How to use "mail merge" to create training certificates in PPT?

[Lee]

I created a training certificate master. Now I have to create multiple slides
and then go back and edit each one with a unique name. Is there a way to make
the name a field that i could use with a "mail merge" type command to produce
the individual certificates (slides)? I know I could do this with Word, but
in this case PPT offers me more layout options/styles, etc.

 

[Luc]

Lee,
Maybe this will be of help:
http://www.pptools.com/merge/index.html

 

[Ute Simon]

I created a training certificate master. Now I have to create multiple

slides
and then go back and edit each one with a unique name. Is there a way to
make
the name a field that i could use with a "mail merge" type command to
produce
the individual certificates (slides)? I know I could do this with Word,
but
in this case PPT offers me more layout options/styles, etc.

If you need to do that inside PowerPoint, the Add-in to which Luc pointed
you is the way to go. But if you do not need to change the certificate
graphics, you can chose Save As - PNG and insert the resulting image into
the header of a Word page as a background image. Use a text box or a table
to position the name Mergefield. Then use Word's mail merge.

Best regards,
Ute

 

[Sethu V]

Hi,
I had a similar problem and discovered a dead simple solution. Here are the steps.

1. In the ppt choose "Edit > Select All" (You can skip header/footer if not required) and Copy (Ctrl C)

2. Open a new word file and go to "File > Page setup" and choose "Landscape" layout mode (it is best for ppt slides)

3. Go to the Drawing tool bar and (if it is not visible, go to "Toolbar - Drawing". In the Drawing tool bar, click any shape (say circle). On clicking, an outline rectangular box will open up in the word document page. (Dont worry about the circle created, you can delete it later, it is just to invoke the "rectangular drawing area box"

4. Rt click your mouse in the drawing area (now shown as outlined rectangle), and just paste the ppt certificate content that you had copied in Step 1 above

5. The ppt slide content is now visible inside the drawing box. You can edit the content just by simple mouse click. At this point you have fully "editable" ppt content within a word document in landscape mode

From hereon, you can follow the standard Word Mail merge procedure (Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge > Letters (or email) and create do a regular mail merge using data sources (xl data, CSV, txt file etc).

After setting up the mail merge, simply send it as e-mail (or) "print to pdf" (or) Print to file.

Using the above method, I printed out 450 certificates which contained 4 fields that were merged from an xl sheet (Student Name, Project Name, Scores, Certificate #)

Try it out and I am sure it will solve your problem!!

No need for any add-ons or extra s/w, just MS office functionality is good enough to get this done!!

Cheers!!

Sethu V
eXample Consulting Group
http://www.eXampleCG.com
(Enabling Excellence!!)