Form Letter List Window

The Form Letter List Window is opened by accessing the Form Letters Menu -> Letters -> Open or Rename Form Letters or by clicking on the Letters button on the main toolbar..

Parts of the Form Letter List Window

	Opens the Form Letter Window and created a new Form Letter. Click here for more information on creating a Form Letter.
	Opens the currently selected Form Letter. Click here for more information on finding a Form Letter.
	Duplicates the currently selected Form Letter. Click here for more information on duplicating a Form Letter.
	Deletes the currently selected Form Letter. Click here for more information on deleting a Form Letter.
	Prints the currently selected Form Letter. Click here for more information on printing a Form Letter.
	Displays the Form Letter Info Window for the currently selected Form Letter. Click here for more information on this window.
	Drop down menu allowing for different ways to search for a Form Letter.
From	Allows for searching for a Form Letter via a search range. This field begins the search range.
To	Allows for searching for a Form Letter via a search range. This field ends the search range.
Letter Name	The file name of the letter currently displayed.
Active?	Shows whether the letter is currently active for use.
Is Template	Shows whether the letter is a template to be used for the creation of other letters.
Template Name	Shows the name of the template used in the creation of the letter.
File Name	The data set being used for the merge fields of the letter.
Folder	The folder that the letter is currently saved under.

Recent Form Letters Menu

Recent Form Letters Menu

This menu shows a list of recently used form letters for quicker access to the letters..

Tasks Menu

This menu is used for creating new form letters, editing existing form letters, and merging form letters with data.

Parts of the Tasks Menu

Formatting

Format Menu Items

The Format menu is used for adjusting the format of the text and paragraphs of the letter.

Parts of the Format Menu

Style	This opens up the Format Style Converter window for changing the style of the text. For more information on style click here.
Font	This opens the Format Font window for changing the font of the text. For more information on fonts click here.
Paragraph	This opens the Paragraph Properties window for changing the format of paragraphs in the letter. For more information on paragraphs click here.
Bullets and Numbering	This opens the Bullets and Numbering window for formatting text with bullets or numbering. For more information on bullets and numbering click here.
Page Size	This opens the Format Page Size window for the adjusting the properties of the letter page. For more information on page size click here.

Format Style Converter

The Style Menu is a sublevel of the Format Menu under Form Letters. The Style Menu lists templates of the most used font styles and sizes. It allows setting the style and size in which the text will be displayed, or to change the style and/or size of the currently selected text.

Parts of the Format Style Converter

	Adjusts the style of the selected template. For more information on the style tab click here.
	Sets the font for the selected template. For more information on the font tab click here.
	Defines the paragraph dimensions for the selected template. For more information on the paragraph tab click here.
	Determines the bullet and numbering format for the selected template. For more information on the numbering tab click here.

Format Style Converter - Style Tab

Parts of the Style Tab

Converter	This style is a 12 point Geneva font.
Heading 1	This style is typically used for the first heading of a section. It is a 16 point Helvetica font.
Heading 2	This style is typically used for a second-level heading in a section. It is a 14 point Helvetica font.
Heading 3	This style is typically used for a third-level heading in a section. It is a 13 point Helvetica font.
Normal	This style is typically used for the body of a paragraph. It is a 12 point Times New Roman font.

Format Style Converter - Font Tab

Font Tab
Font	A drop-down menu listing all available fonts that can be used in the letter.
Font Size	A drop-down menu listing standard point sizes for the font selected. Sizes may also be entered in the field manually.
Style	This style section refers to the style of the font. The available options are Bold, Italics, and Underlined.
Text Color	The color of the text may be changed either by using the color picker button on the right hand side, or the list of default colors below.
Script	The script section allows for the text to be formatted as either Superscript or Subscript.

Format Style Converter - Paragraph Tab

Parts of the Paragraph Tab

Paragraph Tab
First Line Indent	Sets the indent of the first line of each paragraph.
Left Indent	Sets a left indent to all lines of a paragraph.
Right Indent	Sets a right indent to all lines of a paragraph.
Alignment	A drop-down menu allowing for the adjustment of the alignment of the paragraph. The available options are Left, Center, Right, and Justified.
Line Spacing	A drop-down menu to set the spacing between lines in a paragraph. The available options are Single, 1.5, and Double.
Spacing Before	Sets the spacing before each paragraph.
Spacing After	Sets the spacing after each paragraph.
Tabs	Sets any tab stops that should be on the page. An example of a tab stop would be L2.50 which places a Left Tab at 2.5".

