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Posted by Jerry Stuckle on 04/22/07 14:01
Aerik wrote:
>>> Perhaps absolutely positioned divs? If you get the sizes and
>>> proportions right, then it's just a matter of setting the margins
>>> properly in the browser.
>> Doesn't work. You don't know the characteristics of the printer (i.e.
>> margins, etc.).
>>
>> A 1/2 inch top or bottom margin makes a big difference on a 2"x3"
>> mailing label.
>>
>>> Simpler still (maybe even simpler than your Word / mail merge
>>> solution): Find or create a template in Excel for your labels. In
>>> all the cells, put in formulas pointing to the second sheet. On the
>>> second sheet create an external data source that pulls from an html
>>> table. The html table is dynamicly generated by php and holds your
>>> data. It doesn't matter what the formatting of the table is, all the
>>> formatting is done in excel. To get a new list of labels, in Excel
>>> right click in the external data source and click "refresh". Easy.
>>> Aerik
>> Same problem.
>>
>> HTML is a recommendation only. It is not suited for exact positioning
>> like the op requires.
>>
>
> Wait a minute - having done several implementations of exactly what I
> described above (web data into excel for printing) - what do you mean,
> "same problem"? Certainly in html there are a bunch of variables
> besides the absolutely positioned divs to deal with, but I think it's
> reasonable to assume the user can manage the margins in their print
> setup - if not, then they're probably not equiped to load label stock
> into their printer. I think the PDF is a fine suggestion, but the
> level of complexity is not insignivficant (at least with the few pdf
> libraries I've looked at). You've gotta learn the pdf class, get your
> data into it into whatever font you choose, and get it positioned
> right. Dumping it into any old html table and importing it into excel
> is a piece of cake. Maybe not the *best* solution, but probably the
> *simplest*.
>
> Aerik
>
I would absolutely love to see you print Avery labels on any printer
using just HTML. And BTW - I don't have Excel available, so I can't
import it. I do have Adobe Reader available, however, on my Linux system.
It's quite easy to do in a pdf. And I haven't found pdf classes that
complicated. A little studying and I was able to easily create a PDF
form for one of my clients with fpdf.
--
==================
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Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex@attglobal.net
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