[Solved] I need help with OpenOffice label creation

[zanna]

i have read all the help prints on open office and have yet to get my labels printed.

i have a spreadsheet with all the information for the labels but I must be missing something. help please

[thomasjk]

I recommend http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/ for a wealth of older but still applicable help. I also suggest this article http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/art ... office_org.

[John_Ha]

... or see [Solved] Labels: not merging and db updates problem for step by step instructions to printing labels where addresses are contained in a spreadsheet.

If this solves the problem, please click the Edit button on your original post and add [Solved] in front of your subject.

[DiGro]

Did you register the spreadsheet as a datasource ?

https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Docume ... ata_source

[zanna]

yes I did

[zanna]

... or see [Solved] Labels: not merging and db updates problem for step by step instructions to printing labels where addresses are contained in a spreadsheet.

If this solves the problem, please click the Edit button on your original post and add [Solved] in front of your subject.

You mention XLS files...I can not find what you are asking for. zanna

[John_Ha]

You mention XLS files...I can not find what you are asking for. zanna

A .xls file is a spreadsheet file - you can also use .odt files. I wrote it many years ago when I was still using .xls files.

[zanna]

thank you John

[zanna]

Almost there:
1. Formatted my labels
2. Yes to print form letter
3. Mail Merge : high-lighted all lines and selected "all"
4. Print Screen came up : checked my printer and "all pages"
5. Hit Print
A sheet with labels came out -------no input from the spreadsheet on them.

Please : what did I do wrong or not do ?

[John_Ha]

Try following the step by step instructions - it looks like you did not register the database / spreadsheet.

Note that you MUST have a database (which you never actually seem to use) as well as a spreadsheet. Writer talks to the spreadsheet through the databsase.

Or see Chapter 11 - Using Mail Merge in the OOo v3.3 Writer Manual

[zanna]

Sorry to bother you.
I printed out the pages from the manual...thank you for sending the address to it.
I am still having a problem :

I register the file and I check to see it is registered ....it said yes.
I then go to print the labels.
The Mail Merge screen comes up and shows the file name listed on the left and the all the data listed on the right of the screen.
I then select Print and I ask for the first 6 records.
The data doesnot move to the labels only the format prints out.

I have tried this six times now and have pulled all my hair out (joking)
Why isn't the data moving to the labels format ?

[thomasjk]

If all you are seeing in the print out is the actual field names then Press Ctrl-F9 to tun off View Field Names.

[zanna]

The "Data to Fields" button is not highlighted.

[Villeroy]

BiblioLabels.odt

Subsequent labels made from "Bibliography" database.

(9.68 KiB) Downloaded 126 times

BiblioLabelsMerged.odt

Subsequent labels from "Bibliography" database printed to document.

(11.23 KiB) Downloaded 137 times

One selected record:
1. Remove all [NextRecord] fields from the BiblioLabels.odt
2. Print serial
3. Select one particular record by clicking on a grey row header box.
4. Select "File" as output medium.
This is the result.

BiblioLabels2Merged.odt

Sheet for a single label record made from "Bibliography" database printed to document.

(9.3 KiB) Downloaded 108 times

[John_Ha]

zanna

In reply to a private message ...

It is difficult to know from what you are saying.

Try the files in the next post (only three files or images allowed per post!) which I have built for you and see if you can get them to work.

names.odt - a spreadsheet with two names and addresses

Names Database.odb - the required database

Avery 7160 labels sheet for printing labels.odt - A document created by the File > New > labels dialogue, using Avery 7160 labels which have 3 columns of 7 labels on an A4 sheet.

Labels from names spreadsheet.pdf - the result

After you have downloaded them all into the same folder, then

1 Open names.odt
2 Open Names Database.odb
3 For your first attempt, use Avery 7160 labels sheet for printing labels.odt document which I created for you. Open it with Writer. File > Print ... It says "Your document contains address ...do you want to print a form letter?" Choose YES

4 Click the first address line at the green > arrow on the left

5 Hold shift, click the 2nd line (or 21st if you have more names). All lines are now highlighted blue.

6 Click OK and choose your printer ... and the labels print.

For your second attempt, do 1 and 2 above. Now create your own label sheet by:

7 File > New > Labels. This opens the Labels pop-up.

Database: choose Names Database
Table: choose Sheet 1
Database field: Choose Salutation, then click the big left arrow - this moves the Salutation field into the white box. Repeat for Name, Address 1, Address 2 and Address 3.

All the field descriptors will appear on one line in the box, so put a space between the Salutation and Name field descriptors. Put an Enter after Address 1 and after Address 2.
This lays out the label as
Mr Name
Address 1
Address 2
Address 3

Brand: Choose Avery A4
Type: choose L7160 Address (3 columns with 7 labels per column.

Click New document. File > Save As ..., and call it My first labels document.odt.

The print dialogue

The labels dialogue

What the form letter looks like before going File > Print ...

document.png (6.31 KiB) Viewed 6250 times

[John_Ha]

The files ...

[John_Ha]

The result ...

[zanna]

SOLVED thank you John

[John_Ha]

I think the problem was due to Java 32 bit not being installed - critically, Java seems to be needed for the database linking. I await zanna's confirmation.

See Java & Apache OpenOffice which says

Java is mainly required for the HSQLDB database engine (used by our database product Base) and to make use of accessibility and assistive technologies. Furthermore some wizards rely on Java technology.

Be aware that OpenOffice requires 32 bit Java even if you have a 64 bit machine running 64 bit Windows.

Important note for all Windows users:
The Windows version of OpenOffice is 32-bit and therefore it requires a 32-bit JRE even when you have a Windows version with 64-bit installed. Furthermore you have to install a 32-bit JRE - additionally or instead - when you already have a 64-bit JRE installed.

So, even though you are almost certainly running Windows 7 or Windows 10 64 bit, you MUST install the 32 bit version of Java for OpenOffice. This means you may have both 32 bit and 64 bit Java installed on your PC.

You can check which version of Java you have by looking where it is installed. On my Windows 7 64bit machine, 32 bit Java is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\ whereas 64 bit Java is located at C:\Program Files\Java.