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Creating A Mailing List  

Mailing lists can be easily created using Microsoft Excel or any text editing program.  The key is to properly separate the individual elements of each address.  Here are some guidelines to follow:

MICROSOFT EXCEL©  

To create a mailing list in Excel, create a separate column for each element you would like to include in your list.  The required elements for any mailing are:

1. NAME
2. ADDRESS
3. CITY
4. STATE
5. ZIP CODE

You can create additional columns for any other information you may want to include, such as a salutation, title or second address line.  It's also helpful, although not necessary, to type in the column name in the first row of each column.

TEXT FILES

A mailing list can be created in any text editing program by simply adding an extra character or "delimiter" to separate the different elements in your address.  The most common delimiter is a comma, but almost any character can be used.  For example, a character that is not commonly used otherwise, such as a pipe, can be effective since its not likely to be included in any of your fields:

JOHN SMITH | 123 MAIN STREET | ANYTOWN | NY | 12345

If you are concerned your fields may contain characters used as a delimiter, you can also add quote marks to make your field more specific:

"JOHN SMITH","123 MAIN STREET","ANYTOWN","NY","12345"

Once you've entered your information, a simple line break (pressing enter) will start the next address.