Skip to content

GENERATE MAIL MERGE A4 LABELS FROM AN AD-HOC REPORT

Create Label Template

The same template can be used multiple times by refreshing the data in the spreadsheet and overwriting the original spreadsheet with the updated data. The field names must remain the same on each sql export.

  1. Launch OpenOffice Writer.

  1. OpenOffice Writer defaults all documents to be in a book style format and you should amend the print settings as follows to avoid printing a blank page between each printed page.

  2. Click the Tools Menu and Options.

  3. Click the + symbol to the left of Open Office Writer

  4. Remove the tick from Print Automatically Inserted Blank Pages. >

To link your spreadsheet so that you can import the data saved on the spreadsheet into your labels, you need to identify the spreadsheet as a database in the Database Selection box. To do so:

  1. Click Field>Other from the Insert menu.

  2. Click on the Database tab and then click on Mail Merge Fields.

  3. Click Browse in the Add Database File section. Browse for and double-click your saved spreadsheet.

Close the Insert Fields selection box.

  1. Now select New>Labels from the File menu.

  2. Click on the Options tab and select Entire Page and Synchronise Contents.

  3. Click back on the Labels tab. Your linked spreadsheet will now be available for selection in the Database box..

  4. In the Tables box select Sheet 1.

  5. Your fields will now be available for selection in the Database Fields box. Add the relevant fields to the label layout by clicking on each field and clicking the left arrow, making sure that you reposition the cursor after each entry.

  6. In the Format box, click Sheet.

  7. In the Brand box, select the brand of labels that you are using, eg Avery A4.

  8. In the Type box, select the label reference for the type of labels that you are using, eg L7160 or L7161.

  9. Click New Document and the current document now becomes your label template. You can save the template at this point if you wish, or save it later when completing the merge.

Run the Ad-hoc Report

  1. Select Reporting>Ad-hoc Reporting.

  1. Click Open then search for and double-click the required report.

  2. Execute the report and then click Spreadsheet on the toolbar. The report results will be displayed in a spreadsheet. Each entry on the spreadsheet will result in a letter being produced for that client.

Save the spreadsheet. The name is important as this will be linked to the mail merge template. If you use the same name each time, but just update the data, then this will simplify the merge routine.

Completing the Merge

Open your template (if it is not already open) and select Mail Merge Wizard from the Tools menu.

  1. Select starting document: Leave as Use the Current Document and click Next.

  1. Select document type: Leave as Letter and click Next.

  2. Insert address block: Check that the correct spreadsheet is > listed as the Current Address List and click Next.

  3. Create a salutation: Click Next.

  4. Edit document: Click Next.

  5. Personalise the document: Click Next.

  6. Your options now are as follows. You can choose each of them in turn.

  7. Save your starting document – There is no need to save your > starting document as the template has been previously saved.

  8. Save merged documents. To save your merged document/s, click > this option, click Save as a single document and click the > Save Documents button (taking care not to overwrite your > template when naming and saving your merged document/s).

  9. Print merged documents. To print your labels, click this > option, check that the correct printer has been selected in the > printer box. Click Print all Documents and click the Print > Documents button.

  10. Click Finish when complete and close all documents.