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Text File | 1992-08-28 | 27KB | 595 lines

╥ ╓──┐ ╓─┐ ╥──┐ ╥ ╥─┬─┐ ╓──┐ ┌─╥─┐ ╥──┐ ║ ╟──┤ ╟─┴┐ ╟─┤ ║ ║ ┴ │ ╟──┤ ║ ╟─┤ ╨──┘ ╨ ┴ ╨──┘ ╨──┘ ╨──┘ ╨ ┴ ╨ ┴ ╨ ╨──┘ VERSION 1.6 GuareGraphics 1600 Kumry Rd. Quakertown, PA 18951 LabelMate v1.6 (c) 1992 James P. Guare All Rights Reserved LabelMate - Page 3 « TABLE OF CONTENTS » Introduction ............................ 4 Requirements ............................ 4 Registration ............................ 4 Disclaimer .............................. 5 Operation ............................... 5 F8 - SET 'EM UP MENU .................... 5 A. Number To Print ..................... 5 B. Length Of Label ..................... 5 C. Indent Left Margin .................. 6 D. Labels Across Sheet ................. 6 E. Lines Between Labels ................ 6 F. Printer Port ........................ 6 G. Path To Libraries ................... 6 H. File To Browse ...................... 6 I. Save To File ........................ 6 FONT SELECTIONS ........................ 6 Alt-Q)uiet ............................. 6 F1 - Library ............................ 7 F2 - View All ........................... 7 F3 - Graphic ............................ 7 I)nvert ................................ 7 F)lip .................................. 7 R)otate ................................ 8 C)olor ................................. 8 D)elete ................................ 8 E)ditor ................................ 8 F4 - Edit Text .......................... 9 F5 - Browse ............................. 9 F6 - Print .............................. 9 F7 - Save ............................... 10 F9 - Exit ............................... 10 Customizing ............................. 10 Note and Suggestions .................... 11 Acknowledgement ......................... 13 LabelMate - Page 4 « INTRODUCTION » LabelMate is a printer utility that puts a 1" graphic ANYWHERE on the top of any label from 1" to 5" wide with up to five lines of text each having its own user definable font or style. Support is provided for New Print Shop(.PNM + .POG/.PNG/.CNG), Original Print Shop (.NAM + .DAT), and PrintMaster (.SDR + .SHP) graphics. It will print one label or an entire list on any number of labels across a sheet and as many copies as required, and is fully compatible with AUTOLABL! II data and config files. LabelMate can view up to 14 graphics at a time and gives the user the option of rotating, flipping, or inverting the foreground/background of the graphic. LabelMate also uses its own graphic editor so you can change any graphic "on the fly", and save it to any library you wish. In addition, LabelMate formats text automatically to prevent the text from printing over the graphic or off the end of the label. « REQUIREMENTS » LabelMate requires an IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 or compatible computer with EGA or better graphics and at least 200k free memory, an Epson/IBM Proprinter or compatible dot matrix printer, and some graphic libraries graphics if printing is desired. « REGISTRATION » This program, like so many other fine programs that are released as "shareware", is the product of months of writing, testing and retesting. Quite simply, it represents a lot of work. Registration of this program or any other program is not only a vote of confidence for the shareware system, but also ensures all of us of programming excellence in the future. You may use LabelMate for a period of 10 days, after which time you MUST register it at a cost of $15 dollars (US). Registration entitles the user to the latest version of the program without the shareware closing screen as well as any product support that is required. Send the enclosed Registration form and a check or money order to: James P. Guare 1600 Kumry Rd. Quakertown, PA 18951 CIS [71311,2264] Please allow 3 to 6 weeks for delivery. Site licensing available upon request. LabelMate - Page 5 « DISCLAIMER » Under no circumstances shall the author or GuareGraphics be liable for damages incurred to equipment whatsoever, nor does the author or GuareGraphics assume responsibility for lost sales or lost income resulting from the use of this product. « OPERATION » LabelMate requires the following files to run: LMATE.EXE - The program LMATE.CFG - Configuration file To start the program, simply type: LMATE [d:\path\filename] [/q] where: d:\path\filename - optional configuration file to use in addition to LMATE.CFG. This may be either an AUTOLABL! II file or a customized LabelMate file. For more on configuration files, see "CUSTOMIZING". /q - Quiet mode: turns the various beeps and boops off. After an initial opening screen, the program then goes to the MAIN screen. First time users must configure LabelMate so it can find your graphic libraries, so we will start with... F8 - SET 'EM UP MENU All items on this menu are selected by pressing the appropriate BOLD face letter or number. A. Number To Print - This is the total number of copies of a single label or of a list to print. Note that lists are printed consecutively, not as one long list containing multiple copies of each label. B. Length Of Label - The minimum label length is 1". This is just enough for a graphic without any text. The maximum length is 5". LabelMate - Page 6 C. Indent Left Margin - Different label sizes sometimes require some added space on the left margin. This option also makes label alignment a little easier. D. Labels Across Sheet - LabelMate accommodates continuous feed labels having any number of labels across a sheet. E. Lines Between Labels - This is the amount of lines you would like to add to get to the next label. For standard 1" wide labels, this number would be 1 for 9 pin printers or 0 for 24 pin printers. Note, however, that you could also use labels wider than 1" and add as many line feeds as needed to get to the next label. Thus you can have a 1" graphic with five lines of text on ANY size label. F. Printer Port - Enter a number corresponding to the printer port you wish to use. Usually this is 1 or 2. G. Path To Libraries - The first thing you will want to do is configure LabelMate with the path leading to the subdirectory containing your graphic libraries. Any drive letter is also acceptable here. H. File To Browse - This is a file that has been saved previously using either LabelMate or AUTOLABL! II and is the file used when browsing from the MAIN screen. I. Save To File - This is the file name you wish to save your text to. You may save the TEXT ONLY from a label. The advantage of having a Browse and Save file is that you can browse one file, select an entry, and then transfer that information to the other immediately. FONT SELECTIONS - By default, all lines are assigned font #1 from the list. This list will display the fonts or modes from an optional configuration file if one is entered at the command line. To change a font or mode, enter the line # you wish to change, then the font or mode number. The selections provided with the program work for most printers, but are easily changed. See "CUSTOMIZING" for details. If you have a color printer, you may now select a new color for each line, or press <CR> to skip. ALT-Q)uiet (Turns the sound off). Note that when you make a change on the SET 'EM UP MENU, that change is automatically saved to LMATE.CFG. The only exception to this is the Number To Print. LabelMate - Page 7 Now that the program is configured to your application, press <ESC> to return to the MAIN screen. The other options on then MAIN screen will only become visible as they apply. In other words, for "F6 - Print" the word "Print" will remain transparent until text is entered, a graphic is selected, or a Browse/Save Read File is supplied in the SET 'EM UP MENU. Otherwise, there is nothing to print! F1 - Library You are first prompted for the type of library to be used (N)ew Print Shop, O)riginal Print Shop, or P)rintMaster), after which a directory listing of all the suitable libraries will be displayed. Use all of the cursor keys, <Home> and <End> to navigate the highlight bar through the field. If you have more libraries than will fit on this page, use PgUp/PgDn to move from page to page. Press <CR> to select a library. Once the graphic names are displayed, navigate through the graphic names in the same manner as the libraries. Unlike the Print Shop, which only recognizes up to 200 graphics in a library, LabelMate can read as many graphics in a library as you have. Press <CR> again to load a graphic onto the "label". F2 - View All All the graphics in the column where the highlight bar is located will be displayed. While they are being displayed, pressing the <Space> bar will pause. You may press <ESC> to return to the MAIN screen, or use PgUp/PgDn to see the next column of graphics. Use <F10> to print the displayed graphics, and <ESC> to stop once printing has started. Note that you can only view the graphics shown on the MAIN screen. Return to the MAIN screen and use PgUp/PgDn to go to a new page, then <F2> to view it. F3 - Graphic Now we get to the fun part! With LabelMate you can position the graphic ANYWHERE on the label, flip it, rotate it, and even invert the foreground/background! You can also edit any graphic using the Graphic Editor for immediate printing, or save the new graphic to any library you wish. Thus you can create your own customized libraries. To Move Graphic - Use the left/right cursor keys to move the graphic in increments of one, Ctrl - left/right cursor keys to move in increments of ten, <Home> to go to the far left, and <End> to go to the far right. If you already have text entered, the letters will jump from one side to the other as the margin of the graphic begins to overwrite it. F)lip - Turns the graphic upside down. LabelMate - Page 8 R)otate - Creates a mirror image of the graphic. I)nvert - Reverse the video; black to white, white to black. C)olor - A color menu