Introduction

Welcome! Print Letters From Contacts

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Welcome to Microsoft Access Expert Level 5. In this course we will upgrade the contact management features from earlier lessons to allow writing formatted letters directly in the database, create a contact letter query, design a contact letter report for printing in window envelopes, and add a command button to print and enhance macros. We will discuss exporting letters in different formats, sending them as email attachments using Outlook, and customizing the ribbon and quick access toolbar. This course builds on Access Expert Level 4, and previous versions, and you are encouraged to follow along with the sample database for maximum benefit.

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Next: Lesson 01

Keywords

Access Expert, contact management, contact letter, print letter, rich text form, formatted letter, letter query, letter report, window envelope, export PDF, export Word, send email Outlook, embedded macro, customize ribbon, quick access toolbar

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Intro

Transcript

Welcome to Microsoft Access Expert Level 5, brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.

In today's class, we are going to take the contact management features that we built into our previous databases and upgrade them so we can use them to write letters directly from our database.

We will begin by upgrading our contact form so we can write a letter directly in the form and use formatting, bold, and fonts and such.

We will then develop a contact letter query so we can print out one record at a time in a report.

We will then create the contact report that will look like a letter, and I will show you how to format it so you can print it out and fold it and stick it in a window envelope.

We are going to create a command button to print our letters for us, and we are going to learn how to edit the embedded macro in the button that the wizard creates so we can do some extra stuff when we click on the button.

What is the extra stuff, you ask? Well, we will see in class.

We will then learn how to export our letter in several different formats, including PDF, text file, Word document, and so on. And we will learn how to send the report as an email attachment using Microsoft Outlook with just one click of a button.

Finally, we will take a few minutes so I can teach you how to customize the ribbon and the quick access toolbar. You will learn how to create your own ribbon tabs and groups and all kinds of good stuff.

This course follows Access Expert Level 4. In Level 4, we learned about several different types of form controls, one-to-one relationships, and one-to-many relationships.

It is strongly recommended that you watch Level 4 and all the preceding classes before continuing with today's lessons. For more information on acquiring Level 4, visit my website at accesslearningzone.com.

In this class, I am using Microsoft Access 2013. Pretty much everything in this class will also work just fine with Access 2007 and 2010, with some minor cosmetic differences. If you do come across something that is significantly different, please email me and let me know.

If you are using Microsoft Access 2003 or earlier, you should either upgrade your version of Access, preferably, or visit my website at accesslearningzone.com and look for my Access 2003 tutorials. Access 2003 is radically different from 2013.

This class, Access Expert 5, is roughly equivalent to my AC204 class. So, if you are using 2003 or earlier, find my AC204 class on my website.

You are strongly encouraged to build the database yourself that I build in class, but if you are like me and you just want to download it, go to my website at accesslearningzone.com/databases and you can find all of the sample databases from this and the previous classes online.

My courses are broken up into four groups: Beginner, Expert, Advanced, and Developer.

The beginner lessons are designed to give you a basic overview of the simple features of Access. The Expert series, the one you are in now, is designed for more experienced users who are already comfortable with Access. The Advanced lessons cover working with macros, automation, and many more advanced features. The Developer lessons get into programming with Visual Basic for Microsoft Access.

Each of the series are broken down into different numbered levels, starting with level 1. The Beginner series, for example, had levels 1 through 9.

In addition to my normal Access classes, I also have seminars designed to teach specific topics. Some of my seminars include building web-based databases, creating forms and reports that look like calendars, securing your database, working with images and attachments, writing work orders, tracking accounts payable, learning the SQL programming language, and lots more.

You can find complete details on all these seminars and more on my website at accesslearningzone.com.

If you have questions about the topics covered in today's lessons, please feel free to post them in my student forums.

If you are watching this course using my custom video player software or the online theater on my website, you should see the student forum for each lesson appear in a small window next to the class videos, as long as you have an active internet connection.

