Form letter with fillin fields

You could use form fields; see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/FillinTheBlanks.htm and especially the forms tutorials by Dian Chapman that this article links to.

If you need to be able to edit any of the letter aside from these fields, then you will be better off using MacroButton fields; see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/TblsFldsFms/UsingMacroButton.htm. You can use F11 to go from one field to the next.

In either case, you should save the form document as a template and create new letters based on that template. In the case of form fields, this will save you from having to clear the form in order to made a new letter. In the case of MacroButton fields, they are overwritten when you fill them in.

• a "fill in the blank" form as Suzanne described
• a "template" using "Custom Properties"
• a Mail Merge

Which one you end up using depends entirely on how you work.

Here are some more links on these various concepts. There is a lot of repeating information, the trick is to pick out the specific parts and pieces from each article that specifically do what you need:

Text Form Fields in Word 2007 http://word.tips.net/T003868_Text_Form_Fields_in_Word_2007.html

Locking Document Formatting http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=731710&seqNum=14

Setting Up a Document for Structured Editing http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=731710&seqNum=16

Repeating Data or Populating Fields http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/repeating_data.html

Content Control Enhancements — Word 2013 Preview http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/contentcontrol_enhancements_word_2013.html

Using Content Controls to Repeat Form Fields in Microsoft Word 2007 and Word 2010 http://www.sharepointjohn.com/using-content-controls-to-repeat-form-fields-in-microsoft-word-2007-and-word-2010/

Formfield Userform Listbox http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/formfield_userform_listbox.html

How to create an electronic form using Word 2010 content controls http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/msoffice/how-to-create-an-electronic-form-using-word-2010-content-controls/4841

Add Classic Form Controls to Ribbon Developer Tab http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/add_classic_form_controls.html

Content Controls – Word’s Diamonds in the rough http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/Old_Tip_Pages/Content_Controls.htm

Create & Employ a Userform http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/create_employ_userform.html

10 steps to creating a Word input form http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-steps-to-creating-a-word-input-form/3262?tag=nl.e059

Interactive Userform http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/interactive_userforms.html

Part 1: Create professional looking forms in Word

                http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=22

Part 2: Adding Automation to your Word forms.

                http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=46

Part 3: Learn more VBA (macros) to automate your forms.

                http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=119

Part 4: Use custom dialog boxes in your Word forms

                http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=127

Part 5: Connect your AutoForm to a database to save input time and keep better records!

                http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=136

Create forms that users complete or print in Word http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/create-forms-that-users-complete-in-word-HA010030746.aspx

Create an e-form with a Word table http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/msoffice/?p=790

Protecting Parts of a Document http://word.tips.net/T001685_Protecting_Parts_of_a_Document.html

Turning Off Document Protection http://word.tips.net/T000919_Turning_Off_Document_Protection.html

Safely Relocking Forms http://word.tips.net/T001570_Safely_Relocking_Forms.html

·    Automated Boilerplate Using Microsoft Word

·    Word 2007 Building Blocks & Autotext by Greg Maxey - walks you through the concepts and galleries for building blocks - how to create and organize them - including ways that Microsoft may not have conceived! Includes downloadable enhancements.

·    Replacing All Building Blocks

·    Adding an AutoText Entry

·    Deleting an AutoText Entry

·    Working more efficiently with Word 2007's new building blocks

·    Create and use content Building Blocks in Word 2007 documents

·    Create and distribute boilerplate text - Word 2007

·    Building Document Generation Systems from Templates with Word 2010 and Word 2007

·    Building Blocks Intro - Intro page with links to 4 more pages

·  BoilerPlate Add-In for Word by Bill Coan, MVP

·  AutoText Manager by Chris Devrell

http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Repeating_Data.htm

http://word.tips.net/T000661_Creating_Custom_Document_Properties.html

http://wordribbon.tips.net/T007794_Inserting_Custom_Properties_with_Fields.html