Format Style Converter - Numbering Tab

Parts of the Numbering Tab

	Text is not in list format or removes list format from selected text.
	Converts the text to a list with bullets.
	Converts the text to a list with numbers and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with numbers and a parentheses separator.
	Converts the text to a list with upper case letters and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with upper case letters and a parentheses separator.
	Converts the text to a list with lower case letters and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with lower case letters and a parentheses separator.
	Converts the text to a list with roman numerals and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with roman numerals and a parentheses separator.

Format Font Window

The Font Menu is a sublevel of the Format Menu under Form Letters. The Font Menu allows the changing of the font and size of the text for input, or to change text that is currently selected.

Parts of the Format Font Window

Font	A drop-down menu listing all available fonts that can be used in the letter.
Font Size	A drop-down menu listing standard point sizes for the font selected. Sizes may also be entered in the field manually.
Style	This style section refers to the style of the font. The available options are Bold, Italics, and Underlined.
Text Color	The color of the text may be changed either by using the color picker button on the right hand side, or the list of default colors below.
Script	The script section allows for the text to be formatted as either Superscript or Subscript.
	Closes the Format Font window without applying any changes.
	Applies the changes to the text and closes the Format Font window.

Paragraph Properties

The Paragraph Menu is a sublevel of the Format Menu under Form Letters. The Paragraph Menu allows the adjustment of the paragraphs in the letter.

Parts of the Paragraph Properties Tab

First Line Indent	Sets the indent of the first line of each paragraph.
Left Indent	Sets a left indent to all lines of a paragraph.
Right Indent	Sets a right indent to all lines of a paragraph.
Alignment	A drop-down menu allowing for the adjustment of the alignment of the paragraph. The available options are Left, Center, Right, and Justified.
Line Spacing	A drop-down menu to set the spacing between lines in a paragraph. The available options are Single, 1.5, and Double.
Spacing Before	Sets the spacing before each paragraph.
Spacing After	Sets the spacing after each paragraph.
Tabs	Sets any tab stops that should be on the page. An example of a tab stop would be L2.50 which places a Left Tab at 2.5".
	Closes the Format Font window without applying any changes.
	Applies the changes to the text and closes the Format Font window.

Bullets and Numbering Window

The Bullets and Numbering Menu is a sublevel of the Format Menu under Form Letters. The Bullets and Numbering Menu allows the addition or adjustment of lists in the letter.

Parts of the Bullets and Numbering Window

	Text is not in list format or removes list format from selected text.
	Converts the text to a list with bullets.
	Converts the text to a list with numbers and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with numbers and a parenthesis separator.
	Converts the text to a list with upper case letters and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with upper case letters and a parenthesis separator.
	Converts the text to a list with lower case letters and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with lower case letters and a parenthesis separator.
	Converts the text to a list with roman numerals and a period separator.
	Converts the text to a list with roman numerals and a parenthesis separator.
	Closes the Format Font window without applying any changes.
	Applies the changes to the text and closes the Format Font window.

Format Page Size Window

The Page Size Menu is a sublevel of the Format Menu under Form Letters. The Page Size Menu allows the adjustment of the size and orientation of the letter..

Parts of the Format Page Size Window

Paper
Paper Size	The drop-down menu displays a list of standard paper sizes. The user may also enter custom sizes below or select the custom format from the list.
Orientation	The drop-down menu allows a change between orientating the paper in Portrait or Landscape.
Height	Displays the height of the paper when a size is selected above or allows the user to enter a custom height.
Width	Displays the width of the paper when a size is selected above or allows the user to enter a custom width.
Margins
Top	Sets the size of the top margin in inches.
Left	Sets the size of the left margin in inches.
Right	Sets the size of the right margin in inches.
Bottom	Sets the size of the bottom margin in inches.
	Closes the Format Font window without applying any changes.
	Applies the changes to the text and closes the Format Font window.

View Menu

The View menu is used for adjusting the view of the letter in the Form Letter Window.

