From the resulting dialog box, select Contacts, and then click OK.

   Note: If you have multiple profiles within Outlook on the computer you are using, you will see a dialog box titled Choose Profile. Select your profile and launch Outlook.

8. The Mail Merge Recipients window will open, displaying your formatted Contacts. Uncheck the contacts for whom you don't want to print an envelope. Then check the information and correct any misspellings or errors you might have missed when you originally entered the contact. Click OK.
   
   
9. At the bottom of the frame, click the blue arrow labeled Next: Arrange your envelope.
   
   
10. Click around the middle of the envelope document in the window until you see a hashed gray outline. The delivery address goes in this box. Click inside it, and then click the link on the right labeled Address block... .

    Note: The hashed gray outlined box will not appear on your printed envelopes; it only serves to indicate the location and borders of the delivery address.

11. Verify the name and address formatting is correct. If you need to edit the information, click Match Fields, make the necessary changes, and then click OK. You should see this in the box: <<AddressBlock>>
12. Type the return address in the upper left corner of the envelope document.
    
    
13. At the bottom of the frame, click the blue arrow labeled Next: Preview your envelopes. To review the formatting, click >> (to move down the list) or << (to move up the list). If you want to exclude some Contacts from the list, browse to that envelope and click the gray Exclude this recipient bar.
    
    
14. At the bottom of the frame, click the blue arrow labeled Next: Complete the merge.
    
    
15. You can personalize your envelopes by clicking Edit individual envelopes. To finish the merge and print the envelopes, make sure the envelopes are properly loaded, and then click Print.

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