Basic LibreOffice
Basic LibreOffice is a foundation course in the free, open source office suite, covering Writer for documents, Calc for spreadsheets and Impress for presentations, along with working with Microsoft Office files and exporting to PDF. It suits public and private sector staff, people who handle documents daily and organisations looking to cut software licence costs.
- Duration12 hours · 2 days
- FormatOnsite / live online
- Next roundOn request
- CertificateIncluded
Course overview
LibreOffice is a free, open source office suite that grew out of OpenOffice.org and is released on a regular schedule. It includes Writer for documents, Calc for spreadsheets and Impress for presentations, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and opens and saves Microsoft Office files, which makes it an option for organisations that want to cut software licence costs or use the open ODF file standard.
This course lays the foundations of the current LibreOffice, starting with installation, Thai language settings and working with Microsoft Office files. Learners then format documents in Writer with styles, tables, images, a table of contents, Track Changes and Mail Merge, and export to PDF. They go on to spreadsheets in Calc, with formulas, data management, pivot tables and charts, and build presentations in Impress. The course closes with a workshop that produces a set of office documents from a real work brief. (2 days, 6 hours per day, 12 hours in total, Beginner level.)
What you’ll gain
- Install LibreOffice and set it up for working in Thai
- Open, edit and save Microsoft Office and ODF files correctly
- Format documents in Writer with styles, tables, images and page settings
- Build long documents with a table of contents, and use Track Changes and Mail Merge
- Calculate and manage data in Calc with formulas, functions, AutoFilter and Validity
- Summarise data with pivot tables and present it with charts
- Create presentations in Impress with master slides and export them to PDF
Who this course is for
- Public and private sector staff who use LibreOffice or are moving to it
- People who work with documents, spreadsheets and presentations every day
- Organisations that want to reduce office software licence costs
- School and university students and anyone interested
Prerequisites
- Able to use a computer and Windows
- Able to use the internet and manage files
- Able to install and uninstall software
- No previous experience of LibreOffice or Microsoft Office is needed
Curriculum
Course Details
This course is a 2026 edition that replaces the previous Basic OpenOffice.org course. It has been rewritten for the current LibreOffice. It runs for 2 days, 6 hours per day (12 hours in total, 09:00-16:00), as lectures with labs. Beginner level. Day one focuses on documents in Writer, from Thai language settings to Mail Merge and PDF. Day two covers spreadsheets in Calc and presentations in Impress, with a workshop that produces a set of office documents. Every lab uses LibreOffice, which is a free download from libreoffice.org. Learners take home a lab guide, practice files and the document and slide templates they create.
Day 1 Getting Started with LibreOffice and Documents in Writer
Section 1: Lab: Getting to Know LibreOffice and Initial Settings
- LibreOffice and OpenOffice.org, and the twice-yearly release cycle
- Install Writer, Calc and Impress, and choose the Standard or Tabbed user interface
- Set up Thai language, default fonts and the spelling checker
- Lab: configure the suite for working with Thai documents
Section 2: Working with Microsoft Office Files
- ODF file formats (.odt, .ods, .odp) compared with .docx, .xlsx and .pptx
- Open, edit and save Microsoft Office files, and set the default save format
- What tends to shift when switching programs, and how to check before passing files on
- Lab: open sample Word and Excel files, edit them and save them back
Section 3: Lab: Formatting Documents in Writer with Styles
- Document standards: margins, line spacing and paragraph layout
- Paragraph and character styles instead of formatting text piece by piece
- Numbered lists, bullet points and typing with tabs
- Lab: format a circular letter consistently throughout with styles
Section 4: Lab: Tables, Images and Page Layout
- Create and format tables, including calculations in tables
- Insert images, position them and wrap text around them
- Page styles, headers, footers and page numbers
- Lab: a quotation with a table, logo, header and footer
Section 5: Long Documents, Tables of Contents and Templates
- Heading styles and the Navigator for multi-page documents
- Create an automatic table of contents and update it when content changes
- Create and use document templates for your organisation
- Lab: an annual report with a table of contents and section-based page numbering
Section 6: Lab: Track Changes, Mail Merge and PDF
- Track edits with Track Changes and add comments
- Mail Merge from a list in Calc to produce letters or certificates
- Export to PDF and PDF/A, with image quality and password settings
- Lab: personalised invitation letters from a list, exported to PDF
