Want to print your place cards all at once instead of typing in a name and table number for each card one at a time? Below are the steps to use the Mail Merge feature in the Windows version of Microsoft Office Word 2003.
If you’re using another Word version, the menu items may be different.

Create a Spreadsheet

Before proceeding with the Mail Merge, create a spreadsheet file with the names, table numbers, or whatever information you’ll print on your place cards, as shown here:

Once your spreadsheet file is complete with all the information you want on your place cards, you can continue.

Start Word with a blank document and click Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge.
The Mail Merge interface opens, guiding you through the process in 6 steps.

Mail Merge Steps

Step 1

Select Document Type Labels, then click Next: Starting Document.

Step 2

Under Select starting document, select Change document layout
Under Change document layout, click Label options.
The Label Options interface opens:

Next to Label products, choose Other/Custom.
Click the New Label button.
The New Custom window opens:

In the Label name field, enter a custom name for your label template.
Enter these values into the rest of the fields to create a printing template sized for LCI Paper’s 4Up Place Cards:
Top margin = .5
Side margin = .75
Vertical pitch = 5
Horizontal pitch = 3.5
Label height = 5
Label width = 3.5
Number across = 2
Number down = 2
For Page size, select Letter (8 1/2 x 11 in).
Click OK.
Your custom template appears in the Product number field. Make sure it is selected:

Click OK.
Your custom template is now on screen showing 4 quadrants sized to match the 4Up Place Cards layout:

Click Next: Select recipients.

Step 3

Under Select recipients, select Use an existing list.
Click Browse, navigate to your spreadsheet of names and table numbers, and open the file.
The Select Table window opens. Click OK.
The Mail Merge Recipients window opens:

Click OK.
Your cursor should be in the upper left quadrant, while the other quadrants show <<Next Record>>.
Click Next: Arrange your labels.

Step 4

Here you are setting up the default format of the first place card.
Under Arrange your labels, click More items.
The Insert Merge Field window opens. Click the field to add to your place card layout and click the Insert button.
The most common fields would be Name and Table #, but this is your project and you can merge any data you’d like to print.

The fields will show in the upper left quadrant. Click the Close button.
In the upper left quadrant, arrange and format the merge fields as you like. For your text to print on the front panel of the place cards, your text should be in the lower half of the upper left quadrant. Be careful not to disrupt the template layout. If you move the template layout by mistake, use Edit > Undo.
Be creative with your font and font size while being mindful that if the font is too large, long names will not fit on one line.

When you are satisfied with the layout, click the Update all labels button.
All of the 4 quadrants are now updated with your chosen merge field names and layout.

Click Next: Preview your labels.

Step 5

All of the information from your spreadsheet has populated into the document and you can preview each card using the << and >> buttons:

This is a good time to make sure none of the names are too large to fit on one line.
When everything looks good, click Next: Complete the merge.

Step 6

Click Print.
The Merge to Printer window opens.
This is the appropriate time to print one sheet, or even a sheet of copy paper, as a test.
Click Current Record:

This prints one page—just the layout shown on the screen—not the entire list.
After printing the test, if the text is properly positioned on the sheet, go ahead and print the entire list.
We suggest that you load 20 sheets into your printer at a time. When you print the first batch of 20, the printer will pause so you can load more.

Barry Levine