Avery 5366 template does not work

[jjburke]

Using StarOffice8, Windows XP current SP. Printer HP-2040 laser printer. And Java version build 1.6.0_10-ea-b11 (in case this matters)

Problem. When I set up a page to print Avery 5366 File Labels, printing is quite incorrect. I print with manual feed. Using default font and settings. Manually typing each line of text. I am actually using Avery 8066 labels and the Avery page is helpful and told me to use the Avery 5366 template.

1. Each label box is vertically off. Each line of text in the top of the label crowds the top label border. This top crowding is cumulative and gets very bad toward the bottom of the labels.

2. The right hand column margin for the individual label boxes prints too far to the left by about two spaces.

Help, this is most annoying. Was this actually tested with a full page? Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,
Jim Burke

[jjburke]

On item 2. That's the right hand column. Then within that right column, the left margin is too far to the left.

[acknak]

Unfortunately this is very hard to talk about clearly. I don't understand much of what you wrote beyond the fact that the printed labels don't match the label sheet. E.g. I don't know what you're referring to when you say "label box".

Can you attach your Writer document here? Maybe that would help. A scan or digital photo of the document is another possibility.

Here's something that I often do to try and debug precise printouts like this:

In the Writer editing window, each label should have a boundaary (probably gray). Click on that. Green square "handles" should appear around the boundary.

Now do Format > Frame > Borders. Line arrangement: All four borders. OK

The borders should automatically appear on all the labels.

Now print that on a plain piece of paper. Compare the printed label borders to the label sheet (align the sheets over a bright light source). That should let you see exactly where Writer's labels are going off compared to the label sheet, without having to waste a sheet of labels by printing on them. The label text is positioned strictly according to those frame borders, so if they're off, the text will be as well.

The other thing that would be helpful is to have the exact layout of the actual labels. I couldn't find that online, except for a "compatible" sheet from worldlabel.com. It would be nice to have the exact dimensions from Avery (or whoever makes the labels you have). It could well be that Writer has the wrong dimensions.

[jjburke]

Thanks Akanak,

All your suggestions are great. I did change the document as you suggest and printed on an actual label. The boxes are indeed misaligned.

PRINTER. I originally listed the BZZT WRONG printer above. I have an BROTHER HL 2040. If this is the problem I would get a different printer.

MY TO DO
1. Scan the "boxed" vs "labels" sheet. To an image file.
2. post that here if possible.
3. Post the document too.

Thanks,
Jim Burke

[acknak]

Well, I looked around a little more and I'm still not sure what's going on. Nothing new there.

The label dimensions look right, at least as far as I can find looking at sites selling compatible labels. Avery seems to not want to tell what the dimensions of their sheets are--at least I can't find them on their site. The two compatible sheets I found (two different sites) actually show slightly different layouts, although the labels themselves are the same (or nearly).

If the label borders in the test print are consistently off by the same amount as you go down the page, then you can adjust the page margins (Format > Page > Page > Margins) to move everything up/down or left/right. Change only the left or top margins--ignore the other settings. Also, do not change the page size (even though it's not set to "Letter").

If the label borders in the test print get further out of position as you go down the page, then you have to change the label height, which you can do by clicking the border of the top-left label and using Format > Frame > Type > Height to change it's height. All the others will follow the change automatically.

[cmhele]

I am having a problem with all of the following US Letter Avery templates:
Seems like no matter what template I choose for US Letter Avery if I look at the Page style for Paper format the format is wrong.

Brand type, Page size
Avery Letter size 5164, 8.55x10.52
Avery Letter size 5261, 8.55x10.52
Avery Letter size 5263, 8.55x10.52
Avery Letter size 5366, 8.55x10.51

How or why are these above templates choosing the wrong size paper?
Letter size paper is 8.5 x 11 I don't really have a problem that the length of the page is shorter than letter, but the 8.55 is wider than 8.5 and causes problems. I am trying to convert an office that has been using MS office & they print labels all the time & the labels will not print properly use OO.
I have tried both 2.4 & 3.0 on winxp with the same results.

I can work around the problem by changing the format of the Avery labels & adjust the left margin & Horizontal pitch & then saving as a custom label. Somewhat of a hassle to do that for every installation.

[acknak]

How or why are these above templates choosing the wrong size paper?

It's a slightly screwey story, but there is a reason for it.

For all the printers I've worked with, it doesn't matter what the application thinks the paper dimensions are, as long as the printer settings specify letter-size paper. The only time it makes any difference is when the document actually tries to print in those regions, which the labels don't.

I agree, the shipped templates for standard label products should "just work" without needing this oddball setup, but unless you can make a case that the current template really don't work, I don't think there's going to be a lot of interest in 'fixing' it.

How does the strange paper size cause problems for you?

You should be able to make a customized OOo install set, including your tweaked templates, which you can then deploy, or you can just install more templates in the shared template directory and teach people how to find them.

[tmorosco]

Here was my solution:

From the File Menu, Choose New > Labels

From the Type menu, choose 5366 File Folder- White

(for me, this is where I entered the information for the label.)

Click the Format tab at the top of the window.

Next to Horizontal Pitch, change 4.00 to 4.55 (might need some fine tuning, I was doing a quick & dirty)

Click the Options tab at the top of the window.

Click on Setup to change the printer from Generic to your printer.

Click New Document.

Worked great for me! I too was using Avery 8066 labels.

Tony

Ubuntu 10/Open Office 2.4.1

[TheGurkha]

Thanks for the hint.