Day 2 Spreadsheets in Calc and Presentations in Impress
Section 7: Lab: Getting Started with Spreadsheets in Calc
- Cells, sheets and selecting ranges quickly
- Import data from CSV files and fix numbers stored as text
- Format numbers, dates and currency, and freeze the header row
- Lab: a monthly income and expense sheet with formatting
Section 8: Common Formulas and Functions
- Relative and absolute cell references with the $ sign
- SUM, AVERAGE, ROUND, IF, COUNTIF and SUMIF
- Look up data with VLOOKUP and with XLOOKUP, available in recent LibreOffice releases
- Lab: calculate sales and staff commission based on conditions
Section 9: Lab: Managing Data in Calc
- Multi-level sorting, and filtering with AutoFilter and Standard Filter
- Control data entry with Validity and pick lists
- Subtotals and conditional formatting to highlight key values
- Lab: an equipment register that can be filtered, totalled and highlighted
Section 10: Lab: Pivot Tables and Charts
- Create pivot tables to summarise large amounts of data without formulas
- Choose the right chart type for the data and format it for readability
- Sparklines to show trends inside cells
- Lab: summarise sales by product and month with a chart
Section 11: Lab: Building Presentations with Impress
- Layouts, master slides and creating an organisation slide template
- Insert images, tables and charts, and draw shapes
- Transitions, animation and the Presenter Console while presenting
- Lab: a results presentation with a chart from Calc, exported to PDF
Section 12: Workshop: A Set of Office Documents with LibreOffice
- Workshop: produce a report, a summary sheet and slides from the same brief
- Pass files to Microsoft Office users and check the layout before sending
- Moving your organisation's documents and templates to LibreOffice
- Where to find help in LibreOffice Help, and keeping up with new releases
Schedule & training options
For individuals — public rounds
No public rounds are open right now. Join the waiting list and we will contact you first when the next round opens, or ask us on LINE. Or call 02-570-8449 or 088-807-9770
For organisations — in-house / private
- Tailor the content to your team’s tools and projects
- Your dates, at your office or live online
- Quotation with tax ID for procurement
Instructors
Frequently asked questions
What is LibreOffice and can it replace Microsoft Office?
LibreOffice is a free, open source office suite that grew out of OpenOffice.org. It includes Writer for documents, Calc for spreadsheets and Impress for presentations. It can replace Microsoft Office for everyday office work because it opens and saves docx, xlsx and pptx files, with ODF as its own standard format. Documents with very complex formatting or macros may shift when switching programs, so check them before passing them on.
How do you create an automatic table of contents in LibreOffice Writer?
Apply heading styles such as Heading 1 and Heading 2 to every level of heading. Place the cursor where the table should go, then choose Insert, Table of Contents and Index to insert a table of contents that picks up the headings and page numbers automatically. After editing the content, right-click the table and choose Update Index to bring it in line with the latest version of the document.
How do you summarise data with a pivot table in LibreOffice Calc?
A pivot table summarises large amounts of data without formulas. Make sure the data has complete column headings and no blank rows, select the range and choose Insert, Pivot Table. Drag fields into Row Fields, Column Fields and Data Fields, for example to show total sales by product and month, then click OK to create the summary. When the source data changes, refresh the pivot table to update the results.
Who is the Basic LibreOffice course for, and what should I know beforehand?
It suits public and private sector staff who use LibreOffice or are moving to it, people who work with documents, students and organisations that want to cut office software licence costs. You do not need to have used LibreOffice before; you only need to be able to use a computer, the internet and Windows, and to install and uninstall software.
What will I be able to do after the Basic LibreOffice course?
You will be able to set up LibreOffice for Thai, work with Microsoft Office files, format documents in Writer with styles, templates, a table of contents and Track Changes, run Mail Merge and export to PDF, calculate with formulas, manage data with AutoFilter and Validity, summarise with pivot tables and build charts in Calc, and create slides and slide templates in Impress. Participants who complete the training receive a Certificate of Completion with its own number, which can be verified online.
Can the Basic LibreOffice course be run in-house for our team?
Yes. It can be run in-house for your team, with examples adapted to your own work, such as the document forms or spreadsheets your organisation uses while it moves to LibreOffice. You can request a quotation from this page, or contact us on LINE @itgenius or by phone on 02-570-8449.