Filemaker Pro Lesson
Creating Mailing Labels and Form Letters
Mailing labels is one of the choices you have when you create a new layout. Before creating a layout for mailing labels, be sure to check the type of mailing labels you use. Filemaker Pro provides a number of different Avery and CoStar choices.
1. Using the Registrations database that you created, choose View -> Layout Mode.
2. Select Layouts -> New Layout/Report.
3. Type Mailing Labels in the "Layout Name" field then click "Labels" in the layout list and click Next. Notice that with Filemaker Pro 7, a new label format, vertical labels, has been added. The text on these labels is rotated so labels can be used vertically. Also notice, that since Filemaker Pro 7 files can contain more than one table, you have a selection box to choose which table you wish to use.
4. Choose "Avery 5160" from the label type drop-down list, then click Next.
You can combine database fields with spaces, paragraph breaks, and punctuation to quickly and easily lay out the label.
5. Double click on the "First Name" field in the field list. Press the Spacebar then double click "Last Name" in the field list. Press Enter to go to the next line.
6. Double click "Address" and press Enter.
7. Double click "City", type a comma, press the spacebar once, and double click "State". Press the space bar once and double click "Zip". Click Next then Finish to view the labels in Preview mode.
A form letter with merge fields can be typed directly in Filemaker.
8. Select View -> Layout Mode. Choose Layouts -> New Layouts/Reports.
9. Type Form Letter in the "Layout Name" field, click "Blank Layout" then "Finish".
10. Click on the Text tool in the status area. Choose Format -> Text and select "Arial" from the "Font" drop-down list, "10" from the "Size" drop-down list, and check the "Plain" checkbox in the "Style" section. Click OK.
11. Click in the top left corner of the body part, just below the header part and choose Insert -> Date Symbol. As a shortcut, you can simply type "//". Press Enter twice.
12. Choose Insert -> Merge Field then select "First Name" from the list of fields and click OK. Press the spacebar once.
13 Type <<Last Name>>. This is another way to insert a merge field. If you know the field name you wish to insert, it is usually faster to type <<, the field name, and >>.
14. Press Enter. Now insert the Address, City, State and Zip fields. Press Enter three times.
15. Type Dear and press the spacebar. Then insert the "First Name" field and type a comma. Press Enter twice.
16. Now type: Thanks for submitting your registration to participate in this year's "Trek for the Bay." Our goal this year is to raise $10,000 in pledges to fund ongoing bay cleanup and restoration projects. The $
17. Now insert the "Current Pledges" field and continue the letter by pressing the spacebar, then typing you've already raised is helping us to reach that goal.
18. Now let's insert a logo at the top of the letter. Click on the Header tab and drag it down about 3/4 of an inch. Click in the upper left corner of the Header and select Insert -> Picture. Choose the coelamplogotype.gif from your available files and click Open.
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Last updated: 12/28/2004