Business objects LABEL STUDIO 7.71C User Manual

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Label Studio

User’s Guide

Label Studio 7.71c

September 2006

Notices

Contact information Contact us on the Web at http://www.firstlogic.com/customer

If you find any problem with this documentation, please report it to Business Objects in writing at

Patents Business Objects owns the following U.S. patents, which may cover products that are

offered and sold by Business Objects: 5,555,403, 6,247,008 B1, 6,578,027 B2, 6,490,593 and 6,289,352.

Trademarks Business Objects, the Business Objects logo, Crystal Reports, and Crystal Enterprise

are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects SA or its affiliated companies in the United States and other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Third-party contributors Business Objects products in this release may contain redistributions of software

licensed from third-party contributors. Some of these individual components may also be available under alternative licenses. A partial listing of third-party contributors that have requested or permitted acknowledgments, as well as required notices, can be found at: http://www.businessobjects.com/thirdparty

documentation@businessobjects.com

Label Studio User’s Guide

Preface .............................................................................................................7

Chapter 1:

Overview ...................................................................................................... 11

Welcome to Label Studio!..............................................................................12

Label types .....................................................................................................13

Windows drivers ............................................................................................15

Inkjet printers and drivers ..............................................................................16

PCL Data Stream drivers................................................................................17

Generic Text driver ........................................................................................18

Quick tour of Label Studio.............................................................................19

Chapter 2:

Set up your job............................................................................................. 21

Introduction to job files..................................................................................22

Before setting up new jobs.............................................................................24

Quick ways to set up jobs...............................................................................26

Assign your input files ...................................................................................27

Design labels and set up your printer .............................................................28

Verify your job...............................................................................................29

Generate labels and reports ............................................................................30

Remote Views ................................................................................................31

Create a tray label design file with the Label Toolbox Wizard .....................32

Create an address label job with the Job Editor .............................................33

Chapter 3:

Design labels................................................................................................. 35

Label requirements.........................................................................................36

Get started designing labels............................................................................38

Define your page settings...............................................................................41

Define your printer settings............................................................................42

Add comments to printers ..............................................................................43

Specify a default printer.................................................................................44

The Designer window in Label Toolbox........................................................45

The Layout window .......................................................................................47

Layers.............................................................................................................49

Lines...............................................................................................................50

Frames ............................................................................................................51

Fields ..............................................................................................................53

Barcodes.........................................................................................................55

Break marks....................................................................................................58

Images ............................................................................................................61

Other miscellaneous objects...........................................................................63

Verify labels ...................................................................................................64

Preview labels ................................................................................................65

Page templates................................................................................................67

Contents

Layout templates............................................................................................ 68

Generic Text driver........................................................................................ 69

Barcode printing with the Generic Text driver.............................................. 72

Chapter 4:

Reports......................................................................................................... 77

Available reports............................................................................................ 78

Print reports....................................................................................................79

Format reports................................................................................................ 81

Job Summary ................................................................................................. 82

Print Log report.............................................................................................. 84

Banner pages.................................................................................................. 85

Chapter 5:

Output.......................................................................................................... 87

Output destinations ........................................................................................ 88

Create multiple output files............................................................................89

Set up units.....................................................................................................90

Set up subunits............................................................................................... 92

File masks ......................................................................................................94

Output file sizes ............................................................................................. 96

Appendix A:

Creating expressions and filters ................................................................. 97

Expressions and filters................................................................................... 98

Filter Builder................................................................................................ 100

Examples of value expressions and conditional filters................................ 102

Appendix B:

Command line options...............................................................................105

Appendix C:

Label Studio input and output fields........................................................107

Label Studio input fields.............................................................................. 108

Label Studio output fields............................................................................ 111

Appendix D:

Predefined design files, templates, and printer files............................... 115

USPS address label design files................................................................... 116

USPS sack label design files........................................................................ 117

USPS tray label design files.........................................................................118

USPS pallet placard design files..................................................................119

Generic label design files............................................................................. 120

USPS address label layout templates........................................................... 121

USPS sack label layout templates................................................................ 122

USPS tray label layout templates.................................................................123

USPS pallet placard layout templates..........................................................124

Generic label layout templates.....................................................................125

USPS address label page templates ............................................................. 126

USPS sack label page templates..................................................................128

USPS tray label page templates................................................................... 129

USPS pallet placard page templates ............................................................ 130

Generic label page templates .......................................................................131

Printer files................................................................................................... 132

Label Studio User’s Guide

Glossary.......................................................................................................135

Index ............................................................................................................137

Contents

Label Studio User’s Guide

Preface

About Label Studio Label Studio is a design tool that takes your input files and outputs customized

labels. It is a perfect fit with our other database and mailing-list management and production products.

With Label Studio, set up your job file, set up your printers, design and print your labels (address, container, pallet, or generic), and print your reports. In addition, you can split your output into multiple output files by creating unit and/or subunit breaks.

Label Studio works with many different Windows printer drivers, inkjet printer drivers, and PCL Data Stream printer drivers, or you can use a Generic Text driver.

About this guide In this guide, we explain what Label Studio can do and how you can apply it in

common situations. We point out the features you need and how to accomplish many of your business rules.

In writing this manual we presumed that you already are familiar with these items or concepts:

Don't miss emails from us

! Your operating system

! Text editors

! Your printing equipment

! Input files

! USPS mailing regulations

Email messages concerning this product come from a different address now. Ever since Business Objects purchased Firstlogic, Inc. in April 2006, email messages from us have come from a businessobjects.com email address. Make sure that your email system does not unintentionally filter these messages to a spam, trash, or quarantine area where you might miss them. We want to ensure that any important news about your

product reaches you.

Preface

Documentation

Complete documentation set

Access the latest documentation

Your complete Label Studio documentation set includes the following:

! Label Studio User’s Guide ! Label Studio Inkjet Reference ! Quick Reference for Views and Job-File Products ! System Administrator’s Guide ! Edjob User’s Guide ! Database Prep

You can access product documentation in several places:

! On your computer. Release notes, manuals, and other documents for each

product that you have installed are available in the Documentation folder. Choose Start > Programs > Firstlogic Applications > Documentation.

! On the Customer Portal. Go to www.firstlogic.com/customer, and then

click the Documentation link to access all the latest product documentation. You can view the PDFs online or save them to your computer for viewing or printing.

Conventions This document follows these conventions:

Convention Description

Bold

Italics

> in menu commands

Highlights file names, paths, and text that you should type exactly as

cd\dirs

shown. For example, “Type

.”

Both emphasizes text and indicates text for which you should substitute your own data or values. For example, “Type a name for your file, and the

extension (

testfile

.txt

).”

.txt

Indicates commands that you choose from menus in the following format: Menu Name > Command Name. For example, “Choose File > New.”

Alerts you to important information and potential problems.

Points out special cases that you should know about.

