Adding “Something Extra” to Envelopes, Labels, or Postcards Using DAZzle Express

DAZzle Express users typically print a different address and barcode on every envelope, but the other material remains constant, such as a return addresses and postage indicia. It is possible, however, to add other variable information to an envelope, label, or postcard. For example, you might want to print a customer number or expiration date.

RELATED FUNCTION: This procedure applies to adding variable information to something printed with DAZzle Plus, such as an envelope, label, or postcard—typically the outside of your mailpiece.  If you want to put that information inside a letter instead, use the Microsoft Word form letter function in DAZzle Express. In that case, you can use the Insert Merge Field button to print embed different information in your letter.

In order to print “something extra” like a customer number on your envelope, label, or postcard, you must spend a few minutes on the initial setup. After that point, however, you can relax. As long as you use the same layout and map the information you want each time you import data, printing the “something extra” will be easy.

For simplicity, the following procedure assumes your “something extra” is a customer number. But you can print other things instead, like expiration dates, birthdays, spouse’s names, etc.

1. Run DAZzle Plus.
2. You’ll see the layout you most recently printed. If this is not the layout where you want to print the customer number, open another one or create a new one.
3. Go to the Layout menu and choose Add Rubber Stamp. Click the small checkbox next to Link to Address List Field. An x should appear in that checkbox on the left, while “Rubber Stamp 1” appears on the right. Leave the Stamp Message blank. Click OK.
4. Click where you want to paste your customer number. (You can drag it to a different spot later if necessary.)
5. You’ll see the words “Rubber Stamp 1” marking the spot where your customer number will be. Your customer number will not necessarily take up that much space, but it will start in the same place as the “R” and it will be in the same font. If your customer number is only a few digits, for example, it’s acceptable to see “Rubber Stamp 1” overwriting the left edge of the address. If you want to change the font, double click on the rubber stamp and click the Font button.
6. If you need to say something constant like “Your customer number is:”, add another rubber stamp. Type that text in the Stamp Message blank, and leave the Link to Address List Field blank. Click OK. Paste it above, before, or below Rubber Stamp 1.

(TIP: To avoid awkward spaces, do not paste it after Rubber Stamp 1 unless all your customer numbers are always the same length.)

7. Repeat steps 3-6 with Rubber Stamp 2, Rubber Stamp 3, etc., until you have added rubber stamps for all the variable information you need. The maximum is 5 variable rubber stamps.

8. Still in DAZzle Plus, go to the File menu and choose Print List from File.
9. Browse to the MERGEDATA.TXT file, which will probably be in the C:\Program Files\Envelope Manager\DAZzle Express directory. (Some customers will find it in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\SBT\DMM directory instead.)
10. You will see a screen where you can map fields. Unless you have changed it, you will see that the Complete Address field is mapped to Address Line 1. If you scroll down, you will eventually see that the Delivery Point is mapped too.
11. Below that point, click on Custom1 on the left, then click on Rubber Stamp 1. A black line will form between them, but the sample address below will not change. If you created other rubber stamps, repeat this process by linking other custom fields to those rubber stamps.
12. Click OK.  When prompted, print a really small range, like 1 to 2. Check that the envelopes, labels, or postcards print properly.
13. Once they print properly, exit DAZzle Plus.

14. When you import addresses into DAZzle Express, always say “No, this address is not mapped correctly.”  Then DAZzle Express will pop up a screen to let you specify how your file’s fields correspond to the DAZzle Express fields. Map your customer number to the User Defined 1 field. Map other bits of variable information to other User Defined fields, according to the rubber stamp mappings you did earlier.
15. Print using your DAZzle Plus layout.

From now on, printing from DAZzle Express via that DAZzle Plus layout will print whatever is in the User Defined 1 field in the rubber stamp locations. If the field is blank, the rubber stamp will not print. You do not have to repeat parts I and II unless you want to change the layout.