[aklug] Re: Printing Return Address Labels the unix Way

On Sun, Dec 16, 2007 at 11:14:03PM -0900, Fielder George Dowding wrote:
> Greetings all, earlier today Doug presented me with the problem of
> getting a Word document to print correctly in OO Writer. It turned out
> the document simply prints out return addresses labels. The Avery labels
> are four across and twenty down. Well, there is an easier way.
>
> I am reminded not to be too hard on Windows and Word users because they
> don't have much to work with. We in the unix world are spoiled because
> we expect to have all the tools that one might need to do little tasks
> such as this. Each of us probably have a preferred technique, and in
> this case, my preferred technique is to whip up a quick little
> PostScript program with the help of vim and gv.
>
> This is a first cut. I don't have the dimensions and the exact layout of
> the labels which will affect the point size of the font, the leading,
> and other dimensions needed to get the graphite in the right places on
> the cellulose. Further, I have not yet added the Document Structuring
> Conventions which make life easy when using the program on different
> platforms and printing utilities. Finally, like Arthur's comments, I
> probably have missed a point or two in good programming technique.
> Nevertheless, here it is for everyone to try. Just copy the text between
> the START and END to a plain text file with the extension of ps, i.e.:
> returnAddressLabels.ps
>
<snip>

I have an awk script that takes a label definition file and a list
of addresses and generates postscript labels via groff if anyone is
interested. Definitely the unix way, but perhaps a bit geeky these
days ...

The definition files (avery.5160, avery.5351, folders etc) are pure
roff but easy enough to modify. Address lists are simply adresses
separated by a blank line.

Let me know if you would like me to post ...

Rgds,

--
Mike Bishop 
Willow, Alaska
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