Quick Start

56 Getting Started Guide
6. Also notice that the wording in each letter is the same, except that
the company name for each record appears in the first paragraph. The
text flows around the company name, regardless of its length.
This letter is ready to print, for every record in the database.
About form letter layouts
The letter is simply a layout containing text, merge fields, and a
graphic.
1. Choose View menu > Layout Mode.
2. Click anywhere on the text.
You see the handles in the corners of the entire text block. All of the
text is in a single text block.
3. Notice that Company is a merge field in the body of the letter.
The address and salutation also use merge fields.
Create a form letter
To create this letter, you will:
1 create a blank layout
1 create a text block to contain your letter
1 add merge fields for the recipient’s name and address
1 type the letter
1 customize the letter with the recipient’s company name
1 add the closing
Create a one-page blank layout
1. Choose Window menu > MyFile06.fp5.
2. Choose View menu > Layout Mode.
3. Choose Layouts menu > New Layout/Report.
4. For Layout Name, type Welcome Letter.
5. Select Blank layout for the new layout type.
6. Click Finish.
7. On the layout, click the Header tab, then press Backspace
(Windows) or Delete (Mac OS).
8. Click the Footer tab, then press Backspace (Windows) or Delete
(Mac OS).
This letter will not use a header or footer.
9. Drag the Body tab down to about 11 inches.
When you release the mouse button, you will see the page boundary.
If you don’t see the page boundary, drag the Body tab down some
more.
10. Now drag the Body tab up to just above the page boundary.
The page boundary line will disappear.
11. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen to scroll a few
inches to the right.
You see a heavy dotted line along the right side. This is the right-side
page boundary. Your letter will be within these boundaries.
12. Scroll back all the way to the left.
13. Scroll up to the top of the layout.
Create the text block
You will create a text block with a 1.5-inch margin on all sides.
1. Click the text tool .
2. Drag a rectangle starting about 1.5 inches from the top left side of
the layout, and ending about 1.5 inches from the bottom right side,
as indicated by the page boundary lines.
Body tab
Page boundary