Can I do mail merge without Word?

Mail merge doesn't need Microsoft Word. Publish by Zaweba has it built in under Tools > Mail merge: it reads a CSV file, lets you place fields anywhere in your design, previews each record and then exports one merged PDF or prints merged. Publish is free, offline software for Windows with no account.

Because Publish is a layout app, the merge isn't limited to letters. You can merge into certificates, envelopes, name badges, tickets, vouchers and anything else you lay out on a page.

What the merge reads

The data comes from a CSV file, which almost any spreadsheet or address book can save. The first row must be the column names. Comma, semicolon or tab separators are all understood, quoted fields work, and the file can be UTF-8 or the Windows code page.

It reads CSV only, so if your list is in a spreadsheet, save a CSV copy first. Keeping the original spreadsheet as the master list and saving a fresh CSV when it changes is a sensible habit.

The data is stored inside the .ozp file once you've chosen it, so the publication carries its own copy.

How it works in practice

Open the design you want to merge into, or start from a template. Open Tools > Mail merge and choose the CSV. The column names appear, and clicking one puts its field at the caret in whatever text box you're in. Insert > Mail-merge field does the same from the menu.

Fields can sit in the middle of a sentence. A certificate might read "Awarded to" followed by the name field, then "for" followed by the reason field. Style the fields like any other text, with fonts, sizes and colours.

Then step through the preview record by record. You see each version of the page as it will come out, which is the best time to spot a name that's too long or a blank cell in your data.

Finally, export one merged PDF, or print merged through the Windows print dialog. The PDF holds every merged copy, which makes it easy to check, send on or print later.

Sheets of labels

For sheets with several items on one page, such as name badges or tickets, fields have a label number. That makes each label on the sheet show the next record, so a sheet of eight badges shows eight people. The name badges template (8 per A4 sheet) and the DL envelope template already have mail merge set up, with sample people and addresses to show how it looks.

When something else fits better

If you're writing a long letter with lots of flowing text to everyone on a list, a word processor may still suit you better than a layout app. Write by Zaweba is the Zaweba word processor. For printing address labels on label sheets from an address book, Labels by Zaweba is made for that job.

But for anything where the design matters as much as the words, merging straight into the layout in Publish saves a lot of fiddling. Try it with a short CSV of three or four rows first, check the preview, and then use the full list.