Draws your attention to tips that may be useful to you.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Resources for the mailing industry

Within this guide, we assume that you already have some familiarity with USPS rules and mailing-industry practices. If you are new to the industry, refer to these sources:

! U.S. Postal Service. The U.S. Postal Service offers many helpful

publications. Ask your postmaster or USPS account representative about these publications.

! Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). We recommend that you purchase a

subscription to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), the official source of mailing rules. You don’t have to read the DMM to run Label Studio, but if you ever have a problem in mail acceptance, or otherwise need to know the mailing rules, you will be glad to have your DMM handy.

! USPS Bulletins. You may also want to subscribe to the USPS Postal Bulletin

and the Mailroom Companion.

! Postal Explorer. Visit the Postal Explorer web site at http://pe.usps.gov.

This web site is a virtual library of postal information provided by the USPS. It includes an electronic copy of the DMM.

Preface

Label Studio User’s Guide

Chapter 1: Overview

This chapter offers an overview of Label Studio features and a steps explaining where Label Studio fits in the mailing process. It also provides examples of the types of labels you can generate and the types of printer drivers you can use. Finally, a quick tour on the last page can help get you started.

Chapter 1: Overview

Welcome to Label Studio!

What is Label Studio? Label Studio is a powerful tool that links your input files and label designs with

your printing system. You can create address labels, sack and tray labels, pallet placards, and generic labels, and output them on your printing system.

Label Studio’s place in the mail process

Although you can use Label Studio on input files that haven’t been presorted, most customers use input files that they presorted either with Business Objects’ Presort program or with another presort program. If you use Label Studio with presorted input files, you may follow a process like the one described below.

1. Clean up the name and firm data in each record with DataRight IQ.

2. Correct and encode address information in each record with ACE.

3. Delete or consolidate duplicate records using Match/Consolidate.

4. Presort your records according to USPS regulations to receive postage discounts.

5. Generate your address and shipping (sack, tray, or pallet) labels with Label Studio.

Label Studio’s parts You set up your Label Studio jobs in the main, Job Editor window. However,

there is more to Label Studio than what you initially see. The following is a list of Label Studio’s parts:

! Label Toolbox: Choose Tools > Design Labels to open this drag-and-drop

label designing tool. You set up your label designs and printers here. See Chapter 3 for more information.

! Label Studio Print: Run your jobs right from your Windows command

prompt or UNIX command line. See Appendix B for more information.

! Filter Builder: In order to print objects or text conditionally on your labels,

you will want to use Filter Builder to create value expressions or conditional filters. Access Filter Builder in Label Toolbox from your object’s properties window. See Appendix A for more information.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Label types

You can design and print many types of labels with Label Studio, including USPS Address labels, USPS Container labels, USPS Pallet placards, and generic-type labels.

Address labels Address labels indicate where the mail piece is destined. The USPS regulates the

placement and appearance of some elements on this label type. The following is an example of a typical address label.

#1125********************CAR-RT-SORT**C-054 #114A/868736/DOE4#

123456789012

JOHN SMITH P395 ### BUSINESS OBJECTS T39 ### 100 HARBORVIEW PLAZA ### LA CROSSE WI 54601-4071

Container labels Container labels, which are for sacks and trays, indicate where the container is

destined, its contents, and where it originated. Automation-rate mailings require a barcode. The USPS mandates the appearance and placement of most elements on these label types. The following are examples of typical container labels.

Tray label example

Sack label example

Chapter 1: Overview

Pallet placards A pallet placard indicates where the pallet is destined and where it originated. The

USPS mandates the appearance and placement of most elements on this label type. The following is an example of a typical pallet placard.

Generic labels Label Studio also provides a generic label type. You can use this label type as a

blank slate to create all sorts of labels, such as disk labels, name tags, or file folder labels. You could also use the generic label type to print addresses from your database on index cards, post cards, or form letters.

Index card example

USPS verification You can use the generic label type to print your address, sack, tray, or pallet

labels, if you want. But they will not be verified for the USPS mailing requirements.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Windows drivers

If you run Label Studio on a Windows operating system, you may want to use a Windows printer driver to generate your labels and reports. Label Studio supports all kinds of Windows printer drivers.

Features Windows drivers provide the most robust features and creativity when designing

your labels, such as:

! Using a variety of fonts, including barcode fonts

! Using images in your designs

! Using frames to control the appearance of your designs

! Dragging and dropping objects onto your label designs

! Printing creative banner pages

! Printing test labels

! The ability to print to a .pdf file using a PDF printer driver. See the Label

Toolbox help topic, “How to print to a .pdf.”

! Creating conditional filters and value expressions to control printing of

certain objects on your labels

For more information about many of these features, see Chapter 3, “Design

labels” on page 35.

Printing performance Because Windows printer drivers provide so many features, it is easy to overload

your labels with objects and to slow down printing. As a general rule, the more complex the label design (multiple frames or conditional filters, for example), the more time it will take to evaluate and process your label design.

Here are just a few suggestions for improving printing performance:

! Limit the use of multiple frames on the label design.

! Limit the use of filters on the label design.

! When using value expressions, try to reduce the complexity (nested "if"

statements, for example) of those expressions.

Assign your Windows printer to your job

Choose from and set up your printers in Label Toolbox. See “Define your printer

settings” on page 42 for more information.

Chapter 1: Overview

Inkjet printers and drivers

Inkjet printer drivers are available on all supported Windows and UNIX operating systems.

What are inkjet printers?

Why use inkjet printers?

Label Studio inkjet documentation

Inkjet printers are large, high-speed printers that, from a high-pressure jet of ink, precisely deflect ink droplets as “dots” toward the print target. The dots form the characters that make up the address and message content. These inkjet printers need a different set of instructions than regular printers do.

For our purposes, bubble jet printers do not qualify as inkjet printers.

If you want to print address information directly on a mail piece, you need to use an inkjet printer. Some inkjet systems support messaging. If you use such an inkjet printer, you can add messages to your mail pieces. Some inkjets allow messaging, which can change according to the specific mail piece or remain the same for all mail pieces. Some inkjet users can also use demographic codes to control the bindery line.

If you use inkjet printers and have purchased this functionality, you will find details about inkjet printers and how Label Studio interacts with them in the Label Studio Inkjet Reference, which you received with your shipment.

Label Studio User’s Guide

PCL Data Stream drivers

The PCL Data Stream driver outputs in PCL4 format and is available on all supported Windows and UNIX operating systems.

Features The PCL Data Stream driver supports many advanced features, such as:

! The PLANET, POSTNET, 4-State (in testing phase), Zebra, Interleaved 2 of

5, Code 128, and 3 of 9 barcode objects on your label designs

! Multiple Data Stream fonts on your label designs

! Varying page and margin settings and multiple labels per page

! Test labels and banner pages

! The ability to create your own layers in your design

Predefined design files

Predefined design files are included with Label Studio to use with your PCL Data Stream printer driver. These design files are samples and are read-only. To use one of these files with your job, you must save the file with a different name. For specifications on the design files, see Appendix D.

