I'm trying to create a simple way for our church's computer-lightweight Music Librarian to print custom labels to go on the edge of the boxes that store each set of 50 pieces of sheet music. This is an XP, Word 2007 environment.



I want to configure a way to open Word, and feed it switches or a configuration file that instructs it to open an already-defined custom template, applying an already-formatted custom format of 5-across, 2-down labels, then opens and reads a statically-named Excel input file, and prints the labels.

A word about the "already-defined custom template:" the Avery labels used is their #5163 (2-across 4", 5-down 2"), but I need to print them in a rotated orientation of 5-across 2", 2-down 4". Avery Support (www.avery.com, 888/835-8379) was EXTRAORDINARILY HELPFUL in helping me design a Custom format that prints the #5163 labels in LANDSCAPE, with all the precise label margin, spacings & dimensions; then led me through each Word step in how to configure to print in those labels. This worked perfectly, for me, but our Music Librarian won't be able to pursue the steps.

So, I'll show the librarian how to create the needed records in a spreadsheet file, saving it with an appropriate content-indicative name (the labels are serialized), but also saving it with the static name the Word program will always open, like "Labels.xlsx". Then I hope to set up a Desktop shortcut that will invoke this special Word program that knows which template and input file to use to print the labels .. hopefully without any (or minimal) additional user input. I know about appending switches to the program invocation line of a Desktop Shortcut, but don't know which to use to tell the Word program what to do.

If Word cannot be invoked in such a manner, can you suggest some other mail-merge capable product that can be used this way?

Help me, Oh Wee Bon, Kinobe?