KelderInventory - Label Printing System

A LibreOffice Calc macro system for printing inventory labels on Dymo LabelWriter printers. Designed for cross-platform use on both Windows and Linux.

Features

• One-click label printing directly from LibreOffice Calc
• Batch printing - select multiple rows to print multiple labels
• Cross-platform - works on Windows and Linux without external tools
• Configurable - adjustable font sizes and output modes
• Validation - mandatory field checking with clear error messages
• Dry-run mode - preview labels as PDF before printing

Requirements

• LibreOffice Calc (tested with LibreOffice 7.x+)
• Dymo LabelWriter 450 (or compatible)
• Dymo 30334 labels (12mm × 50mm / ½" × 2")

Installation

1. Download the Files

Clone this repository or download KelderInventory.ods and LabelPrintMacro.bas.

git clone https://github.com/steemandavid/inventory-management.git

2. Open the Spreadsheet

Open KelderInventory.ods in LibreOffice Calc. The macro is embedded in the file.

3. Initialize Configuration

Run the initialization macro to create the Config sheet:

1. Go to Tools → Macros → Run Macro
2. Navigate to KelderInventory.ods → Standard
3. Select InitializeConfigSheet and click Run

4. Printer Setup

Ensure your Dymo printer is named LabelWriter-450 in your system:

• Linux: Check in CUPS (http://localhost:631) or System Settings → Printers
• Windows: Check in Control Panel → Devices and Printers

Usage

Data Entry

Enter your inventory data in the spreadsheet with these columns:

Column	Field	Required	Printed
A	Box	Yes	Yes
B	Bin	Yes	Yes
C	Label row 1	Yes	Yes
D	Label row 2	No	Yes
E	Label row 3	No	Yes
F	Keywords	No	No
G	Comments	No	No

Printing Labels

1. Select one or more data rows (not the header row)
2. Click the Print Label(s) button
3. Labels will be validated and printed

Preview Mode (Dry-Run)

To preview labels before printing:

1. Open the Config sheet
2. Set Output Mode to DRY_RUN
3. Click Print Label(s) - a PDF preview will be generated

Label Layout

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Label row 1 (bold)                        03   │
│ Label row 2                               02   │
│ Label row 3                                    │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
         Labels (78%)                    Box/Bin
                                         (18%)

• Labels section (left, 78%): Up to 3 lines of text, left-aligned
• Box/Bin section (right, 18%): Box number above Bin number, centered

Configuration

The Config sheet contains these settings:

Setting	Default	Description
Font Size - Box	14	Font size in points for Box number
Font Size - Bin	12	Font size in points for Bin number
Font Size - Label 1	9	Font size for first label line (bold)
Font Size - Label 2	7	Font size for second label line
Font Size - Label 3	6	Font size for third label line
Output Mode	DRY_RUN	PRINT or DRY_RUN
Show Complete Message	NO	Show completion dialog (YES/NO)
Export Path	(document folder)	PDF export location for dry-run

Available Macros

Macro	Description
PrintLabels	Main entry point - prints selected rows
InitializeConfigSheet	Creates/resets Config sheet with defaults
ShowConfig	Displays current configuration

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
"Config sheet not found"	Run InitializeConfigSheet macro
"No rows selected"	Select data rows (not header row 1)
Validation errors	Check mandatory fields A, B, C are filled
Printing issues	Verify printer name matches LabelWriter-450
Labels not aligned	Ensure Dymo driver is installed correctly

Project Structure

inventory-management/
├── KelderInventory.ods      # Main spreadsheet with embedded macro
├── LabelPrintMacro.bas      # Macro source code (for reference/backup)
├── FSD_Label_Macro_12x50mm.md  # Functional specification document
├── README.md                # This file
├── README.txt               # Legacy readme
├── CHANGELOG.md             # Version history
├── LICENSE                  # License file
├── generate_label.py        # Python script for headless generation (optional)
└── test_label.py            # Test script (development)

Technical Details

How It Works

1. The macro creates a hidden LibreOffice Writer document
2. Page is set to portrait orientation (12mm × 50mm) matching the physical label
3. Text is rotated 90° counter-clockwise for correct reading orientation
4. Document is either exported to PDF (dry-run) or sent to printer
5. The hidden document is closed automatically

Cross-Platform Compatibility

The macro uses only LibreOffice's built-in printing capabilities without relying on:

• Shell commands (lp, print, etc.)
• Operating system-specific APIs
• External PDF tools

This ensures consistent behavior on both Windows and Linux.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Developed for basement/cellar inventory management
• Inspired by the need for quick, reliable label printing
• Built with LibreOffice Basic and UNO API

Version History

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history.

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Author: Barraam Repository: github.com/steemandavid/inventory-management