Mail Merge Labels in OpenOffice 2.0

This post is similar to the big post here on how to do version 1.1 labels, etc. It works pretty much the same way. However, this is a nice little standalone HTML post on how to do labels in 2.0 so you might prefer this.

First, create a database. You can do this by choosing File > New > Database. I've written an article on how to do this if you just want to connect to a spreadsheet, text file, or address book as your data source. I recommend spreadsheets.

Once you've got the database set up in OpenOffice.org, you're ready to go.

 

1. Choose File > New > Labels. (To do Envelopes, open an OpenOffice.org Writer document, and choose Insert > Envelope.)
2. In the Labels tab of the Labels window, select the data source  you created and want to use from the Database dropdown list. (Click the picture to see a larger image.)

3. Select a table, Sheet1 if you're working with a spreadsheet, from the Table list.
4. Select the first field you want to use from the Database Field list.

5. Click the arrow next to it to insert it in the text field. Type a space after the field and you can add the next field, such as LastName.

6. Use the Database Field list to insert any other fields you need. If you want fields on the second line, click after the last character of the last field you inserted, in the big text box, and just press Enter. If you need to change the arrangement later in the created label document, you can.
7. In the Brand dropdown list, select Avery Letter Size.
8. In the Type dropdown list, scroll through the billions of labels. Select the type of label you're using, 8160 Inkjet Address. The label type is on the label sheet or box of labels.

9. Click the Options tab.
10. Select the Synchronize Contents option.

11.Click the Setup button next to the printer display.
12. Select the printer you want to print to.
13. In the printer options (this will vary according to your operating system) specify the appropriate paper feed or tray. For now, select Manual Feed.
14. Click the New Document button at the bottom of the window. The labels will appear.

If you need to make changes, like adding spaces, rearranging fields, or changing formatting, do so in the upper left label, then click Synchronize to apply those changes to all labels.
Choose File > Print.
A message will ask if you want to print a form letter. Click Yes.
15. If you want to print labels for only certain records, you can select them in the scrolling list of records. Select one, press Ctrl, select the next, and so on. Or you can select a range of records like 1-20.

16. If you want to just print all the labels, choose All.
17. When you're ready, just click OK.

If you have any problems printing, check your printer setup using your operating system setup tools.

Note: You can save the label document and just go back to it again when you need to use it again.

Note: Feel free to use the formatting features. Make the text an interesting font, or make it the size you need. You can also right-click on the border of the upper right label, choose Frame, go to the Border tab, and give it a background color.

 

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Tags

OpenOffice.org    open office    OpenOffice.org training    open office training   open source   open source training   Office 12  Linux   Ubuntu   education   Microsoft Office  labels  mail merge    printing   

Comments

[Williamts99]

Just wanted to say that I love your work, I hope to attend one of your classes someday. Thank you very much. Keep up the great work!!

[Solveig]

Hi,

Thanks for your kind comment! I do enjoy showing how useful and slick the program can be. If you're in one of my classes someday, please let me know you're the one who posted. ;>

~ Solveig

[cdonnellytx]

Is there a way to tell OpenOffice to save the document in such a way as that it essentially "exports" it to another OpenOffice document that isn't attached to the data source, so that you can hand-edit the labels? The only way I found to do it was to save it as a Word document and then re-save _that_ as a standard OOo text document. Is there a more direct way?

Thanks,
# Chris

[pat]

I'm using OOo v.1.0. Is there a way to toggle back and forth between the view and a view of the document with fields filled in a'la M$Words Merge Toolbar

>
ABC

[Solveig]

Hi Pat,

"I'm using OOo v.1.0. Is there a way to toggle back and forth between the view and a view of the document with fields filled in a'la M$Words Merge Toolbar"

Sorry for the delay in responding. No, I'm sorry I don't know of one. I've looked for that feature too. I would defiinitely download 2.0.2, though, just on general principle--it rocks!

Solveig

[Marcel Kopmels]

Hi Solveig,

thanks for your article - one question though: do you know how to add label templates to the standard list so that they become selectable. We here in Europe use other formats than the standard ones in OO. Worldlabel has done a good job in creating templates but it is not entirely clear to me how to add label formats to the drop down list in OO.

thanks in advance

[Sue Trousdale]

I thought your notes on labels in OO2 were really helpful - I'd been struggling with it for a day or so! Just one question - do you know how to suppress blank lines in the addresses?

[Hugo Delgado]

Hi:
Can labels be made right out of a csv table. Right now i have to open the csv file and transform it into an open office spreadsheet (ods) then open a database and transform it into a database, then open writer and do the label thing. I find this too complicated: i can do it, but the people i work for cant.

In MS word i can at least make the labels out of a spreadsheet which reduces the number of steps.

[Kris]

Okay, this doesn't work so well for me. It seems that openoffice only creates labels for # / 3! So for every three rows of data, only one shows up in the document.

I guess I'm upgrading to 2.0.2 to see if it's fixed. :/

[Charles Dupin]

Hello,
You quote:
In the Type dropdown list, scroll through the billions of labels. Select the type of label you're using, 8160 Inkjet Address. The label type is on the label sheet or box of labels.

On my machine this dropdown list is empty, how do I populate it?
Regards,
Charles

[Rob Lockyer]

Thanks for your tutorial it was very helpful. When I try to print out a list of about 20 addresses only the last 5 addresses in the list are displayed. Should all the labels show or will it only show the last labels in the database. I have set up the labels as in the tutorial above.

I hope that you are able to advise

Regards

Rob

[REP]

Hello,

I'd love to be able to make labels with this feature. I have several existing spreadsheets with data, and have successfully set up a database using that existing spreadsheet data. However, these data sources do not show up in the dropdown list of data sources on the Labels form. So, this feature is useless to me.

[Scott Heppler]

I do most of the computer work for our eaa chapter and intend to use your article to set up a membership roster from which I can print mailing lables. Some members do not have a computer and we snail mail their news letters each month.
Is there a flag I can set in one of the columns of calc to indicate that the member does not have email so the application would only print labels for those without email address. Also, If anyone is aware of a tutorial for exporting email address to evolution for the remaining members I would appreciate a response.

Thanks

[amusinglisa]

Thank you for the wald through. I was banging my head against a wall on this one!