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Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 3:38 pm
by supremegrandruler
How do I auto-fill the rest of the business cards with the same stuff I filled in the first one?

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 3:51 pm
by acknak
If you're using File > New > Labels to create the card sheet, you have to visit the Options tab and enable "Synchronize contents". That will enable a special button you can click to copy the first card on the sheet to all the others.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 3:53 pm
by supremegrandruler
I downloaded the template online and opened it from my downloads folder by double clicking on it.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:01 pm
by acknak
In that case, you almost certainly have to use copy/paste to fill in the other cards.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:04 pm
by supremegrandruler
There's gotta be an easier way...

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:18 pm
by acknak
Sorry, I don't see the problem. The template is a table, no? If so, then it's two copy/paste operations to fill out the rest of the sheet.

True, if the table includes spacer rows or columns, then it will take a bit more effort but it still shouldn't be a big deal.

If you really want to automate it, wrap the first card in a section and then paste that section into all the other cards as a link. Then you can use Tools > Update > Links to fill all the cards from the first one.

If you need to do this often, with different content, then it's worth taking some time to set up a merge to fill all the data in one operation.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:20 pm
by supremegrandruler
Sorry I guess I'm a noob. How do I fill the rest of the table in 2 copy/pastes?

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:52 pm
by acknak
If it's a simple table (no spacer cells):

Select the first cell (with the content). Make sure you have the table cell selected: click in the cell, then drag to another cell (two cells highlighted) then drag back into the first (one cell highlighted.

Edit > Copy

Select the rest of the first row (click & drag across the cells)

Edit > Paste -- the first row should be filled.

Select the rest of the table: drag the mouse from the first cell in the second row, down to the last cell in the last row.

Edit > Paste

If the table uses spacer rows/columns, then it gets slightly more complicated, but still not too bad. If you find you need help, it would speed things along if you could give us a link to the template you're using so we could see exactly what you're dealing with.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:13 am
by supremegrandruler
Alright. Thanks a lot. I've attached the template for you to see. I think it has 4 columns (only 2 of which are useable?)

Also I tried your method with 2 text boxes but it didn't work. It only copied 1 text box.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:35 am
by acknak
Sorry, I don't know what to suggest. It works for me just the way I suggested above.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:38 am
by supremegrandruler
So I guess I just can't use text boxes :/

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:06 pm
by acknak
It works just as well when I put text boxes in the first cell--or an image, or whatever.

Part of the problem may be that the template comes as .docx. OO support for the new MS Office formats still has some problems. I would look for a template in OO's native .odt format, or in the older MS Office format (.doc).

I only see two columns when I open your file.

Re: Made one business card in a template

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:29 am
by mgroenescheij
Using a template that isn't developed in the application you like to use it with will cause all kind of unforeseen problems.
Learn to use the build in functionality in OpenOffice.
File > New > Business cards is the way to create your cards