LibreOffice Writer label merge problem

[DavidTigger]

LibreOffice 7.1.5.2 (X64) on Windows 10 Home

I have a problem with using label printing. I have created an ODT document with a template of 2 x 7 labels, each label with several fields. I have used the document for printing 50 sheets of labels successfully. I came to do a second label merge using the same document but a new XLS spreadsheet as a database. I registered the spreadsheet as a database and the all new rows show in data sources.

The problem comes when I try and do the print of the labels. It only prints every other label starting with the first. I also noticed it prints the first label in the right column, the third in the left column, the fifth in the right column and so on. None of the even ones are printed.

I have tried saving the document, creating a new spreadsheet and registering it, using a different version of LibreOffice on my laptop. All show the same problem. I ‘solved’ my problem by taking the last row in the spreadsheet and making it the first. As expected it printed the new odd (originally even) rows. So the problem seems to live with the document, rather than the spreadheet or version of LibreOffice.

Creating the ODT file is a pain and not simple for not IT people. I was hoping to be able to just send the ODT file to otehr people so they could reuse it.

I have attached test versions of ODT, XLS that demonstrate the problem.

Any suggestions please?

LOAddressLabelsTest.odt (16.7 KB)
TestLabels.xlsx (13.5 KB)

[ajlittoz]

You likely have inserted twice the “next record” field, causing effectively skipping every other record.

Concerning the “mis-order” of the labels, I noticed you encapsulated your label templates in frames. Frames are scanned in their order of creation, not left to right, top to bottom. Remember that frames are used to insert data outside the main text flow. Therefore they have no order relationship to any human “natural” reading direction.

A 2-column page or a set of sections would be easier to keep control on page filling order. Your present use of sections inside the frames is pointless (a section is meaningful only to temporarily change the number of columns in the current text flow).

If you insiste on using frames, prepare your label template in a single frame. When done, copy, paste and position the other frames in order (so that the order of creation matches the human page reading order).

PS: unless you intend to share your sheet database with people using M$ Office, save your spreadsheet in native .ods format to avoid compatibility issues.

[DavidTigger]

Thank you for your prompt response. You were quite correct there was an extra ‘Next Record’. I was not aware of ‘Next Record’ until your email.

I have created a new document without Frames and the order is now correct.

I left it as XLS in case the incompatibility was with Excel format, but in future will bear your comment in mind.

Thanks for your help