Here you will see all of the questions that other students have asked, as well as my responses to them, and comments that other students may have made.

I encourage you to read through these questions and answers as you start each lesson and feel free to post your own questions and comments as well.

If you are not watching the lessons online, you can still visit the student forums later by visiting accesslearningzone.com/forums.

To get the most out of this course, I recommend that you sit back, relax, and watch each lesson completely through once without trying to do anything on your computer. Then, replay the lesson from the beginning and follow along with my examples. Actually, create the same database that I make in the video, step by step.

Do not try to apply what you are learning right now to other projects until you have mastered the sample database from this class. If you get stuck or do not understand something, watch the video again from the beginning or tell me what is wrong in the student forum.

Most importantly, keep an open mind. Access might seem intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will see that it is real easy to use.

Now let us take a closer look at exactly what is covered in today's class.

In lesson 1, we are going to modify our existing contact form so we can write letters in it using rich text, and we are going to create the contact letter query.

In lesson 2, we are going to design our contact letter report.

In lesson 3, we are going to make a command button to print our letter out, and we are going to learn how to edit embedded macros to refresh the letter before the report opens.

In lesson 4, we are going to learn how to export our letter in several different formats or email the letter using Microsoft Outlook.

In lesson 5, we are going to take a few minutes and learn how to customize the ribbon.

Quiz

Q1. What is the main upgrade being performed on the contact form in this class?
A. Allowing users to write and format letters directly in the form using rich text
B. Adding password protection to contact records
C. Creating an automated archiving system for contacts
D. Exporting all contact data to Excel

Q2. What new query will be developed in this class?
A. Contact letter query for printing one record at a time in a report
B. Query to list all overdue contacts
C. Mailing label query for all contacts
D. Query to summarize sales activity

Q3. What is a key feature of the contact report created in this class?
A. It will look like a letter suitable for printing and mailing in a window envelope
B. It will include all contacts regardless of selection
C. It will have password-protected access
D. It will only show summary data

Q4. What functionality will the command button added to the form provide?
A. Print out letters and allow customization using an embedded macro
B. Save a backup copy of the database
C. Export all data to XML
D. Delete selected contact records

Q5. Which export and emailing features will be covered in the course?
A. Exporting letters as PDF, text file, Word document, and sending via Outlook
B. Only exporting to PDF is discussed
C. Backing up the entire database to the cloud
D. Integrating with Google Docs for reports

Q6. What final customization feature will be covered in Lesson 5?
A. Customizing the ribbon and the quick access toolbar
B. Changing the database theme colors
C. Configuring multiple user logins
D. Adding barcode scanning to forms

Q7. Which Access versions are specifically recommended for use with this course's material?
A. Access 2007, 2010, 2013
B. Access 2002, 2003 only
C. Access 2019 exclusively
D. Only Access for Mac

Q8. Before taking this class, what is strongly recommended?
A. Watching Level 4 and all preceding classes
B. Using the sample database only
C. Skipping directly to the Advanced lessons
D. Only reading the help file

Q9. If you are watching the course online, what additional resource is available next to the videos?
A. Student forums with questions, answers, and comments
B. Live chat support with an instructor
C. Download links for Access itself
D. Automatic quiz graders

Q10. What main topics are covered in the five lessons of this class?
A. Modifying the contact form for letter writing, designing the report, creating a command button, exporting/emailing the letter, customizing the ribbon
B. Integrating with SQL Server, exporting to PowerPoint, linking with SharePoint, building data macros, configuring ODBC connections
C. Managing payroll, automating purchase orders, building web APIs, creating financial statements, analyzing web traffic
D. Only creating simple tables and forms without any reports or automation

Answers: 1-A; 2-A; 3-A; 4-A; 5-A; 6-A; 7-A; 8-A; 9-A; 10-A

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Access Learning Zone is Expert Level 5. My name is Richard Rost, and I'll be guiding you through this course.