Parts of the View Menu

Scale Menu

The Scale menu is used for adjusting the zoom of the letter in the Form Letter Window.

Parts of the Scale Menu

Insert Menu

The Insert menu is used for inserting special objects into the letter. An example of these objects would be hyperlinks or tables.

Insert Custom Field Window

The Create Custom Field Menu is a sublevel of the Insert Menu under Form Letters. The Create Custom Field Menu allows for the creation of custom fields to be added to a letter using selected text.

Parts of the Insert Custom Field

Display Options
Name	The name of the custom field.
Description	A description of what the custom field does.
Evaluation Options
Strip empty lines from result	When checked, Theatre Manger will remove any empty lines from the data returned.
Multi row field, evaluate for each record	When checked, Theatre Manager will remove any empty lines from the data returned, and check on a line by line basis.
Insert Options
Make available to other users	Makes the custom field available to other users.
Insert as text box	Inserts the custom field as a text box.
	Cancels the current operation. Closes the window and performs no action.
	Performs the current operation. This will add or alter the custom field that has been created.

Insert Table Window

The Table menu is used for inserting a table into the letter. Tables allow text to be formatted into rows and columns in order to create a better presentation.

Parts of the Insert Table Window

Number of Rows	The number of rows to create the table with.
Number of Columns	The number of columns to create the table with.
Fit Across Page	When checked, Theatre Manager automatically determines the column width in order to fit the table to the full width of the letter.
Column Width	The width of the columns to be set when the table is created.
	Cancels the current operation. Closes the window and performs no action.
	Performs the current operation. This will add the table to the letter.

Insert Row Field Window

The Row Field menu is used for inserting a table with data fields into the letter. This table consists of columns of data fields to present a list of information. This is typically used to list a tickets that have been purchased or donations that have been made.

Parts of the Insert Row Field Window

Headers & Footers
Create a header row	Creates a header row for the table listing the fields that are used.
Bold	Sets the header row in bold typeface.
Fill Color	Allows changing the color of the header row background.
Create a footer row	Creates a footer row for the table. The footer row typically contains sub-totals of the information in the table.
Bold	Sets the footer row in a bold typeface.
Fill Color	Allows changing the color of the footer row background.
Columns
	Adds another row field to the table.
	Deletes the row field from the table.
	Moves the placement of the row field up. This will place the column farther left in the table.
	Moves the placement of the row field down. This will place the column farther right in the table.
Database Field	The database field to be used as a column header.
	Displays a drop-down menu to allow the lookup of database fields.
Column Header	Allows a description to be entered as the column header rather than using the database field.
Total	When checked, the total will be displayed for this field instead.
	Cancels the current operation. Closes the window and performs no action.
	Performs the current operation. This will add the table to the letter.

Form Letter Info Window

The Form Letter Info Window opens when a new Form Letter is created, or by pressing the Info button on the Form Letter Window.

Parts of the Form Letter Info Window

Form Letter Details
Name	File name of the Form Letter.
Folder	The Form Letter Folder where the letter will be saved.
Data	The type of data that can be contained within the letter. Refer to file selection for mail lists for additional assistance as the merge fields on a letter follow the same principles as the search criteria on mail lists or reports.
Template Options
Based On	The template type that will be used in creating this letter.
Save as Template	The current letter will be saves as a template to be used for future letters.
	Cancels the new letter if the letter has not been saved, or cancels the changes to the letter info.
	Sets the info for the letter. The letter must be saved also to save all changes.

Context Menu

The Context menu is reached by right-clicking (CTRL + click for a single button mouse) anywhere in the Form Letter window. This menu is useful for quickly doing operations. This is also where the option to add database merge fields is located.

Parts of the Context Menu Window

Adding a Merge Field

When creating a Form Letter, the purpose is typically to pull data from Theatre Manager automatically so that letters or e-mails can be sent to patrons. To do this, database fields are placed in a generic Form Letter.

1. In the Form Letter window, place the cursor in the position that the database field is to be located.

   

2. Right-click to open the Context menu and go to the Insert Data Base Field option.

   A list of database categories will appear. For more information about the Context menu click here.

   

3. Select the category that the database field resides under.

   A sub-menu will open showing all of the database fields that reside in the category.

   

4. Click on the field to be used in the letter.

   The field will now appear in the letter.