FOR COLOR PRINTERS ONLY! D)elete - Prompts for confirmation before erasing graphic. E)ditor - This graphic editor is slightly different than the one that comes with The Print Shop. Your graphic is displayed on a grid which makes it a little easier to edit. In the upper left hand corner are two graphics. The "ORIGINAL" graphic is unedited for comparison. As you make your changes, they will appear on the "EDITED" graphic. When you first enter the editor, a bright box appears in the middle of the grid which serves as a cursor. Use the cursor keys to move this box around the grid, or any of the following keys: <HOME>/<END>: Move to the far left/right of graphic. <PgUp>/<PgDn>: Move to the top/bottom of graphic. <SPACE>: Toggle the color in the box on/off. This will also change the drawing color if you are in drawing mode. <ESC>: Leave the graphic editor and use the edited graphic. F1 - Draw: ON/OFF: Toggles drawing mode on or off. In drawing mode, moving the cursor around the graphic will draw using the color showing in the middle of the box. This color may be changed using the <SPACE> bar. F3 - Fill Row: This option will fill the entire row that the cursor is in with the color that is showing in the middle of the box. F5 - Fill Column: The same as F3, but fills the entire column that the cursor is in. F7 - New Graphic: Erases the current graphic in order to start a new one. You will be prompted for confirmation first. F8 - Undo Changes: Use this option in the event that you decide to abandon your editing and restore the "ORIGINAL" graphic. F9 - Save Graphic: Your graphic is always saved in the directory you chose in the SET 'EM UP MENU containing your libraries. Before saving, LabelMate needs to know the type of library to save to (New Print Shop, Original Print Shop, or PrintMaster), the name of the file (library) to which the graphic is to be saved, and the name of the graphic. The file may be a new or existing library. DO NOT ADD THE EXTENSION! LabelMate will do that automatically. Note that this file name must begin with a "GR" in order for the New Print Shop to recognize it. LabelMate will recognize any file name. Note also that the graphic name cannot exceed 16 characters. LabelMate - Page 9 When you leave the graphic editor, the edited graphic will be displayed on the "label". An important note here is if you save the graphic to the library you are currently using, the new graphic name WILL NOT appear on the list of names. You must press F1 - Library and choose the same library again so LabelMate reads the new name. F4 - Edit Text With this option, a cursor will appear on the "label". This is a "full featured" text editor with the following special keys: <Home> - Moves cursor to the beginning of the line. <End> - Moves cursor to the end of the text. <PgUp>/<PgDn> - If there is room, scrolls the text up/down. <Ctrl>-D)elete the current line. <Ctrl>-N)ew label. Erases text only. <Ctrl>-C)enter the line in the text field. <Ctrl>-<End> - Moves the cursor to the end of the line. <Ctrl>-<PgUp> - Moves the cursor to the first position of the first line. <Ctrl>-<PgDn> - Moves the cursor to last position of the last line. <Ctrl>-<Right Cursor> - Moves the cursor from word to word. F5 - Browse You may parse through the entries of the Browse File using the up/down cursor keys. Press <CR> to load the displayed entry onto the "label", or press <ESC> to abort and return to the previous label. F6 - Print The options for printing are: T)his Label - prints only the label displayed on the graphic "label". B)rowse File - This is an option only if a Browse File has been entered in the "SET 'EM UP MENU and will print the entire file using the graphic displayed. S)ave File - Also an option only if a Save File has been entered in the SET 'EM UP MENU and also uses the graphic displayed. The following items pertain to label alignment: LabelMate - Page 10 P)attern - Will put alignment marks at the top-left and top right corners of the label, then move the printer head out of the way so you can see how things fit. M)ini Feed - Advances the labels by a very small amount. When used with the Pattern above and changing the Left Margin you can obtain really accurate label alignments without fiddling with the printer! N)ext Label - Once everything fits correctly, use this option to advance to the next label. <ESC> - Exits the print routine. You may press <ESC> at any time during printing to stop. It may take a few seconds for the printer buffer to empty for the printer to actually stop, though. F7 - Save Save the current label to the Save To File. Once again, ONLY the text portion of a label is saved. Files are saved in the same format as AUTOLABL! II files and may be used interchangeably. F9 - Exit You may exit the program by selecting Q)uit, or simply go to DOS with S)hell. « Customizing » The ability to text edit configuration files makes it very easy to tailor LabelMate to meet your requirements. You may change ANY of the