In this class, we're going to enhance our contact management system by adding features that let us create and format letters right inside our database. We'll begin by updating the contact form so that you can write a letter for each contact directly within the form itself, complete with rich text formatting like bold and different fonts.

Next, we'll set up a contact letter query. This will allow us to pull out a single contact's letter information for use in a report. After that, we'll design a contact letter report that is styled just like a real letter. I'll show you how to format your report so that it can be printed, folded, and inserted into a windowed envelope, making it look professional.

We'll also add a command button that makes it easy to print out your letters. I'll walk you through how to edit the embedded macro that Access creates for this button, giving you the ability to have it perform some additional tasks when clicked. The specifics of these extra tasks will be revealed during the lesson.

After that, we'll talk about exporting your letter. You'll learn how to save your letters as PDFs, text files, Word documents, and other formats. I'll also show you how to send a report as an email attachment via Microsoft Outlook using just a single click.

Finally, I'll teach you how to make your Access environment more efficient by customizing the ribbon and quick access toolbar. You'll learn how to add your own tabs and groups to the ribbon to suit your workflow.

This course builds upon the foundation set in Access Expert Level 4 where we discussed several types of form controls as well as one-to-one and one-to-many table relationships. If you have not taken Level 4 or the earlier lessons, I strongly recommend reviewing those first. All previous courses can be found at my website, accesslearningzone.com.

In this class, I'm using Microsoft Access 2013. Almost everything we'll do also works in Access 2007 and 2010, aside from some small cosmetic changes. If you do notice something significant that seems different, please send me an email. If you're using Access 2003 or earlier, I suggest you upgrade if possible or look up my Access 2003 tutorials on my site, as Access 2003 is quite different from newer versions. For those with older versions, this class lines up approximately with my AC204 course.

You're always encouraged to build the database along with me as we go. However, if you prefer to just download the exact databases used in class, these can be found at accesslearningzone.com/databases along with databases from earlier classes.

My Access courses are grouped into Beginner, Expert, Advanced, and Developer series. The Beginner series aims to give you a broad introduction to basic Access features, while the Expert series, which this course is a part of, targets users who already have some experience with Access. Advanced lessons will take you further into macros and automation, and the Developer lessons focus on programming in Visual Basic with Access.

Each series is divided into numbered levels, starting at 1. For example, the Beginner group consists of levels 1 through 9.

I also offer seminars on particular topics like web-based databases, building shareable calendars, securing your database, working with attachments and images, writing work orders, managing accounts payable, learning SQL, and more. Details for all of these are up on my website.

If you have questions during the course, please post them in the student forums. If you're using my custom video player or watching online, you'll see the forum window beside the video, provided you have an internet connection. There you'll find questions from other students as well as my answers and comments.

If you're not watching these lessons online, you can always access the forums later by visiting accesslearningzone.com/forums.

For the best learning experience, I recommend that you watch each lesson all the way through first before trying anything on your computer. Then, watch again and follow along step by step, creating the same database demonstrated in class. Focus on mastering the sample database before applying your new skills to your own projects. If you run into issues, rewatch the lesson or post a question in the forums.

Keep an open mind, especially if Access seems intimidating at first. With practice, you'll find it's much easier than it appears.

Here's a breakdown of what we'll cover in each lesson today:

In lesson 1, we'll update our contact form to allow writing letters in rich text and set up the contact letter query.

Lesson 2 focuses on creating the contact letter report.

In lesson 3, we'll add a button to print letters and learn how to enhance the embedded macro so it refreshes the letter before opening the report.

Lesson 4 covers exporting the letter in various formats and emailing it through Outlook.

