import addresses and print labels

Hi Raymond

OpenOffice.org handles labels separately from Mail Merge (which is only for letters). This does cause some confusion!

You start on labels with File > New > Labels which gives you a Labels dialogue where you can set up your labels and specify the format of the labels. On that dialogue you also specify a Database and a Table in the Database. That Database can be a spreadsheet and the Table can be a worksheet in the database. You can then select a field (assuming you have column headers) and insert it into the label text.

When you have the addresses exported to a CSV file, open it in OOo and save it in ODS format.

Before you can use that spreadsheet as a Database you need to register it as a OOo Database. To do this:

- File > New > Database
- Click on 'Connect to an existing database' and select 'Spreadsheet' from the drop down list. Click Next >>
- Browse to your spreadsheet. Click Next >>
- Uncheck 'Open the database for editing'. Click Finish. You will be asked to save the Database definition file, You can give it the same name as your spreadsheet and OOo will add a .odb extension.

Now, back in the Labels dialogue, you will find it in the drop down list of Databases and be able to set up your label, When you have done that, click New Document. You will get what I call a Merge Master. Then do File > Print. and select Yes in the dialogue that asks you 'Do you want to print a form letter'. This gives you a Mail Merge dialogue where you can do all sorts of things. I will leave you to explore, but for now click on File for the Output, then OK. You will be asked to save a document containing the labels. I would also suggest your save the Merge Master document because you can open it and do File > Print any time you want these labels again.

Just one tip, before I finish. Print your labels on plain paper first and check the registration with the actual labels sheet. I find sometimes the lines are too tight to the left and need to be spaced in a bit.

Hope that all helps

Tony

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