Data Stream fonts When you use a Data Stream printer driver, you must use Data Stream fonts on

your label designs. These type of fonts require a separate font file for each font size and style. The following PCL Data Stream fonts are shipped with Label Studio. Each font file is located in the Fonts folder of your Label Studio installation directory.

Font Sizes

Arial 6, 10, 12, 14, 18, 48, 60

Courier New 6, 8, 10, 12

USPS PLANET barcode 9

USPS POSTNET barcode 9

Zebra barcode 27

Code 128 barcode 22

3 of 9 barcode 22

Interleaved 2 of 5 barcode 22, 47, 51

4-State barcode (in testing phase) 19, 22

If you do not want to use one of the provided fonts, you can create your own Data Stream fonts in Label Studio; choose Tools > Create Data Stream Fonts. See the Label Studio help topic, “Create Data Stream Fonts window” for instructions about creating your Data Stream fonts.

Chapter 1: Overview

Generic Text driver

The Generic Text driver is available for all supported Windows or UNIX operating systems. The Generic Text driver can be set up for use with any printer.

Generic Text design files

Label Studio comes with three Generic Text design files installed for your convenience: Text 1-up.ltd, Text 2-up.ltd, and Text 4-up.ltd. Use these design files as a basis for your text printer design files.

Generic Text printer files

Label Studio also includes printer files (.ltr) for use with the Generic Text driver. These printer files contain suggested POSTNET escape codes for a variety of printers, such as the Tally, Rena, Okidata, and Genicom printers. See the entire list of printer files in Appendix D.

Assign one of these printers to your job from the Label Toolbox, Design Settings window (File > Design Settings). Click the More button to access the printer settings.

Quick tour of Label Studio

This quick tour introduces you to the basics of running a job in Label Studio. A ready-made job is already provided in your Samples folder, so you can easily move around Label Studio and learn about its features.

Open the sample job Choose File > Open and double-click Quikjob.lsj. The job-editor window

displays the job-file blocks to the left and the parameters to the right.

Define your parameters

Double-click each job-file block to edit the parameters of your job. For example, double-click Report Defaults to define how and where to print your reports.

If you make changes in a job-file block, the icon shows the letter C. This icon signifies the parameters have changed but are not yet saved.

Create a design file A design file defines the layout and page size of your label. There are many

predefined design files available, or you can create your own. In this example, we will modify a sample design file:

1. Choose Tools > Design Labels, or click the Design Labels button on

the toolbar to open Label Toolbox.

2. Select the QuikDesign.ltd design file, and click Edit. Drag and drop fields or

objects onto your layout from the Objects window, as necessary.

3. Choose File > Save As, and rename your design file (if you want to keep

your changes). Choose File > Exit.

4. Click Select. This opens the Labels block of your job and assigns your design

file to your job.

Preview labels Choose Tools > Preview Labels, or click the Preview Labels button to see

what your labels will look like.

Verify your job Choose File > Verify Job, or click the Verify Job button. If you have set up

your job incorrectly, the Browse Job Problems window appears. Doubleclick an error or warning to fix it.

Print labels and reports

1. Choose File > Run Job, or click the Run Job button. Save your file, if

prompted.

2. Verify that the Print Labels and Create Reports options are selected in the

Execution Options window, and click OK. Click OK once more to run your job.

Chapter 1: Overview

Label Studio User’s Guide

Chapter 2: Set up your job

This chapter walks you through some of the steps to setting up your Label Studio job. It also provides examples for creating a label job with the Wizard and an address label job with the Job Editor.

Chapter 2: Set up your job

Introduction to job files

A job file is filled with instructions to process your Label Studio job. The job file tells Label Studio how to generate labels from input files that you provide.

Job files are organized into groups of parameters called blocks. Each parameter and its value instruct Label Studio as to which records to generate labels for, which reports to generate, where to put the generated labels and reports, and so on.

Job Editor window When you work on a job file, Label Studio displays the job in a two-part window,

called the Job Editor window. On the left, there’s a diagram of all the blocks in the job file. You can select any one, and Label Studio displays to the right, each parameter associated with that block and its setting. For example, the Execution Options block is selected and its parameters appear on the right.

Job file blocks When you double-click a block, Label Studio provides an interface to define your

parameters. There is no need to pay attention to what the job file actually looks like.

When you open an existing job file, its settings appear in the Job Editor window.

BEGIN Input File===========================

Input File Name (path & file).................... = C:\PW\input\prntadr.txt

Starting Record Number........................... = 1

Ending Record Number............................. =

When you set up a job, Label Studio automatically saves it for you in a job file.

Process Deleted Records (Y/N).............. ....= N

Input Filter (to 1023 chars)....................... =

Nth Select (1.0 to ?)................................ = 1.0

Maximum Number of Records to Use.......... =

END

Label Studio User’s Guide

Job diagram In the job diagram, Label Studio uses a set of symbols to indicate the block status.

With these cues you can see immediately which blocks are complete and which need work. Here’s a legend to help you interpret the symbols:

Symbol Description

Some individual job blocks are gathered into sensible groups. You can click a folder to expand a group to see all the blocks in it, or collapse the group to see only the group name.

When a block has not yet been set up, the symbol is an open, empty box. A red exclamation mark is added if the block is mandatory.

When a block is complete, it looks like a closed, green box with a blue check mark.

A red C indicates that there are unsaved changes in this block.

When you want to temporarily deactivate a block (that is, make the software ignore it), you can “comment it out” by choosing Edit > Comment Block. Then you’ll see a “balloon” added, like cartoonists use.

The combination of the red C and the balloon indicates that there are unsaved changes, and the block is commented out.

The sparkle indicates a way to add a new block. Double-click this block to add a new block to the job.

Parameter descriptions

Tips

On the right side of the Job Editor window, Label Studio displays the parameters associated with each block and each parameter’s settings. This window gives you a quick glimpse at your job file settings. You can double-click one of the parameters to open that block.

! While working in the Job Editor window, periodically save your job file.

Your settings are not permanently recorded in the job file until you save it.

! In the Job Editor window, you can comment out a block or deactivate it (Edit

> Comment block). However, to edit anything in that block, you have to uncomment it first (Edit > Uncomment block). After editing, you may want to deactivate the block again.

! When you name job files, you may use long file names. However, you must

use the usual extension (.lsj).

Chapter 2: Set up your job

Before setting up new jobs

Before you start creating job files, you need to:

! Set up your auxiliary files.

! Assign your auxiliary files to your job.

! Set your defaults.

Set up your auxiliary files

Assign auxiliary files to your job

To process a database, Label Studio uses certain supporting files, called the definition file (.def) and format file (.fmt). You can read about them in your Database Prep guide.

To create your definition files, you can use a handy tool, DefMap, which is provided in Label Studio (Tools > DefMap). DefMap comes with its own online help. Choose Help > DefMap Help Index from the DefMap menu to find more information about this tool.