   

5. Repeat these steps for all merge fields that need to be entered.

   If a wrong field is selected, simply click on the merge field in the letter and press the DELETE key on the keyboard.

Show Data

Merging through the Patron Window

When adding a Form Letter or Email to a single Patron's record, it is often easiest to merge using the capabilities of the Patron window.

1. Open the Patron's record from the Patron List window.

   Click here for more information on this process.

2. Click on the Letters Tab at the bottom of the Patron window.

   

3. Click the Add button and choose whether to add a Letter or an Email.

   This will open the Form Letter Selection window.

   

4. Enter the search parameters or simply click the Search button.

   If no search parameters are entered, Theatre Manager will return a list of all form letters.

5. Click on the letter(s) to add to the patron to select them.

   To select multiple letters, use the OPTION key (Mac) or the CTRL key (Windows).

6. Check whether the letter will be sent as a Letter or an Email with the radio buttons in the bottom left of the window (will match the choice you made when you first clicked Add), and click the Select button at the bottom right of the window.

   An email address and SMTP mail server must be entered into Company Preferences to send emails. Patrons to whom emails are being sent will need an email address entered into the Patron record.

7. The Form Letters Selection window will close and the user will be returned to the Patron window.

   The Letter or Email will be added to the Patron's Letter tab for later printing.

   For more information about printing the letter or sending the email, click here.

Merging a Letter through the Membership Detail Window

When adding a membership to a Patron, it is possible to also add a letter to the Patron. This can be done from the Membership Detail Window. To access this window:

Select the Membership tab.

Select the appropriate membership from the list and click Open

1. From the Membership Detail window, click the Letter tab.

   Click here to learn how to sell a membership.

2. Click the Add button and choose whether to add a Letter or an Email. The Form Letter Selection window will open.

   

3. Click on the letter to add to the Patron to select it.
4. Click the Select button at the bottom of the window.

   An email address and SMTP mail server must be entered into Company Preferences to send emails. Patrons to whom emails are being sent will need email addresses entered into their Patron records.

5. The user will now be returned to the Membership Detail window.

   The letter will now appear under the Letters Tab of the Patron window.

   Click here for more information about printing the letter or sending the email.

Merging a Form Letter through Volunteer Activity

This method is used to merge a letter with a specific volunteer activity performed by the patron. If the patron has not performed any volunteer activities a letter cannot be merged until an activity is entered.

1. Open the Volunteer History window.

   Click here to learn how to open the window.

   

2. Under the Position tab in the top right, select an Activity from the list.

This will open the Activity History Detail window.



3. Click on the Letters tab.

   

4. Click the Add Button button.

   The Form Letter Selection window will open.

5. Enter search parameters in the From and To fields, or simply click the Search button.

   If the search parameters are left blank, a list of all letters will be displayed.

6. Click on the letter to be used.
7. Click on the Add Letter button or click on the Add Email button.

   An email address and SMTP mail server must be entered into Company Preferences to send emails. Patrons to whom emails are being sent will need email addresses entered into their Patron records.

8. The user will be returned to the Volunteer Activity Detail window.

   The letter will now appear under the Letters tab of this window. The letter will also appear under the Letters tab of the Patron window.

   To find out more information about printing this letter, click here.

Merging Form Letters with Donations

As you are creating a new donation for a patron Theatre Manager gives you the option to merge the donation with a form letter. This letter could be a Thank You or Invitation to special donor only events. A variety of letters can be easily setup using Theatre Manager to create new letters. For more information on Form Letters . If you require to merge letters with many donations or tax receipts refer to Merging Letters & Tax Receipts using reports.

Merging a Form Letter with a Tax Receipt

1. Insert the donation.

   Click here to learn how to insert donations.

2. Selection the Donation in the Patron Donations tab.
3. Click the Open button.
4. Select the Receipts tab.

   

5. Select the receipt to merge the letter with.
6. Click the Add button.

   The Form Letter Selection window will open.

   

7. Click the Search button to generate a list of Form Letters.
8. Select the Form Letter to add to the donation.

   Single click on a letter to select it.

9. Click the Select button button.

   The selected letter(s) have now been merged with the receipt and will be printed when the Batch Function "Print Charitable Receipts for Donor" function is initiated.

