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1992-01-18
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╥ ╓──┐ ╓─┐ ╥──┐ ╥ ╥─┬─┐ ╓──┐ ┌─╥─┐ ╥──┐
║ ╟──┤ ╟─┴┐ ╟─┤ ║ ║ ┴ │ ╟──┤ ║ ╟─┤
╨──┘ ╨ ┴ ╨──┘ ╨──┘ ╨──┘ ╨ ┴ ╨ ┴ ╨ ╨──┘
VERSION 1.4
GuareGraphics
1600 Kumry Rd.
Quakertown, PA 18951
LabelMate v1.4 (c) 1991 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 PrintShop ................... 6
H. File To Browse ...................... 6
I. Save To File ........................ 6
FONT SELECTIONS ........................ 6
Alt-Q)uiet ............................. 6
F1 - PS Library ......................... 7
F2 - View All ........................... 7
F3 - Graphic ............................ 7
F4 - Edit Text .......................... 8
F5 - Browse ............................. 8
F6 - Print .............................. 8
F7 - Save ............................... 9
F9 - Exit ............................... 9
Customizing ............................. 9
Note and Suggestions .................... 10
Acknowledgement ......................... 11
LabelMate - Page 4
« INTRODUCTION »
LabelMate is a printer utility that puts a 1" New Print Shop
graphic ANYWHERE on the top of any label from 1" to 5" wide with up to
five lines of text each having it's own user definable font or style.
The graphics used may be either normal (.POG) or "hi-res" (.PNG). 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 forground/background of the graphic. 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 New Print Shop
graphics if graphics 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 occurred 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
Print Shop graphics, 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 PrintShop - The first thing you will want to do is
configure LabelMate with the path leading to the
subdirectory containing your PrintShop graphics. 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 select an entry, 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 exceptions to this are the
Number To Print and the Color selections.
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 - PS Library
A directory listing of all the suitable Print Shop 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 graphics names in the
same manner as the Libraries. Press <CR> again to load a graphic
onto the "label".
F2 - View All
All the graphics in the column where the highlight bar is
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 goto 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
reverse the forground/background!
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 - Makes the graphic upside down.
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!
E)rase - Prompts for confirmation before erasing the graphic.
LabelMate - Page 8
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> - Move cursor to the beginning of the line.
<End> - Move 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> - Move the cursor to the end of the line.
<Ctrl>-<PgUp> - Move the cursor to the first position of the
first line.
<Ctrl>-<PgDn> - Move 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:
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!
LabelMate - Page 9
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:
1,"LPT1:",0,3.5,2,1,1,"MYFILE.TXT","YOURFILE.LBL","PATH2PSHOP"
| | | | | | | | | |
A, B ,C, D ,E,F,G, H , I J
LabelMate - Page 10
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 11
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 12
« 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 v1.4 was programmed and compiled using Microsoft (R)
QuickBASIC 4.5 (c) Microsoft Corporation.
The New Print Shop (R) Broderbund Software (c) Pixellite Software.
AUTOLABL! II (c) GuareGraphics - All Rights Reserved.