To create your format files, you must use a text editor, such as Notepad. Set up your format files before you start any work on the job file in Label Studio.

You do not need to assign your auxiliary files to your job if they are located in the same directory as your input file and have the same name. For example, suppose your input file is named Adr.dat and your auxiliary files are named Adr.def and

Adr.fmt. If all three of these files are located in the same directory, for example C:\pw\ls\samples\, then Label Studio automatically uses these definition and

format files in your job.

If your auxiliary files and input files are not located in the same folder or have different names. Assign your auxiliary files to your job in one of two ways:

! in your default settings (Tools > Options > Defaults)

! in the Auxiliary Files block (these settings override your default settings)

Set your defaults After you install Label Studio, you should do one thing right away: set your

defaults. Label Studio uses your default settings for each new job you create.

To set your defaults:

1. Open Label Studio.

2. Choose Tools > Options > Defaults.

3. Set the default settings for your file locations, auxiliary files, file mask definitions, report settings, and Filter Builder database location.

File locations Label Studio needs to know where you want your work, report, output, and log

files placed after it generates them. If you want these files placed in the same locations for every job, fill out this information.

Auxiliary files Label Studio needs to know where your format (.fmt) and definition (.def) files

are located. Enter this information once, and you will seldom have to think about it again. Your defaults for auxiliary files will be used whenever you create a new job.

Label Studio User’s Guide

File mask definitions If you split your output and want to use file mask characters, you can set up your

default characters here. See “File masks” on page 94 for more information. The default file mask settings will be used whenever you create a new job.

Reports Set up default header lines and printer codes. The header lines are printed at the

top of every report. The default report settings will be used whenever you create a new job. See Chapter 4 on page 77 for more information about reports.

Filter Builder database You can specify the location of your Filter Builder database. Use Filter Builder to

create your filters and expressions. Store this database locally or on a file server, for sharing.

Chapter 2: Set up your job

Quick ways to set up jobs

There are two ways to set up your jobs:

! The Wizard

! The Job Editor

Wizard Label Studio offers a step-by-step wizard (File > New > Wizard). It’s great for

simpler jobs or new users. When you’re more familiar with Label Studio, you can get started in the Wizard, and then switch to the Job Editor to fine-tune your settings or add more features. Use the Wizard for creating new jobs. See “Create a

tray label design file with the Label Toolbox Wizard” on page 32.

Job Editor The Job Editor (File > New > Job Editor) gives you access to all of the features

and options available in Label Studio. Therefore, it is more appropriate for users with some experience in Label Studio. Use the Job Editor when you want to reuse an existing job file, or alter one of our sample jobs. See “Create an address label

job with the Job Editor” on page 33.

Sample jobs To help you start preparing your own Label Studio jobs, we provide a set of

sample job files. We even include a sample database, and the format and definition files, too. We designed these sample jobs so you can:

! Ensure that Label Studio is installed correctly.

! Familiarize yourself with running a completed Label Studio job file.

For now, we invite you to edit one of the sample job files that we provide. The Samples folder, containing the sample job files and auxiliary files is located in your installation directory.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Assign your input files

Each Label Studio job must have at least one input file assigned to it. Your input file is your database that contains the names, addresses, and other data that you may want on your labels.

See the Database Prep manual for more specific information about setting up your input files.

Input File Setup From the Job Editor window, expand the Input

File Setup folder to display the Input File, Input File New, and Input File blocks.

Specify which input files to use and define your record options from the Input File block and the Input File New block.

Set up your copies expressions, unit breaks, and break levels from the Input Options block. See “Set up units” on page 90 and “Set up subunits” on page 92 for more information about unit breaks and break levels.

Copies If you want to create multiple labels per record, there are two ways you can set

this up. Use the designated PW.Copies field to hold your copies data or from the Input Options block, set up a Copies expression.

Caution: If your presort program already created copies of your records,

you do not need to set up copies in Label Studio. For example, if your program created 5 copies of a record, and you set up Label Studio to create 5 copies, you would get 25 copies of the label.

Copies field You will have to provide a database field containing the number of copies. It

might be a numeric or a character-type field. Label Studio provides a PW.Copies field.Your definition file entry might look something like this:

PW.Copies = DB.Num_Copies

PW.Copies = DB.Students

Copies expression In the Input Options block create an expression to control the number of copies

These two fields would be from your own database and would contain the number of copies that you wanted.

per record. This expression overrides any value that may be present in the PW.Copies field of your definition file.

See Appendix A for more information about creating expressions.

Chapter 2: Set up your job

Design labels and set up your printer

Design your labels To design your labels, use Label Toolbox, Label Studio’s label designing tool.

Drag and drop fields, barcodes, and other objects onto your label design. The following image is Label Toolbox with a sample, address label design opened.

Design files and printer settings

All of your label design information is stored in a design file. Every Label Studio job needs a design file. Before you can choose a design file, the following blocks must be completed:

! Execution Options

! Auxiliary files

! Input Options

! Input File

Each design file has a printer assigned to it. You can define your printer settings and assign a printer to your job in Label Toolbox. For more information about Label Toolbox, designing your labels, and printer settings, see Chapter 3 on

page 35.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Verify your job

It is important to verify that your job is free of problems. Label Studio checks your job setup in three different ways to ensure accuracy:

! Automatically when defining parameters in the job file blocks.

! When you choose the Verify Job option.

! Automatically when running your job.

Parameters and blocks

If you set a parameter in a way that is clearly wrong, Label Studio either beeps or displays an error message. When you click OK to close a window, Label Studio checks the whole window for any errors or conflicts. So you get instant feedback and you can fix the problem.

Verify Job option Before processing, you should check the whole job for possible conflicts between

blocks by choosing File > Verify Job.

Label Studio will present a list of problems in a Browse Job Problems window. When you select a problem to address, Label Studio can help you go to the problem area in the job file. Label Studio will try to detect and report as many problems as it can find. Fix each problem in the order listed. Sometimes, fixing one problem will make the following ones nonexistent. To avoid any confusion or wasted time, click Re-Verify after correcting each problem. See the following image for an example of the Browse Job Problems window.

Errors and Fatal Errors are separated for the benefit of users who run on a network.

Warnings indicate possible problems.

Errors indicate problems that prevent running the job on the current computer.

Fatal Errors indicate serious problems that mean the job won’t run on any computer.

Run time When you run your job, Label Studio will first verify your whole job all over

again. A key reason for this final check is that some job errors might not have been detected earlier. This is possible especially if you use Label Studio in a network setting.

Chapter 2: Set up your job

Generate labels and reports

Once you have designed your labels and finished setting up your job (including setting up your reports). You can generate your labels and reports from two different ways.

! Type a command at your Windows command prompt or UNIX command

line; see Appendix B for more information.

! Choose File > Run Job in Label Studio

See Chapter 4 on page 77 for more information about the types of reports available in Label Studio and how to set them up.