To merge a Form Letter with a Donation

1. Insert the donation.

   Click here to learn how to insert donations.

2. Selection the Donation in the Patron Donations tab.
3. Click the Open button.
4. Click the Pledge Schedule/Contacts tab.

   

5. Click the Add button.

   This will open the Form Letter Selection Window.

   

6. Click the Search button to generate a list of Form Letters.
7. Select the Form Letter to add to the donation.

   Single click on a letter to select it.

8. Click the Add button.

   The selected letter(s) have now been merged with the donation and is ready to print. Click here to learn more about printing letters.

Merging a Form Letter to a Batch of Patrons

1. Click on the Form Letters menu, and go to the Form Letters >> Form Letters menu.
2. This will open the Form Letter list window.
3. Click on the letter to be used in the merge.

   If there are a large number of letters the search function at the base of the window may need to be used. Simply type in part of the letter name to search for and click the Search button.

4. Click on the Letter Merge button at the top of the window.

   This will open the Letter Criteria window.

    

5. Click on the New button to add criteria.

   This will open the Add/Edit Parameter window.

6. Enter the criteria that is to be used in merging the letter.

   In this example we will be adding all Patrons who have numbers between 1 and 50. For more information on criteria, click here.

   

7. Click the Add/Continue button to add additional criteria, or click the Save button to save and return to the Letter Criteria window.

   

8. Click the Done button.

   The Merge Form Letter window will now open displaying all of the results based on the criteria.

   

9. Make any changes to the letters as needed.

   Click here for more information on this window and the actions that can be performed.

10. When all actions have been completed, highlight the letters to be merged, and click the Merge button.

    To highlight all of the letters, click on any letter and then use OPTION + A (Mac) or CTRL + A (Windows).

    This will open the Merge Parameters window.

    

11. Adjust the Parameters as necessary.

    For more information on this window, click here.

12. Click the Continue button to execute the Parameters.

    If "Print Now" was selected, then the user's Print Dialog will open. If the "Print Later" option was selected, then the letters will be merged and stored for printing at the set time. Remember that at least one user must be logged in for the letters to print if an after-hours time was selected. If no user is logged in, then the letters will print the next time a user logs in, after the time set has been reached.

    For emails, if "Email Now" was selected, then the emails would be merged and immediately sent. If "Send Later" was selected, then the emails would be merged and stored to be sent at the set time. For emails to be sent a Web Sales Listener must be active. The Web Sales Listener handles the sending of all emails, especially if the emails were sent in limited batch amounts.

    

13. When the Merge is completed, the user will be returned to the Merge Letter window with a report of the merge now displayed.

    

14. The user can now close this window and continue other operations.

Merging a Mail List with a Form Letter

Theatre Manager has a powerful marketing tool for postal mailings or email blasts built right in to the software. One of the most commonly used merge features in the Letters module allows a user to merge a mail list with a form letter both created using information contained in your database. The following few pages describes and illustrates the process of merging a mail list with a letter then either printing the result or sending it via email to the intended recipients.

Deleting a Batch of Merged Letters

After completing a merge process, and setting it to print or email later, the user may discover the need to delete the batch.

1. Go to Form Letters >> Tasks >> Print Letters/Send Emails.

   This will open the Print Letters Criteria window.

   

2. Adjust the criteria as needed for the employee who created the batch.

   To edit a set of criteria, double click on it.

3. Click the Done button.

   This will open the Patron Letter window.

   

4. Select the letters from the batch and click the Delete button.

   Multiple letters can be selected by using OPTION + click (Mac) or CTRL + click (Windows).

   Click here for more information on this window.

Merge Letter Window

The Merge Letter window is used to adjust the settings of a letter merge prior to the merge.

