Create Mailing Labels with LibreOffice Base

Using LibreOffice Base as an address book data source allows you to streamline the process of creating and printing customized mailing labels in LibreOffice Writer. By registering a Base database containing your contact information, you can map fields such as names, street addresses, and postal codes directly onto standardized label templates. This guide provides a straightforward walkthrough for registering your database, configuring the label layout, synchronizing the fields, and printing the final batch of labels.

Step 1: Prepare and Register the Base Database

Before creating labels, your contact list must be saved as a LibreOffice Base database file (.odb) and registered as an accessible data source.

  1. Open LibreOffice Base and either create a new database with your contacts table or connect to an existing external data source (such as a spreadsheet or external address book).
  2. Save the database file on your computer.
  3. Open LibreOffice Writer.
  4. Navigate to Tools > Options (or Preferences on macOS) > LibreOffice Base > Databases.
  5. Click New, browse to select your .odb database file, assign it a recognizable registered name, and click OK.

Step 2: Set Up the Label Document

Once registered, you can pull data from Base into a label template in Writer.

  1. In LibreOffice Writer, go to File > New > Labels.
  2. Under the Labels tab, locate the Data source section:
    • Database: Select your registered Base database.
    • Table: Select the table or query containing your contact records.
    • Database field: Select a field (e.g., “First Name”) and click the left-arrow button to insert it into the Label text box.
  3. Arrange your fields in the Label text box by adding spaces, commas, and line breaks to format the address correctly (e.g., First Name Last Name, Street Address, City, State ZIP).
  4. Under the Format section, select your label brand and type (such as Avery Letter Size), or switch to the Format tab to enter custom dimensions.
  5. Go to the Options tab and check the Synchronize contents option.
  6. Click New Document to generate the label sheet.

Step 3: Synchronize and Preview Data

  1. The generated document will display the layout for the first label along with <Next record> markers across subsequent label boxes.
  2. If you need to make formatting changes (such as adjusting fonts or margins), edit the top-left label and click the floating Synchronize Labels button to apply the changes across the entire sheet.
  3. Press F4 (or go to View > Data Sources) to open the data source viewer above your document to verify that your Base records match the fields.

Step 4: Merge and Print the Labels

  1. Select File > Print.
  2. A prompt will appear asking: “Your document contains address database fields. Do you want to print a form letter?” Click Yes.
  3. In the Mail Merge dialog box:
    • Choose to print All records or select specific rows.
    • Under Output, choose Printer to print immediately, or choose File to save the merged output as a new document for final review.
  4. Click OK to complete the merge.