Finally, in lesson 5, we'll take a few minutes to learn how to customize the Access ribbon.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Upgrading the contact form to write letters with rich text
Adding formatting options like bold and fonts to the form
Creating a contact letter query for single-record reports
Designing a contact letter report that looks like a letter
Formatting reports to fit window envelopes
Creating a command button to print letters
Editing embedded macros in command buttons
Adding extra actions to print button macros
Exporting letters as PDF, text, and Word documents
Sending reports as email attachments using Outlook
Customizing the Access ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar
Creating custom ribbon tabs and groups

Article

Today, we are going to enhance the contact management features we have built in Microsoft Access so that you can write letters directly from your database. This means you will be able to compose, format, print, and even email personalized letters for each contact, all using Access.

The first step is to upgrade the contact form. Currently, your form is likely using a standard text box for contact notes. To allow for formatted letters, swap this out for a rich text control. In Access, a rich text field lets you use bold, italics, or different fonts just like in Microsoft Word. To do this, open your contact form in design view, find the field where you want to write your letter, and change the property of the text box to support rich text. If you are starting from scratch, add a new field to your Contacts table, set its data type to "Long Text," and set its "Text Format" property to "Rich Text." Then, add this field to your form.

Once your form allows you to write and format text, you will want to be able to print nicely formatted letters for each contact. To do this, build a query that pulls up all the fields you need for the letter, such as the contact's name, address, and the new letter text field. You can use this query as the source for your printed letter.

Next, create a report designed to look like a letter. Start a new report in Access based on the query you just made. Arrange the contact's address at the top, format the page so it aligns with the window in a standard envelope, and put the letter body in the main section. Make sure your report is sized correctly for printing. It can help to print a test page and fold it to verify the address lines up with your envelopes.

To make this process more efficient, add a command button to your contact form to print the letter. Use the command button wizard or add a button manually. By default, Access will make the button open your report. However, you can edit the button's embedded macro to do more. For example, you might want to save any unsaved changes, refresh the data, or filter the report to only show the current contact's details. In Access macros, you can use the OpenReport action with a filter like this:

= "[ContactID] = " & [ContactID]

This will ensure that when you click the button, Access prints a letter only for the contact you are currently viewing.

Access also gives you several ways to get your letters out of the database. You can export your report as a PDF, a text file, or even a Word document. With Access 2007 or later, click the "External Data" tab and choose the type of export you want for your report. If you want to send the letter as an email attachment with just one click, you can use a macro or VBA. For example, this VBA code will export the current report as a PDF and create a new email in Outlook:

DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputReport, "ContactLetterReport", acFormatPDF, "C:\Temp\Letter.pdf"

Dim OutlookApp As Object
Dim OutlookMail As Object
Set OutlookApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
Set OutlookMail = OutlookApp.CreateItem(0)
OutlookMail.To = [Email]
OutlookMail.Subject = "Your Letter"
OutlookMail.Body = "Please see the attached letter."
OutlookMail.Attachments.Add "C:\Temp\Letter.pdf"
OutlookMail.Display
Set OutlookMail = Nothing
Set OutlookApp = Nothing

You might need to adapt [Email] to match your field names. This routine creates a PDF copy of your report, attaches it to a new Outlook email, and opens it so you can review or send it.

Finally, to make Access even more user-friendly, you can customize the ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar. Right-click the ribbon and select "Customize the Ribbon." You will see options to create your own tabs and groups, add commands you use often, and arrange them as needed. This can save you time if you frequently print letters or export reports.

Upgrading your contact management database in this way allows you to create, format, and distribute professional letters right from Access. The process involves enabling rich text editing for your letter fields, building mail merge style reports, automating the printing or exporting of letters, and streamlining your workflow with customized ribbon commands and buttons. With a bit of practice, managing correspondence from your Access database will become fast and efficient. If you have any trouble at any stage, reviewing table field properties, form controls, and the embedded macro settings step by step usually solves most issues. Remember, the key is to master each step before moving forward and not hesitate to experiment with Access's design and automation features. Once you get comfortable, adding communication tools to your Access projects is straightforward and very rewarding.