I sometimes print partial sheets of library book spine labels, merged from a file. I want to populate each sheet vertically from left to right so that it can be used again with reduced risk of labels peeling off in the printer. Thanks, k
A few thoughts:
- Don’t do it! Any label sheet which has been “handled” (labels pulled off) may have loose label corners prone to pulling off when it goes through the paper feed. If that happens, it is likely to cost the library more than you pay for a box of label sheets. How much info do you have on each label? (Decimal “Dewey” key, Alpha key, Genre/section, color coding, more?) Can you use multiple labels on each book (one for each class of info), and/or generalize the info? With that you could keep preprinted sheets for each info class.
- Investigate your options. If you have access to a large format (A3/US ledger) printer, it will usually be configured to run A4/letter sheets sideways, so columns become rows (from a mechanical point of view) and you can largely avoid the “vertical” requirement. Many modern large format copiers can double as printers, and I would think that a library needs a printer/copier with support for the larger formats.
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Use something else. A label printer with USB connectivity does not cost a lot. If the volume of printout is modest, this may be a better solution. First creation of label templates may be tricky, and If the label printer does not install as a “system printer” but requires its own software, you may need to copy/paste label content for each print run, which you may find too much of a hassle.
You don’t want to run a label sheet through the printer more than two or three times, as the heat and rolling action of the fuser will gradually degrade the adhesive and bend the sheet so labels come loose regardless of how careful you are. Many small runs, as is not unlikely with this type of labels, is a bad thing. - "Handmade" template.
- Set page margins to zero (or the width of whatever edging there is on the label sheets).
- Format the page for multiple columns (as many columns as you have labels sideways on your sheet)
- Insert a single column table. Set row heigth to equal label heigth (+ spacing if any)
- Insert mailmerge (database) fields into each cell. Begin all cells except the first with a “next record” field.
Well that’s a lot of information but it doesn’t go to the question.
Are you saying that a single column table running down 3 “page columns” (as outlined in the “Handmade” template section) does not work for you, or did that part just drown in all the other things I wrote?
Sorry if you think that the initial parts constitute bloat. I thought it worth mentioning.