pdfMachine merge

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Setting Up Your First pdfMachine Merge

Email merging allows you to send personalized documents to thousands of recipients simultaneously. By combining pdfMachine with Microsoft Word and Excel, you can automate this process efficiently. This tutorial guides you through creating and executing your very first personalized PDF mail merge. Prerequisites

Before beginning, ensure you have the necessary tools installed and configured on your operating system:

pdfMachine pro (or higher version) installed on your computer. Microsoft Word to design your email document template. Microsoft Excel to manage your recipient data list.

A configured default MAPI email client, such as Microsoft Outlook. Step 1: Prepare Your Excel Data Source

Your Excel spreadsheet acts as the database for the merge. It holds the unique information that changes for every recipient. Open a blank workbook in Microsoft Excel.

Create a header row in row 1 with descriptive labels. Use names like Email, FirstName, LastName, and InvoiceNumber. Fill in the rows below with your actual recipient details.

Ensure the Email column contains valid, error-free email addresses.

Save the file as MergeData.xlsx in a memorable location and close it. Step 2: Create the Word Document Template

The Word document serves as the layout blueprint for your personalized message.

Open Microsoft Word and type the base text of your letter or invoice. Go to the Mailings tab on the top ribbon. Click Select Recipients and choose Use an Existing List.

Browse to select your saved MergeData.xlsx file and click OK.

Place your cursor where you want personalized data to appear.

Click Insert Merge Field on the Mailings tab and select the appropriate column header (e.g., FirstName). Save this file as MailMergeTemplate.docx. Step 3: Configure pdfMachine Merge Settings

Now you will link your Word template to pdfMachine to handle the automated PDF creation and emailing.

While still in your Word template, click the pdfMachine tab on the ribbon.

Click the pdfMachine Merge button to launch the configuration wizard. Select Email as your primary output destination.

Map the destination email field to your Excel email column by selecting Email from the dropdown list.

Type your generic email subject line. You can insert merge fields here too, such as Invoice for Last Name. Step 4: Run the Merge and Send

The final step generates individual PDFs and sends them out through your email client.

In the pdfMachine Merge window, click the Generate or Merge button.

Review the preview window to ensure names and data align correctly. Click Send to begin processing.

pdfMachine will convert each unique Word document into a secure PDF.

The software automatically attaches each PDF to a new email and routes it through Outlook.

Check your email client’s Sent Items folder to verify successful delivery.