	This button will open the selected letter in a preview window so that it can be customized before sending to the patron. This window is similar to the Form Letter window in the features it supports.
	This button will remove the selected letters from the merge process. This can be used if there are patrons who should not be receiving the letter without changing the merge criteria.
	This button will print or email the selected letters immediately based on the setting in the status column.
	This button will remove any customization or unique characters in the selected recipient letter in the list. This action will only apply to those letters which are highlighted.
One per ticket	This radio button when selected populates the letters list with one letter per ticket in the patron's record. Patrons with multiple tickets will receive multiple letters.
One per patron	This radio button when selected populates the letters list with one letter per patron regardless of ticket data. Each patron will receive just one letter.
Consolidate tickets (Patron)	This radio button when selected will merge all ticket data in the patron's record into one table and populate the list with one letter per patron. Multiple household patrons may each receive a letter if tickets are in multiple individual records in the household.
Consolidate tickets (Household)	This radio button when selected will merge all ticket data in the household's records and generate one letter to the primary household patron.
Print Letters	This radio button when selected marks all letters as to be printed in the status column.
Email Letters	This radio button when selected marks all letters as to be emailed in the status column.
If no email address - Ignore Letters	This radio button becomes active if the "Email Letters" button is chosen. If there is no e-mail address attached to the patron record, then the letter will be ignored.
If no email address - Print Letter	This radio button becomes active if the "Email Letters" button is chosen. If there is no e-mail address attached to the patron record, then the letter will be printed.
Status	An icon of the current status of the letter. There is a legend at the bottom of the window with a description of each icon.
Patron #	The patron record number of the patron the letter is being sent to.
First Name	The first name of the patron.
Last Name	The last name of the patron.
Phone/Email/Website	The phone number, email, and website for the patron are displayed here if available.
Company	The name of the company associated with the patron if available.
Letter Name	The name of the letter currently being sent to the patron.
Context Menu	The context menu is opened by right-clicking on a letter in the window. This menu allows a number of actions to be performed. Click here for more information about the Context menu.
	Closes the Merge Letter window without completing the letter merge. This does not apply to any letters that have been sent using the Send/Print Immediately button.
	Opens the Merge Parameters window to allow completion of the final step of the Merge process. Click here for more information on the Merge Parameters window.

Merge Parameters Window

The Merge Parameters window is the final step in the Form Letter Merge process. This window is used to determine when the letters are either printed or emailed.

Printing
Print Now	When this radio button is selected, all letters will be printed immediately.
Print Later	When this radio button is selected, all letters will be added to the To Do list to be printed later. For more information on printing from the To Do list, click here.
Print on/at	When this box is checked, the letters will be printed at the date and time set in the field. This is for automating the printing process during a later time such as after-hours. Remember that a user must be logged in for the letters to print.
	Opens the mini-calendar for selecting a later date to print the letters.
E-Mailing
Send using <User> address	This radio button will contain the e-mail address of the user currently creating the batch. When selected, all e-mails will be sent using the user's e-mail address.
Send using <Organization> address	This radio button will containt the e-mail address of the company. When selected, all e-mails will be sent using the organization's e-mail address.
Send Now	When this radio button is selected, all letters will be emailed immediately. Based on the setting of the Merge Letter window, patrons without e-mail addresses may also begin printing.
Send Later	When this radio button is selected, all letters will be added to the To Do list to be emailed later. For more information on emailing from the To Do list, click here.
Send on/at	When this box is checked, the letters will be emailed at the date and time set in the field. This is for automating the emailing process during a later time such as after-hours. Remember that a Web Sales Listener must be logged in for the letters to be emailed.
	Opens the mini-calendar for selecting a later date to email the letters.
Batch Size	When the Send on/at feature is enabled, a batch size can be set in this field to limit the number of emails sent per hour. This is useful if the organization's ISP has a limit on the number of emails that can be sent per hour.
	Closes the Merge Parameter window without completing the merge.
	Continues the Merge process based on the parameters set.

Using the Context Menu during a Merge

The Context Menu is available by right-clicking in the Merge Letter window. This menu gives the user access to additional operations that can be performed prior to the merge.

Change Action Menu

Previewing a Form Letter

Parts of the Form Letter Preview Window

	Saves the custom changes to the merged Form Letter specific to the patron.
	Reverts to the last saved version of the letter.
	Prints the current Form Letter. Click here for more information on printing Form Letters.
	Checks the spelling of the current letter.
	Exports the letter as an RTF document to be opened in another application. Click here for more information on exporting a Form Letter.
Formatting Pallette	The fomatting pallette allows easy access to many common word processing functions. For more information on this feature, click here.
Context Menu	The Context Menu, also known as the right-click menu allows for adding new fields and making other adjustments to the letter. For more information about using this menu, click here.