> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.outboundlegal.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Set up your letter template > Build a Word letter that prints right: merge fields, the address block, page count, double-sided printing, police reports, and labels. Each time a letter campaign runs, we fill in your Word letter for every new prospect. If you print the letters yourself, we put them all in one PDF and email it to you. This page covers the choices that decide how that PDF prints. ## 1. Write the letter in Word * Use a Word file (.docx), letter size (8.5" × 11"). * Put prospect details in with merge fields in double braces, such as `{{first_name}}`. The full list is under **Merge fields** below. * Upload it under **Marketing → Templates**, on the **Letter** tab, with **Upload letter template**. * Click **Test** on the template. Test fills in sample details so you can see the finished letter. A merge field that's misspelled prints as a blank, so read the test letter closely. ## 2. Put the address where the envelope shows it If you use window envelopes, place the address block where the window falls when the letter is folded. Print a test letter, fold it, and hold it up to your envelope before your first run. Use this address block, so a second address line only prints when there is one: ``` {{first_name}} {{last_name}} {{address1}}{% if address2 %}, {{address2}}{% endif %} {{city_state_zip}} ``` ## 3. Decide how the letters print: one side or both The **Double-sided printing** option is on the **Output** step of the campaign. Set it to match how your printer prints. **What the option does:** whenever a letter, a police report or the cover page ends on an odd page, we add a blank page after it. That way each person's letter starts on a fresh sheet of paper. > [!WARNING] > > If your printer prints on both sides, turn **Double-sided printing** on. If it's off, a one-page letter has nothing on its back, so the next person's letter prints there. That person's letter would then go to the wrong person. | Your printer prints | Set Double-sided printing to | What you get | | - | - | - | | One side only | Off | Every page on its own sheet. | | Both sides | On | Each letter and each police report starts on a new sheet. Pages print front and back. | ### Print the letter on one side and the police report on both With **Double-sided printing** on, you can choose how each page of your letter prints. Blank pages in your Word file stay blank when printed. * **A one-page letter** already prints on its own sheet, with a blank back. You don't need to change anything. Police reports print front and back. * **A two-page letter you want on two separate sheets:** add a blank page after page 1 in your Word file, so the file reads page 1, blank, page 2. We add the last blank page for you. * **A two-page letter on one sheet, front and back:** leave the file as it is. Click **Test** after you add blank pages, to check the page order. ## 4. Choose how police reports come Two options on the **Output** step add police reports. You can use either one, or both. * **Insert police reports** puts each person's police report right after their letter, in the same file. Each envelope gets the letter and the report together. * **Include combined police reports in a single file** sends all the run's police reports as their own file, apart from the letters. Use it to keep the reports for your records, or to print them separately. When **Double-sided printing** is on, each police report also starts on a new sheet. ## 5. Know what the first page is Every letters file starts with a **cover page**. It lists everyone in that run, with their name and address, so you can check the letters against it. Don't mail it. ## 6. Add address labels (optional) To print labels instead of addressing envelopes, set up a label template on the **Label** tab of **Marketing → Templates**, then pick it in the campaign's **Template** step. * Labels print on **Avery 5168** sheets: four 3.5" × 5" labels per sheet. * **Return Address** has three choices: * **Use my firm's address** prints your firm's name and address from **Settings → General**. When you update Settings, these labels update too. New label templates start here. * **Custom return address** prints an address you type for this template only. * **No return address** leaves it off. With either address, the label also prints the **Advertisement Notice**, the text that marks the mail as an advertisement. * **Teaser messages** are short lines printed above and below the address, to get people to open the mail. * **Mail Permit Information** prints your bulk-mail permit number and post office on the label, if you have one. ## 7. Fill in the phone number The **Output** step asks for a **Destination phone**. That's the number printed wherever your letter has `{{campaign_phone}}`. If you use call tracking, the tracking number prints instead, and calls forward to the destination phone. ## Merge fields | Field | What prints | Example | | - | - | - | | `{{first_name}}` | Prospect's first name | John | | `{{last_name}}` | Prospect's last name | Doe | | `{{address1}}` | Street address | 123 Main Street | | `{{address2}}` | Second address line, if there is one | Apt 4B | | `{{city_state_zip}}` | City, state and ZIP | Newark, NJ 07102 | | `{{crash_date}}` | Date of the crash | 01/31/2026 | | `{{crash_city}}` | Town where the crash happened | Newark | | `{{report_number}}` | Police report number for the crash | 26-01234 | | `{{campaign_phone}}` | The campaign's phone number (see step 7) | (555) 123-4567 | | `{{firm_website}}` | Your website, from **Settings → General** | [https://yourfirm.com](https://yourfirm.com) | | `{{firm_name}}` | Your firm's name, from **Settings → General** | Smith & Jones LLC | | `{{firm_address}}` | Your firm's street address, from **Settings → General** | 12 Main Street | | `{{firm_city_state_zip}}` | Your firm's city, state and ZIP, from **Settings → General** | Hackensack, NJ 07601 | Put your letterhead in with these tags, for example `{{firm_name}}`, then `{{firm_address}}` and `{{firm_city_state_zip}}` on the next lines. When your address changes, update it once in **Settings → General** and every letter after that uses the new one. \| `{{date}}` | The date the letter is made | 01/31/2026 | \| `{{date_text}}` | The same date, written out | January 31, 2026 | Older field names, such as `{{person_first_name}}` and `{{address3}}`, keep working, so templates you already have don't need changes. Postcards don't fill in merge fields. See [Campaigns](https://docs.outboundlegal.com/help/campaigns.md) for postcard templates, and [Mailing options](https://docs.outboundlegal.com/help/mailing-options.md) for who prints and mails. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.