Run your job In Label Studio, choose File > Run Job when you are ready to generate your

labels and reports. Label Studio lets you set your Execution Options again (overriding anything you may have previously set in this block). Select the Print Labels and/or Create Reports checkboxes, and click OK.

If printing your labels, you may want to print only specific labels within a unit or subunit. In the Print Options window, you can select to print all of your labels or ranges of labels to print.

Change your printer at run time

When you are finished defining your settings, click OK. Your job will run and generate your labels and any defined reports.

For more information about setting up your output, see Chapter 5 on page 87.

If you need to change your printer at the last minute, you can change your printer at run time through the Execution Options window or with the prt command line switch. You do not need to go into Label Toolbox. For more information about how to do this, see the “Change your printer at run time” topic in the Label Studio online help (Help > Label Studio Help).

Label Studio User’s Guide

Remote Views

To set up your jobs and design your labels on a UNIX server, you must use Label Studio Remote Views.

How it works Remote Views is a product for networks. You use a Windows client to design

your labels and set up your jobs, which are stored on a UNIX server. Remote Views works similarly to the way Label Studio works on a Windows PC. However, there are some differences:

! When you launch Remote Views, you must give a user name and password to

! When you open, save, or browse files, you see the file system on your UNIX

server.

! When you launch job processing, it occurs on the server. Work files, reports,

and output files are created on the server. You monitor job progress from your Windows client.

How it works with Label Toolbox and Preview

How to transfer more, fewer, or different records

When you choose Tools > Design Labels or Tools > Preview Labels, a portion of the first input file (the first 100 records by default) and its format and definition files are temporarily copied to the (local) Windows client machine. When you preview your labels, these are the records that you view.

To transfer a different number of records or a different set of records, the options in the first Input File block and Maximum Number Records to Use

— Starting Record Number, Ending Record Number,

— are additionally used to determine the

number of records to transfer.

In this example, only 50 records (25 - 75) from the first input file, Adr.dat, are transferred to the local machine.

The more records you transfer, the longer it may take to open Label Toolbox or Label Preview.

Chapter 2: Set up your job

Create a tray label design file with the Label Toolbox Wizard

This example shows you how to set up a tray label design using the Wizard. After completing the Wizard, you will have a complete design.

How to use the wizard To begin creating your new tray label job with the Wizard:

1. Choose Tools > Design Labels, or click the Design Labels button on the toolbar to open Label Toolbox.

2. From the Preview window, click the Wizard button.

3. Choose the printer class and the printer that you want to use, for example select Windows and then a list of available Windows printers are shown. Click Next.

4. Select the paper stock that you want to use, such as USPS Tray 1-up Continuous and then click Next.

5. Verify the look on the Summary window. If you would like to make further changes such as including other fields, select Ye s to further modify your design in Label Toolbox. If you don’t need to make changes, select No. Click Finish.

6. If you selected No in the previous step, type the name of your new design file, such as Tray_sample.ltd. If you selected Yes in the previous step, make your additional changes in Label Toolbox, and then save your file.

7. In the Design File Preview, select the design file you just created and then click Select.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Create an address label job with the Job Editor

This example shows you how to set up an address label job using the Job Editor. The Job Editor is another starting point for creating a new job.

Create the job To begin creating a new job with the job editor:

1. Choose File > New > Job Editor.

2. Enter a job description, job

owner, mailer name, and choose USPS Address from the Label Type dropdown list. Click OK.

3. Choose File > Save As,

navigate to the folder you want to save your jobs in, type a name for your new job, such as address_sample.lsj, and click Save.

Set up your job file blocks You can now open and edit your job’s blocks to

finish creating your new job. Blocks with a icon and in some cases icon next to it are required.

For example, your job must have at least one input file:

1. Double-click the Input File New block, and

click the File Browse button next to the Input File box.

2. Navigate to the Samples folder in your

installation directory, select the file adr.dat, and click Open. Click OK.

Select a design file Your job needs a design file. Before you can begin designing your address labels,

you must have the following blocks completed:

! Execution Options

! Auxiliary Files

! Input Options

! Input File

Chapter 2: Set up your job

After you have completed the necessary blocks:

1. Choose Tools > Design Labels.

2. In the Address Label Preview window, click Label Toolbox.

3. In the Printer and Measurement Units window, choose a printer class and printer name from the drop-down lists. Select a measurement option, if applicable, and click Next.

4. Choose a page template appropriate for your printer, by reading the template description at the bottom of the window. Click Next.

5. Choose a layout template for your address label, and click Finish.

6. After your design file opens, choose File > Save As, (click Ye s if you receive a message about errors in your design file), type a name for your new design file, and click Save.

7. Drag and drop the fields and other objects you want onto your design.

8. Choose File > Save, and then choose File > Exit.

9. In the Design File Preview window, click Select.

The Labels window opens and shows that your design file is assigned to the job. After you click OK, you can finish any incomplete blocks, verify your job, and then run it.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Chapter 3: Design labels

In this chapter, we give you an overview of Label Toolbox, Label Studio’s label designing tool, and its features. We also provide an overview of address and container (sack and tray) labels, pallet placards, and information on how to design them.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Label requirements

The USPS has strict requirements for address, container, and pallet labels. This section shows typical label arrangements in Label Toolbox and points out items to consider when preparing your input files.

Address labels

Input file details Your input file should include data for each of the fields that you want to include

on your address label.

! Inkjet drivers only: If you want to personalize your forms or labels by

including first names or family names in greetings or messages, you should keep the FirstName and LastName fields separate in your input file.

! If you plan on splitting your address output into separate files, you should

also include the fields that define the file separation, such as PW.Unt_Brk1.

Label design Below is a typical address label arrangement in Label Toolbox. Refer to the

DMM for address label requirements. The USPS mandates the placement and appearance of some elements.

Break marksBarcodeEndorsement

ACS Keyline

Name

Address

City State ZIP ZIP+4

Container labels Container labels are sack labels and tray labels.

Input file details Your input file should include data for each of the fields you want to include on

your container label.

Barcodes and fonts Label Studio works with your Windows or PCL Data Stream printer drivers to

generate barcodes and multiple fonts. Barcode fonts are available, as well as a narrow font, LTNarrow, which is useful on sack labels for automated-rate mailings. You could use one of your system’s narrow fonts, if you prefer, such as Arial Narrow.

PCL Data Stream drivers must use a PCL Data Stream font. You can use one of the provided fonts located in the Fonts folder of your Label Studio installation directory, or create your own font in Label Studio (Tools > Create Data Stream fonts).

Label Studio User’s Guide

Sack label design Below is a typical sack label arrangement in Label Toolbox. Refer to the DMM

for sack label requirements. The USPS mandates the placement and appearance of most elements.

Destination ZIP

Mail processing code

Destination city

Barcode field

Contents informationBarcode Origin city and state

and state

Tray label design Below is a typical tray label arrangement in Label Toolbox. Refer to the DMM

for tray label requirements. The USPS mandates the placement and appearance of most elements.

