Method for preparing mail pieces and a kit of parts and mail preparation systems for use therein

A method for generating and printing documents and preparing mail pieces from the printed documents, using a word processing program running on a data processor, a printer for printing documents and a mail preparation system for processing printed documents into mail pieces, the method comprising:

• providing a mail merge data source containing data to be included in the documents, the data to be included in the documents being arranged in data fields each associated to a merge field and to an individual one of the documents;
• providing a digital main document containing generic information to be included in each of the individual documents and the merge fields to which the data fields in the mail merge data source are associated;
• processing the digital main document and the mail merge data source into print data representing the individual documents to be printed, the individual documents to be printed including the associated data from data fields in the mail merge data source in the positions of the merge fields to which said data fields are associated;
• printing of the individual documents by the printer in accordance with the print data;
• and
• processing the printed documents into mail pieces by the mail preparation system;
• wherein the mail merge data source includes data for selectively controlling the mail preparation system;
• wherein the printing includes printing of indicia representing said data for selectively controlling the mail preparation system;
• wherein the printed data for selectively controlling the mail preparation system are read from the printed individual documents;
• and
• wherein at least one function of the mail preparation system is selectively controlled for each individual document in response to the data read from the respective, printed, individual documents.