Ultilabel is an innovative user-friendly label printing program. It was designed with simplicity in mind - even the most novice of users will find it simple to use. Even so, it is still the most powerful currently available.
Ultilabel allows the user to easily create a page full of labels, each containing graphics or text, or a mixture of both. Ultilabel is produced in alliance with Avery and is supplied with 53 Avery layout files. However, if you use labels from other manufacturers or wish to use your own formats, then layouts can be customised within Ultilabel. The Avery codes (e.g. L7160) are Trademarks of Avery Dennison Ltd.
Ultilabel will work on any Acorn Archimedes or RISC PC with a minimum of 1Mb RAM and RISC OS 3.10 or above.
Ultilabel can be installed on a Hard Disc but the licence which is granted is for the use of the program on a single machine. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for further information. A site licence is available; please contact Le Computer for details.
You will need to merge the new !System which is included on the Ultilabel disc with your own !System. Use !Sysmerge, which is also supplied on the Ultilabel disc, to do this.
The RISC PC uses its own Merge facility. However, you may encounter problems dropping the new !System onto the RISC PC Merge application, the result of which would be that the new module has not been incorporated into your !System directory. If you do experience this problem, all you need do is to copy the 'drawfile module' into your !System.modules directory (if you are unsure about this operation please refer to your Acorn user manual.)
Loading Draw Files into Ultilabel
Open the label window by clicking on the Ultilabel icon on the icon bar. A window is shown on the screen with the default layout of 21 labels - 3 across x 7 down. Open a window with your selected draw file in and 'drag and drop' the file into the Ultilabel window. The draw file will be shown in each of the labels.
Clicking with the Menu button on the Ultilabel icon on the icon bar and selecting 'Choices..' will bring up another dialogue box where you can specify the border between the draw file and the edge of the label in the Layout - Label border section.
The other items on the Choices dialogue box refer to fine tuning when importing a CSV file and changing the default layout, which are explained later.
Sprite files need to be dropped into Draw first and saved as a draw file and then they can be used as a draw file in Ultilabel.
Loading CSV Files into Ultilabel
The import of CSV files is the most powerful feature of Ultilabel.
A CSV file is a Comma Separated Variable format file. There is nothing complicated about CSV files they are simply text separated by commas and/or inverted commas. By holding down the Shift key and double clicking on the CSV file which is supplied in the DemoFiles directory on the Ultilabel disc, you will see the file loaded into !Edit (using RISC OS 3). This is a file which has been saved out from a database program. Each record starts on a new line.
Open the label window by clicking on the Ultilabel icon on the icon bar. A window is shown on the screen with the default layout of 21 labels - 3 across x 7 down. Open a window with your selected CSV file in and 'drag and drop' the file into the Ultilabel window. This will show your records on the labels and automatically opens the Import CSV dialogue box. By default, Ultilabel assumes that you wish to print all your records so there is a tick next to the 'All' box and the total number of records is greyed out. 'Partial' is explained later.
Pages - The 'Import CSV dialogue box will show how many pages (sheets) of labels will be required for the number of records you wish to print. This automatically updates if you change the number of labels per record or start at a label other than the first.
Show page - You can cycle through the pages and check them on screen by clicking on the up and down buttons or typing in a page number.
Labels per record - This option is useful if you wish 2 or more labels to be printed for the same record. For example you may be sending out 3 parcels to the same customer and need to have the customer's name and address on all three parcels.
Start at label - This feature is only to be found in Ultilabel and is used if you have a sheet of labels which has been partly used. This avoids wastage by allowing you to select which label to start printing on.
Vertical offset - This value (in millimetres) tells Ultilabel how far down the label you want the CSV text to start. You might not want the text to start right at the top of the label, perhaps, when you have the 'Mix' option set on the main menu.
Horizontal offset - Similar to vertical offset, horizontal offset tells Ultilabel how far across the label you want the CSV text to start.
Font size - This number (in points) is the size of the text used on the labels (only for CSV text) - although if one of the lines is wider than the label can accommodate, Ultilabel will take the point size of the text on that label down so that it will fit on the label.
Line spacing - This is the leading between lines of text on the labels.
Font - You can select the font you wish to use on your labels by clicking over the name of the font in the box and you will be shown all the available fonts in your !Fonts directory. The font can be selected in the usual way by clicking with the 'select' button on the mouse.
