Printing labels
To create mailing labels, create a
Labels layout or a Vertical Labels layout. You can choose from several pre-designed label types or specify custom dimensions for your labels.
Labels layouts use
merge fields, which expand or contract to fit the data in the field, and use no space if the field is empty.
To create a Labels layout or Vertical Labels layout:
The
New Layout/Report assistant appears. For onscreen help as you work in the assistant, press F1 (Windows) or Command-? (OS X).
2. For Show records from, choose the table that contains the records you want to use for your labels. For Layout Name, type a name for the layout.
3. Choose Printer, then choose either Labels or Vertical Labels. Click Continue.
4. In the Specify Label Layout panel, choose either Use label measurements for and choose from the list of standard label types, or choose Use custom measurements and enter values for your labels’ dimensions. Click Next.
5. In the Specify Label Contents panel, double-click the fields whose data you want on the labels, in the order you want the fields to appear.
•If the first line of the labels includes the first name and last name fields, type a space between the two merge fields in the Label contents box.
•To place a field on a new line, press Enter (Windows) or Return (OS X).
•Add any punctuation (such as a comma) or spaces where you want them to appear on the printed labels.
6. Click Finish.
7. Insert the labels sheets into your printer, and print the labels. For printing tips, see the next section.
Considerations when you print labels
Because FileMaker Pro considers the selected printer and print or page setup information when it calculates margins and other measurements on the layout, you must verify these settings before you create a Labels layout.
To verify printer settings for a Labels layout or Vertical Labels layout:
1. Choose File menu > Print Setup (Windows) or Page Setup (OS X).
In
Preview mode, you can also click
Print Setup (Windows) or
Page Setup (OS X) in the
status toolbar.
2. In the setup dialog box:
•Choose the printer you plan to use.
•If you’re using individual sheets of labels with a laser or inkjet printer, select the size of the label sheets (usually US Letter in the United States and A4 elsewhere), then click OK.
•If you’re using continuous-feed labels with a dot matrix printer, create a custom paper size equal to the dimensions of one label. (A custom paper size will minimize the back-and-forth movement of the printer platen and save label paper.) Specific instructions vary depending on your printer type, but generally you should set the paper width to the width of your label stock, and the height to the height of one label. You may have to redefine a rarely used paper size instead of creating a new custom paper size. Refer to your printer manual for details.
If you define a custom paper size for printing labels on a dot matrix printer, this changes your default print or page setup information. Make sure you reset these options before you print other layouts.
Notes
•FileMaker Pro uses merge fields when you create a Labels layout or Vertical Labels layout. You can't enter or edit data using merge fields; switch to
Browse mode or use another layout for that purpose.
•To print one record on many labels, make your layout the same size as your sheet of labels. Set up one label. Duplicate the fields so that they can be placed at the right location to print on all the labels. Then, print the labels.
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