Q: I want to create form letters. Can I do a mail merge within Word, using data from an Access database, or do I need to design a form within Access that looks like a letter. - Kylie
A: Kylie, you can do both... either with a REPORT in Access that looks like a letter, or using a Word document with a mail merge.
Here are my guidelines... If your letter doesn't change often, perhaps you send the same collection notice out EVERY month and the body of the letter almost never changes, then I would just use Access and design a report that prints like a letter and can pull in the customers you need to send it to from a query. I cover this in my Access courses:
Access 204 shows you how to make a real basic letter to a customer based on a form - one at a time. http://www.599cd.com?GOAC204
Access 205 continues that concept, but makes the collection letters that I talked about above... and lets you send them to multiple customers based on criteria. http://www.599cd.com?GOAC205
Now, if you have a letter that changes often and perhaps you need to have someone who doesn't know Access be able to change the text of the letter - well, you could still do this in Access with another form that allows you to edit the text in a big textbox - BUT, you could use Word.
I cover all of the mail merge options in my Word 201 class, including just using a Word database, and Excel spreadsheet, and pulling in data from Access. http://www.599cd.com?GOWR201
Hope this helps.