Partial - By clicking on the Partial box a tick will be seen next to 'Partial' instead of next to the 'All' box. This enables you to select a Start and End record from the CSV file. Click in the editable white boxes and type in the record numbers you wish to start and end with. The number of pages required to complete the CSV file according to other selections will be automatically. This can be used if you have saved out a CSV file from a database with the first record being the fieldnames (as in the example CSVfile in the DemoFiles directory). By starting at label 2 you need not edit the CSV file to delete the header record before importing it into Ultilabel. It is also used when printing part of the CSV file.
The text can be aligned using the left/centre/right Align buttons.
Editing the Layout
Whilst we provide standard layouts which will meet most needs, a sheet of labels can be customised within Ultilabel. Choose Edit from the main menu and the Edit page layout dialogue box appears. The Tab key, the cursor keys and the Return or Enter keys allow you to move from one field to another.
Labels on page - This is the number of labels present on your sheet. Type in the values you require for across and down the page.
Label size - This is the exact size of the label itself. Type in the width and height (in mm) of labels required.
Border sizes - This is the border between the labels and the outside of the complete page. Type in the size of the margins (in mm) to the left and top of labels.
Page size - These are the dimensions of the whole page. The default is set for an A4 sheet (210mm x 297mm). Type in the width and height (in mm) required.
Space between labels - These are the dimensions of the gaps between each label on the sheet. Type in the width and height (in mm) of the gaps you require.
The Main Menu
The Ultilabel Menu shows all the various available options.
The save Menu:
Layout - You can save your edited layout if you have other manufacturer's label sheets or custom sheets.
Sheet - You can save your label layout complete with the draw file loaded.
Label - You can save out the draw file from the label sheet.
Edit - This is explained in the section Editing the Layout.
Zoom - This allows you to zoom in and out of the sheet of labels to make it easier to see the itemised text or picture.
Draw labels - When this has a tick beside it, the draw file will be shown on each label. If you wish to minimise memory and make the screen refresh rate faster, clicking on this option will cause the tick to disappear and an X will appear on each label instead of the draw file. If there is a CSV file loaded, the letters 'CSV' will be displayed on the label.
Mix - When this item is ticked, a draw file AND a CSV file can be put onto the same sheet(s) of labels. The draw file is drawn behind the CSV file. This could be useful for making name badges, for example. 'Drag and drop' the draw file onto the Ultilabel window, then 'drag and drop' the CSV file onto it. Go to the main menu and click on Mix and you wil see the CSV text file superimposed on each label. Change the offsets to position the CSV text where it is required. See the section 'Hints on Using !Edit and Creating CSV Files' at the end of this manual for further help on this feature.
Print - Moving across and clicking on 'Print' or pressing <Return> will start the printing process (as long as you have a printer attached and the correct printer driver is installed). You can specify how many copies of the file you wish to print. This demo version of Ultilabel has the printing facility disabled.
Show limits - When this option has a tick beside it the print border will be shown as a dark grey border around the page (provided that a printer driver is installed). If no printer driver is installed, the whole background will be dark grey.
The Choices Dialogue Box
From the icon bar menu there is a 'Choices..' option. Clicking on this will bring up the Choices dialogue box.
This dialogue box enables you to edit and save default settings.
The settings for Font, Offsets and Layout are concerned with the Import CSV dialogue box. Changing these has no effect on loading draw files.
If you wish to change the default label layout, the new layout file must be dropped onto the window and the full path name will be displayed underneath.
Default alters the settings to:
Font size: 14
Font name: Trinity.Medium
Offsets: 0 x 0
Left justification
1 label per record
Label layout: Laser.Avery.L7160 (21 labels 7x3, 63.5 x 38.1)
Cancel restores the previous settings and closes the dialogue box.
New settings are not saved until you click on 'Save'.
Terms and Conditions
Licensing Agreement
Le Computer supplies Ultilabel with the understanding that the user agrees with the following Licence Agreement:
Use of the product deems acceptance of the following:
The software and any written material are copyrighted. All rights are reserved by Le Computer. The right to rent, sell, or otherwise transfer is not granted by this licence.
The software is to be installed and used on a single computer. Backup copies of the program are to be used solely for archiving or restoring the program to the same computer. In the event of wishing to use a different computer, the user agrees to remove the program completely from the original machine. Site licences are available upon request.
Le Computer gives no warranty as to the fitness for purpose or the uninterrupted and error free operation of the program. In no event shall Le Computer accept liability for any damages whatsoever, resulting from the use or inability to use the software.
The right to revise this product or any associated product from time to time is reserved and Le Computer is under no obligation to notify any person of such changes.
Trademarks
Acorn and Archimedes are trademarks of Acorn Computers Ltd.
