How to print custom-sized labels

[jdorin]

I need to print a contiguous subset of records from a table, not the whole table. I'm using a standard Avery #5349 label page, but need to print them in a vertical orientation (2 1/3" wide x 3 3/8" high; 4 across w/2 down), so I have to create a custom landscape label to print on regular 8 1/2" x 11" paper, but defined as landscape 11" x 8.5". When I do Print Preview, and orient the printer to Landscape, the Print Preview still shows Portrait, so I'm losing labels off the right side of the screen.



I know I can export the table to an Excel spreadsheet (to be used by Word's label print functions); the custom label page definition there is correct, and the labels print correctly. But I'm trying to simplify the whole operation by printing the labels from Access.

QUESTIONS
1. When designing the Access custom label definition, the Edit Label page graphic doesn't reorient and redimension the labels' layout as I enter each label dimension (as it does in Word), so I'm not sure which dimensions are correct (I've tried both ways). When I go for the Print Preview (and specify that the printer is to honor Landscape mode), I'm told that the dimensions won't fit on the page .. and I've seen the Help messages that say to ignore this if printing multiple labels .. "it'll probably print OK." Do I just (in my mind) rotate the graphic 90º and enter the measurements as I do in Word?

2. I haven't gotten to this point in Access yet: can I format each field differently (font, size) in the 1st label, then replicate that label's design across all (as in Word), then fill with data from the table?

3. I'm a DB lightweight .. how to select a range of records from a table to print to the labels? I don't want to print the whole thing.

4. Similar to #3: if I decide to export a table to a spreadsheet for input to Word, how to export just a range of records? I've been exporting the whole table, then editing the spreadsheet to delete the unwanted records, before inputting it as the Recipient List to Word's label print functions.

CROSS-PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT
I'm trying to develop the necessary techniques at home on my Windows 7, Office 2010 platform. When I get it all figured out, I'll try to implement it on the target platform: my church's XP Office 2007 environment. So if you see incompatibilities, please mention them.

Help me, oh Wee Bon Kinobe?

[June7]

1. I have one report designed as 'label' output. It is also landscape and outputs properly, even in PrintPreview. The form is set up as multi-column so records output across then down. Don't know why graphic would have to rotate.

2. Each textbox control can have its own Font setting.

3. Several ways to accomplish. Parameterized query is one. Passing filter to report with WHERE CONDITION argument of DoCmd.OpenReport is another.

4. Apply criteria to a query and export the query.

There are features in 2010 that can make a file incompatible with 2007 but as long as you don't use them, 2007 should be able to read the file.