A Beginners Guide To Formatting Supplied Data

A Beginners Guide To Formatting Supplied Data

Data formatting in Excel sounds scary but once you know the basics, you’ll be formatting the recipient list for your next direct mail campaign like a boss.

Here are our top tips on supplying data so you can:

A) Keep your print supplier happy by supplying data that is ready to merge.
B) Avoid the extra cost of having someone else do it for you.

• Check which file type your print supplier prefers. Here are our accepted file types:
  .xlsx .xlx
  .csv .txt
• Ensure all names and addresses are separated into appropriate columns and are on single
  lines.
• Any additional columns need to be labelled accordingly.
• To allow for easy post code ordering, ensure that ”City” and “Post Code” data are separated into columns.
• Set the Postcode column as ”Text” so the zero at the start of northern postcodes does not drop off.
• Check for extra spaces in your database before and after any information. There is an easy way to do this! Click the linked text for a shortcut.
• When referencing variable information in a supplied design, use the correct column information.

Your finished masterpiece should look something like this sample of usable supplied data:

Be aware, there are a few things that can trip you up! Here’s what to look out for:

• Spaces in blank cells. Why? Although cells can look blank it pays to check for rouge spaces as they’ll cause errors.

• Cells containing multiple lines. Why? Cells that contain multiple lines can cause errors.

• Missing column headers. Why? Missing headers can cause errors.

• Postcode “0” dropping off. Why? If the Postcode column format is not set as “Text” then the “0” will drop off any postcode that begins with an “0”. Please set column format to “Text”.

May you never be intimidated by a spreadsheet ever again!