Destination city and state

Contents information

Barcode

Barcode field

Destination ZIP

Mail processing code

Zebra barcode

Origin city and state

Pallet placards A pallet placard indicates where the pallet is destined and where it originated.

Attach at least two of these placards to every pallet you submit to the USPS.

Input file details Your input file should include data for each of the fields that you want to include

on your pallet placard.

Label design Below is a typical pallet placard layout in Label Toolbox. Refer to the DMM for

pallet label data and format requirements. The USPS mandates the placement and appearance of most elements.

Destination city and state

Contents information

Origin city and state

Destination ZIP

Mail processing code

Chapter 3: Design labels

Get started designing labels

Pick a design file Design files (.ltd) contain all of the information Label Studio needs to know

about your labels and the printer you will use. Your Label Studio job must have a design file assigned to it in order to print your labels. You can edit design files in Label Toolbox.

Which design file should you use?

Assign a design file to your job

Click Edit to make changes to a design file. See the section “Edit a design file” on the next page.

You can create your own design file by combining a page and layout template or you can use one of the predefined design files installed with Label Studio. These predefined design files will need some customization to generate valid labels. Choose or create a design file based on your label requirements and printer capabilities.

Note: All predefined design files and their components (page and layout templates) are read-only, sample files. If you modify them, you need to rename them in order to save your changes.

Choose Tools > Design Labels to open the Design File Preview window. In this window, you can select a design file to use with your job, view the description of the design file, and see a preview of the design file (the page and layout setup).

You have two options for creating a new design. Choose Label Toolbox to create the design in Label Toolbox. Select Wizard to use steps to complete the label. At the end of the Wizard, you will have a complete label. You can enter Label Toolbox later to make further modifications.

Note: You cannot use the Wizard to create a design file if you chose Generic as the label type in the Label Studio General Information block.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Click Select to assign the highlighted design file to the current job.

To assign a design file to your Label Studio job, choose your design file from the list, and click Select.

The Design File preview window closes and the Labels block opens, shown at right. This window shows the name and location of the design file and your printer information. Click OK and the design file is assigned to your job.

Edit a design file When you first set up a Label Studio job, you do not need to design a label from

scratch. Instead, you can pick a design file that is close to what you need, and then edit it as appropriate. To do this:

1. In Label Studio, choose Tools > Design Labels.

Create a new design file

2. In the Design File Preview window, select a design file and click Edit.

The design file opens in Label Toolbox where you can make any necessary adjustments to the page and layout setup.

3. Choose File > Save to save the design file or File > Save As to save the

design as a new file. You may also want to choose File > Design Settings to edit the description of your design file.

If you save the design file with a new name, you must exit Label Toolbox (File > Exit), choose the design file from the list and click Select. In the Labels window, click OK. This process assigns the design file to your job.

To create a new design file using Label Toolbox, you must first combine existing page and layout templates. The following table defines these templates.

Template Description

Page (

.ltp

) This template contains attributes of the paper that you are printing on,

including the paper size, number of labels per page, and margins.

.ltl

Layout (

) This template contains the layout of your labels, including the posi-

tion of your fields, barcodes, and other objects.

Use the wizard. You can use the wizard to create a design file. This will help you choose a page template, and you don’t have to think about the layout template. See “Create a tray label design file with the Label Toolbox

Wizard” on page 32 for more information.

To create a new design file:

1. In Label Studio, choose Tools > Design Labels.

Chapter 3: Design labels

2. In the Design File Preview window, click Label Toolbox.

3. Choose a printer, printer class, and unit of measure. Click Next.

4. Choose a page template that matches closely to what you want, and click Next.

For more information about page templates, see “Page templates” on

page 67.

5. Choose a layout template that matches closely to what you want, and click Finish. Your new design file opens in Label Toolbox.

For more information about layout templates, see “Layout templates” on

page 68.

6. Choose File > Design Settings, enter a description of your design file, and click OK.

7. Choose File > Save As to name your design file.

You can now make modifications to the setup of your design file.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Define your page settings

What are page settings?

Label Page Click the Label Page tab in the Page Setup window, you can choose the size and

Label Page N-Up Click the Label Page N-

Your design file’s page settings define the properties of the paper you are printing on. These properties include the paper size, the amount of labels per page, and the page margins. In Label Toolbox, choose File > Page Setup to access your page settings.

Page setting information can be saved in a page template. For more information about page templates, see “Page templates” on page 67.

layout of the page that your labels will be printed on. Most of the sizes you will need are listed in the Paper Size drop-down list. If you can't find the size you need, you can enter your own custom page size and orientation.

Be sure to check your printer's documentation to find out if your printer supports the desired page size.

For designs using an Inkjet printer driver, you can control the number of lines and characters in your label design from the Label Page tab.

Click Apply to assign your changes to the current design.

Up tab in the Page Setup window to set up the total number of labels per page. The label height and width are automatically recalculated.

You can also set the space between labels. In the image to the right, the vertical area of the page was altered.

Click Apply to assign any changes to the current design.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Define your printer settings

Each design file must have a printer associated with it. Label Toolbox saves these settings within the design file and uses them every time you select that design file for your job.

Assign a printer to your design file

If you don't assign a printer, you can not print your labels.To assign a printer to your design file:

1. In Label Toolbox, choose File > Design Settings.

2. Select a printer from the Printer Name drop-down list, and type a description of your design file.

For Windows drivers, the printers available in the drop-down list are determined by the printers defined on your system. For Generic Text, Inkjet, and Data Stream drivers, the printers available are taken from Label Toolbox’s Printer Setup window (Tools > Printer Setup).

Change your printer at run time

3. Click OK.

Your printer is now assigned to the design file. This design file will use this printer every time unless you change it.

If you need to change your printer at the last minute before run time, you can change your printer through the Execution Options window or with a command line switch. You do not need to go into the Design Settings window in Label Toolbox.

This change affects the current print run only. The settings are not saved in your job or design file. For more information, see the topic “Change your printer at run time” in the Label Studio online help (Help > Label Studio Help).

Label Studio User’s Guide

Add comments to printers

When you create or modify a Generic Text, Data Stream, or Inkjet printer, you can add some comments or a description about the printer.

Add comments to a new printer

Add comments to an existing printer

1. Choose Tools > Printer Setup.

2. Click New.

3. Select a printer driver, name it, type in a comment, and then click OK.

1. Choose Tools > Printer Setup.

2. Highlight a printer and then click Modify.

3. Type a comment and click OK.

You’ll be able to see the comment in the following windows:

! Design Settings within Label Toolbox. ! Printer selection on the first window in the Label Toolbox Design File

Wizard.

! Execution Options when running a job.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Specify a default printer

You can set a default printer for each printer type: Generic Text, Data Stream and Inkjet. The default printer is automatically selected when the design printer doesn’t exist or was deleted and in the Wizard Printer Setup window when changing printer classes.

Windows printer. Label Toolbox uses the default Windows printer as specified for the system.