fields in a configuration file to suit your needs with a pure ASCII text editor or a word processor that can save in ASCII format, which MOST can do. Have your printer manual handy to find the required ESCape codes. There are, however, a few rules to keep in mind: - KEEP all quotation marks, even if there are two together. (i.e. if they look like this: "" ) - DO NOT add extra quotation marks or put quotation marks within quotation marks. - KEEP all commas separating fields. - Use the ASCII format for all ESCape codes (ESC = 27). Line #1 of a typical configuration file might look like this: LabelMate - Page 11 1,"LPT1:",0,3.5,2,1,1,"MYFILE.TXT","YOURFILE.LBL","PATH2PSHOP" | | | | | | | | | | A, B ,C, D ,E,F,G, H , I J where: A = Default sound - 0 is off, 1 is on B = Output - usually printer port LPT1: or LPT2: C = DO NOT CHANGE! (used by AUTOLABL! II) D = Default label length (from 1" to 5"). E = Number of labels across the sheet. F = Number of characters to indent the left margin. G = Number of lines separating each label. H = Browse File Name. I = Save File Name. J = Path to Print Shop libraries. Lines #2 to #9 are for ESCape codes. The following example is representative: "Ital Undrlne","27 45 1 27 52","27 45 0 27 53",10 | | | | A , B , C ,D where: A = Name to display for this style or mode (no more than 12 characters long). B = Code On - These may be any combination of compatible codes. In the above example, the "27 45 1" selects underlining and the "27 52" selects italics. Separate each by a space. C = Code Off - Be sure you turn off EVERY mode or style turned on. D = Characters per inch for the style selected. This is "10" for normal width text, but will be larger for condensed or smaller for double width text. Line #10 holds each lines Font from the SET'EM UP MENU. « Notes and Suggestions » - When editing a configuration file, remember to use a PURE ASCII text editor. There are many such editors available, and most word processors will save files in pure ASCII format. - In the default configuration file (LMATE.CFG), there is an option for printing in "miniature" mode. This mode, as well as elite and condensed modes, uses more than 10 characters per inch. To make labels that can use more than 10 CPI, choose a LONGER label in the setup and enter all "normal" text so that it won't exceed the right hand margin of the label (i.e. 35 characters for a 3.5" long label). Then use more for those characters for the "smaller" modes. LabelMate - Page 12 By the same token, Double (Large) and Double (Small) fonts (provided with this program) use less than 10 CPI, so adjust your line length accordingly. LabelMate will truncate any text that attempts to over-write the graphic or runs off the label. The characters per inch for some modes are as follows (EPSON printers): Condensed (Elite) - 20 CPI Normal (default) Pica - 10 CPI Condensed (Pica) - 17 CPI Double Width (Pica) - 5 CPI Normal Elite - 12 CPI Double Width (Elite) - 6 CPI - Always print one label first. This will make absolutely certain that your labels are aligned correctly. If you are printing a whole file, print a sample label to be sure that all is well before starting the whole file. - LABELS: they come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, textures and adhesive properties, and are available from many sources. As is the case with most things, if you buy in bulk you will save a heck of a lot of money. -> NEVER, EVER, EVER LEAVE LABELS IN THE PRINTER! <- Get the message? The labels curving around the roller tend to peel off if left there for a period of time, and you may just end up with a gummy mess. * Once the labels are in place, move the print head back one notch from its normal position. Remember that a label with the adhesive and the backing is quite a bit thicker than a single sheet of 20# paper! * Do NOT try to turn the roller in EITHER direction while the printer power is on. * Do NOT turn the roller backwards with labels loaded, even with the power off. - LabelMate does NOT reset the printer upon entry into the program. This allows users to "customize" their printer by presetting modes before entering the program. If you have preset the printer mode (i.e. user-defined graphics), you may want to choose a "Draft" printer mode, since the other modes might (but not necessarily) cause some conflicts. Experiment! LabelMate - Page 13 « ACKNOWLEDGEMENT » The author would like to thank the many beta testers who have contributed their time and suggestions in order to make this a better program. Without them many of the nicer features of this program would not exist. Thanks, guys! Every effort has been made to make LabelMate a quality program. If you should find a glitch, please let us know! LabelMate v1.6 was programmed and compiled using Microsoft (R) QuickBASIC 4.5 (c) Microsoft Corporation. The New Print Shop (R) Broderbund Software (c) Pixellite Software. PrintMaster (c) Unison World AUTOLABL! II (c) GuareGraphics - All Rights Reserved.