Objective:
In this How-To, we will learn how to accommodate for and use merge fields with a letter background image that has copy and images already in it. We will review the following topics:
- How to accommodate for date, customer name, and banker merge fields in Core iQ
- Merge field placement recommendations
- How to get your letter design into Core iQ
- How to adjust the font size, font, and page margins for the merge fields in the template editor - so they match the background image better
But First, How to Get Started
First, you’ll need to create your letter background image using our print guide. You can find our print guides as well as steps on how to create a letter in the links below.
- How to Create Letters/Postcards for Core iQ in Illustrator (Includes Print Guides)
- How to Create Letters/Postcards for Core iQ in Photoshop (Includes Print Guides)
- How to Create a Letter Using a Background Image in Core iQ
If you would like a few tips on getting started, please make sure to check out the How to Create a Letter Using a Background Image in Core iQ article found above. If you’ve read that article or you’re just eager to get started, then read on!
Merge Field Placement Recommendations
Let’s say you’ve started on your letter design and it adheres to our letter print guides, like our example HELOC letter below.
Now, how should you accommodate for Core iQ merge fields? Well, here are a few merge field suggestions:
- Add space above or below your background image copy. Please see circled areas below for an example. The space above the background copy is perfect for the customer name and/or a date merge field. The space below the background copy is good for banker merge fields.
- Please note:
If a Core iQ user doesn’t have any information on file to populate a certain merge field, like a signature, that merge field will be blank and will collapse so there’s no extra space. You can see this in the images below.
The image on the left is what our HELOC letter would look like when a banker has a signature on file and the banker signature merge field is used. The image on the right is what the letter would look like when a banker doesn’t have a signature on file and the banker signature merge field is used. See how the right image collapsed and eliminate some of the extra space?
- Speaking of the signature merge field, make sure to allow a little extra space towards the bottom for the banker signature merge field, if it’s used. Some users may not have a signature on file, which is completely acceptable. However, if the user without the signature on file is the one designing the letter in Core iQ, it will look like they have more space to work with than they actually do. This is because the signature merge field will collapse and not display for them in the letter preview.
So, if this letter is coming from the Assigned Banker and some of the bankers have a signature on file, this can lead to some issues, like overlapping elements or cut off copy. That's why we recommend leaving some extra space below your last line of copy and footer area/bottom of your letter. It gives you a little wiggle room.
- Please don’t leave space for a merge field in the copy of your letter design. Leaving space for a merge field in the background copy is tricky because it’s hard to know how much space you need to leave in a sentence. This can cause unwanted overlap or spacing as some merge field widths vary.
- Please Note:
If you want to include a merge field in your copy, we recommend designing your background image without your copy. Then, you may upload your design as a background image and type your message into the template editor. This will ensure your sentences are dynamic and will adjust with the merge field.
Add Your Design to Core iQ
First thing’s first, you’ll want to create a new letter template in Core iQ. Don’t forget to give the template a name in the Template Name box and assign it to a category in the Communication Category box.
Then, you’ll want to upload your letter design as a background image.
As you can see, some adjustments will need to be made to the copy in the editor - notice the overlapping text in the image below.
Letter Adjustments
Right off the bat, we see we need to adjust the copy placement (using the Enter key on your keyboard or adding padding to the template’s source code), font size, and font. In our example, we used the Enter key to move our copy down, changed the font size to 18px, and changed the font to Calibri. We also typed the customer first name merge field into our template.
To help align the merge fields with the background image copy, you may tweak the page margins. The page margins are located towards the bottom of the Front tab.
Please Note:
If you adjust the page margins, we recommend that you don’t go any smaller than the following:
- Top Margin: 2.87 - This helps keep any typed copy in the editor out of the address area.
- Right Margin: .4
- Bottom Margin: .4 - Please remember to accommodate for your footer design if you have one.
- Left Margin: .4 - This accommodates for the scanline towards the bottom left, but not the QR box.
The Final Review
Once your letter is good to go, we recommend downloading a PDF of the letter and comparing it to our letter print guide one more time. This is a great way to double check that you’ve accommodated for all the necessary areas, like address area, scanlines, and the QR box.
You are now ready to release your design into the wild! Assign it to your next automated communication schedule or report driven campaign.