You can set a default printer by following these steps.

1. Choose Tools > Printer Setup.

2. Highlight a printer and then click Set Default.

3. Click Close.

Label Studio User’s Guide

The Designer window in Label Toolbox

Overview When you open Label Toolbox, you first see the Designer window. This area

offers everything you need to create your label design.

Objects window: This window contains all of the components available to this design file currently shown. These include fields, barcodes, and other miscellaneous items.

You can switch this window on and off in the View menu.

Layer tabs: Every design file has a base layer. Windows, Data Stream, and Generic Text drivers offer the ability to create banner page and test label layers. Inkjet drivers offer the ability to create test label layers. You cannot delete, move, or rename these, but you can add new layers if you want.

Status window: This window shows all of the errors or warnings that exist in the current design file and to which component the errors are assigned.

You can switch this window on and off in the View menu.

Layout window: This window contains the label design for the current design file. You can change the look of the design by deleting items from the label or by dragging fields or objects from the Objects window and dropping them onto the label.

Status bar: This area gives you the exact coordinates of your cursor on the layout window, the current units of measure, and alerts you

to any errors or warnings that may exist in your layout. This feature is especially helpful if the Status window is closed.

Objects and Status windows

The Objects window and the Status window can be resized and “undocked” to provide custom viewing of your design. There are two ways to undock a window:

• Place the cursor over the docking bar of the window you want to move. Click and drag it to the desired position.

• Double-click the docking bar of the window.

Both the Objects and Status windows appear in the default view of the design window. To remove either window, choose View from the menu. Click either Objects or Status to control the appearance of these windows.

You can also remove either of these windows by clicking the X in the upper right corner.

See “Verify labels” on page 64 for more information about the Status window.

Object properties Drag objects (fields, images, barcodes, and so on) from the Objects window onto

your label design. Each object that you drop on your design has its own properties. To view the properties of any object, select the object you want (field, image, barcode, and so on) and do one of the following:

Chapter 3: Design labels

! Choose Format > Properties.

! Click the Properties button on the toolbar.

! Right-click and choose Properties.

! Double-click the object.

Depending on the type of object, in its Properties window you may be able to set up a value expression or conditional filter, define leading or trailing characters, or suppress clear zones. See the sections in this chapter about each specific object for more information about its properties.

Font properties With an object selected in your label design, choose Format > Font. In this

window, define a font for the selected object. For example, if you select a field and change the font in this window, you will see the change on your layout. You can also select a frame, change the font in this window, and then see the fonts for all objects with font properties change in the frame.

Driver specific: Font properties are only available for design files using a Windows or Data Stream driver.

View options Label Toolbox comes with several handy features to

help you view your label designs better. Choose View from the menubar to:

! Preview your labels, see “Preview labels” on

page 65 for more information.

! Turn the Grid on/off.

! Turn the Ruler on/off.

! See more/less toolbar options.

! Zoom the label design in/out.

Label Studio User’s Guide

The Layout window

Placing the fields and objects you need onto your layout is as easy as dragging and dropping from the Objects window. There are a few things, however, that you first need to know when you are working in the Layout window.

Base layer vs. Label area

Insertion point cross hair

Notice, in the example at right

Base layer (printable area)

Distance between labels

that there is white space at the far right edge of the label. This represents the distance between labels.

The lined portion of the

Label area (size of the label)

layout is the base layer. Your label elements will not print outside of the base layer. For more information about base layers and other layers, see “Layers” on page 49.

When moving or placing a field object (or any other linebased object) on your layout, a red cross hair appears in the upper left corner of the object. This can help you to more accurately place your field.

Place the cross hair anywhere between the top and bottom borders of a line to move the object to that line.

Viewing hidden information on your layout

Sometimes your layout may contain a lot of fields or objects; so many, in fact, that the base layer or frame you are working in cannot show you everything on your layout. Any information that may have been squeezed out of view may still print on your label. It all depends on the size of the data in your fields or objects and the line suppression of the layer or frame.

Label Toolbox signifies this “hidden” information with an arrow that points in the direction of the missing information.

indicator arrows

Chapter 3: Design labels

To simply resize your fields, see “How to resize field objects in the layout” on

page 54. To view the hidden information on your base layer, you will need to

temporarily change the size of your labels. To do this:

1. Choose File > Page Setup, and click the Label Page tab to increase the label area, or click the Label Page N-up tab to decrease the number of horizontal or vertical labels.

2. Click OK to save your changes.

3. Resize the base layer to view the hidden information.

4. Choose File > Page Setup to change your page setup back to its original dimensions.

You may want to choose View > Label Preview to make sure your labels are still set up to your original settings.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Layers

If you use a Windows, PCL Data Stream, or Generic Text driver, three different layers are automatically assigned to each design file: Banner, Test, and Base. Inkjet drivers offer the Base and Test layer. They cannot be deleted or renamed.

Banner: Click the Banner tab to design the layout of your banner pages.

Te st : Click the Test tab to design your test labels.

Base: Click the Base tab to design your labels. This is the default view of the

layout window.

Additional layers Here are two examples of ways you may want to use an additional layer:

• You can set up a layer to print an indicia.

• Dropping an Image object onto your layout is the best way to

conditionally print two or more images. Using an expression field is a good way to print conditional text. What if you want to print an image on some labels and text in the same position on others? Layers are a great way to do this. For example:

Base layer

DB.NAME DB.LINE1 PW.CITY PW.STATE

Tex t

Layer 2

How to add a layer If you use a Windows or PCL Data Stream printer driver, you can add a layer to

your design. To do this:

1. Place the cursor on one of the layer tabs or

on the space to the right of them.

2. Right-click, and then click Add Layer.

3. At the Add Layer window, name your layer and create a conditional filter for

it. If you do not set up a conditional filter, the layer will always be printed.

Right-clicking the tab of a layer you create and choosing Properties allows you to change the name or conditional filter of the layer.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Lines

When you drag and drop fields onto your layout, you drop the fields into lines. Lines on your label layout cannot be “selected” or moved by clicking and dragging.

To insert or delete a line or to view a line’s properties:

1. Place the cursor on a line or any object on that line.

2. Right-click, and choose the appropriate action from the popup menu.

Line properties In the Line Properties

window control your line spacing options and justification. You can select the Permanent option to exempt the line from the effects of blank line suppression. When this option is selected, a blank line will not be removed when suppression is turned on.

Line

Line-based objects Fields and expressions are considered line-based objects and follow the properties

of the line in which they reside.

Heidelberg printer drivers For Heidelberg printer drivers, click the More button to access the line-level

printer settings. Here you control the line properties of your design, including |800, orientation, line linking, message indentation, and so on. See the Label Studio Inkjet Reference for more information.

Generic Text drivers Click the More button to access the line beginning and line ending escape code

options. These can be set to include an escape code at the beginning and/or ending of a line. These settings are applied to the specific line and are not affected by blank line suppression. This can be especially useful for creating multiple N-up labels. For more information about adding escape codes to your printer, see “Generic Text driver” on page 69 for more information.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Frames

Frames can be used for many things: address verification, field placement on a layout, printing an indicia, and so on. The base layer of a design file is considered a frame, with most of the same properties as a frame that you drop onto your layout.

Label Toolbox lets you have as many frames in your design file as you want, each with its own properties, such as blank line suppression. Frames cannot be placed inside other frames, except the base layer.

Non-line based objects

Frames are considered non-line based objects because they do not follow the properties of a line. Other non-line based objects include barcodes, images, and break marks. Many of the following features apply to all non-line based objects.

USPS Address blocks Address blocks are those that Label Toolbox recognizes as the frames that contain

fields in need of verification. Label Toolbox will not attempt to verify any address information placed outside of a USPS address block.

Note: Most of the predefined design files in Label Toolbox already have either the base layer or a frame designated as a USPS address block.

Making a frame a USPS address block

To assign a frame as the USPS address block:

1. Drag and drop a Frame object onto your label.

2. Select the desired frame, and choose Format > Properties.

3. On the Miscellany tab, select the USPS Address Block checkbox.

Set the position Select a frame on your label design

and choose Format > Position from the menubar in Label Toolbox. The Position window opens. This is true for all non-line based objects.

In the Position window you can precisely position and size an object on your label. Simply clicking and dragging or stretching your object might not be accurate enough. For an example, see “How

to indent objects” on page 52.

Text flow You can set your text flow in the Position window. The text flow determines how

line-based objects wrap around non-line-based objects.

For example, if you drag a frame object onto your layout, you can set the text flow to wrap around the image on either side (Left, Right, Largest Side), or you can have no other objects on the same lines that the image occupies (Skip).

Chapter 3: Design labels

Blank line suppression

You can delete blank lines from your final printed label by choosing either Up or Down from the Suppress Blank Lines drop-down list in the Frame properties window (Miscellany tab).

! Choosing Up moves the objects up with

blank lines below.

! Choosing Down moves the objects down with blank lives above.

To exclude a non-line based object from being affected by blank line suppression:

1. Select the object on your design.

2. Choose Format > Position.

3. Select the Anchored option, and click OK.

How to indent objects Use frames to indent objects on your layout. For example, suppose you want to

indent a field 1 inch (or indent to column 6 for inkjet printers). To do this:

1. Choose View > Rulers from the menu, if necessary.

2. From Miscellany in the Object window, drag a Frame object and drop it onto your layout. Watch the red line on the ruler to determine the exact position of the frame.

3. While the Frame is selected, choose Format > Position from the menu and enter the exact position requirements, if necessary. Click OK.

4. Drag the object into your frame. You may need to resize your frame to view the entire object.

Heidelberg drivers Frames can be used with a Heidelberg driver to specify a line’s indent and length.

To do so, you need to make sure that each frame’s Text Flow option is set to Skip. While the frame is selected, choose Format > Position to set the Text Flow option.

You can also set an indent or length setting manually with the following line-level settings:

! LineIndentOverride ! LineLengthOverride

Access these settings from the Line Properties window in Label Toolbox. Enter an integer from 0 to 999 depending on what you want.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Fields

The fields available in the objects window are the fields defined in your input file (DB fields), the fields that you defined in your DEF file (PW fields), as well as some that Label Studio generates (AP fields).

For more information about specific fields, their uses, and any limitations, refer to Appendix C.

Drag fields from the Objects wind onto your label design. Each field that you drop on your design has its own properties.

Field properties To access a field’s properties,

select the desired field in your label design and choose Format > Properties. The window at right appears.

In the Field Properties window control each specific field’s settings. You can assign a filter, you can designate leading or trailing characters, or you can designate truncation.

Leading and Trailing characters

In the Field Properties window, you can set the number of characters that appear before or after the specified data in the field. Spaces are considered characters.

You can use this feature to line up your fields in any way you want.

Note: If you have only one field on a line and the field is empty for a particular record, Label Toolbox considers the field blank even if the field contains a leading space. Label Toolbox suppresses the line in this case if you have selected Blank line suppression. See “Blank line suppression” on

page 52.

Truncation The Field Properties window allows you to truncate a field if the output on a line

is too long to print on the label. Most fields are truncated from the right if the Allow Truncation option is selected, and a minimum of four characters will always remain. This feature handles two specific fields differently from others.

! PW.City: When you select the Allow Truncation option for this field, the

directional is reduced to one letter first, then vowels are removed from the city name, from the right, until it fits, and then, if the field is still too long, the field is truncated from the right. The minimum remaining length is 4 characters.

Chapter 3: Design labels

! PW.Dest_City: Only the city portion of this field will be truncated. The state

portion will be ignored, if it’s there. Label Toolbox ignores the destination facility prefix (ADC, BMC, and so on), and reduces the directional to one letter first. The minimum remaining length is 12 characters.

Trim spaces In the Field Properties window designate how (extra) spaces in the field should be

removed. You can choose to have spaces removed on the right, left, or both sides of the data in the field.

The Trim Spaces option does not affect leading or trailing characters set in this window. It only affects data from within the field.

How to resize field objects in the layout

You can view the fields on your layout in a normal or collapsed state. When fields are collapsed, you can fit more fields onto a line of your layout.

This does not affect your output. You cannot fit more data on your label than the length of the label will allow. If the data in your fields is longer than the length of your label, it will be cut off.

To ensure that you have enough room on your label for the fields you want, choose View > Label Preview. See “Preview labels” on page 65.

To collapse or expand a field:

1. Select a field on your layout.

2. Right-click, and choose Collapse Field or Expand Field.

Tips ! A red arrow appears to the right of the first letter of a collapsed field.

! If you aren’t sure what the collapsed field contains, place your cursor over

the collapsed field, and the name of the field appears.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Barcodes

Windows and PCL Data Stream drivers can use any of the barcodes listed in the Objects window, which include:

! POSTNET ! PLANET

! I 2 of 5 ! 3 of 9

! Code 128 ! Zebra

! 4-State (in testing phase)

For more information about barcodes and the Generic Text driver, see “Barcode

printing with the Generic Text driver” on page 72.

Define the value expression

After you drag a barcode onto your layout, the barcode properties window automatically opens. In this window, you must define the barcode’s value expression. See Appendix A for more information about value expressions.

Set the position Barcodes are considered non-line based objects because they do not follow the

properties of a line. For information about setting the barcode’s position on the label, see the Frame object topic “Set the position” on page 51.

Barcode clear zones The USPS requires clear zones around your barcode. However, you may be able

to suppress some of these under the right circumstances.

Important: You are ultimately responsible for complying with USPS

regulations. Refer to the DMM (C840) for clear-zone specifications.

Why suppress clear zones?

You might want to suppress clear zones to align your fields properly. If you want to line up the left side of your labels, you might suppress the left clear zone. Be careful that the right edge of the barcode is not cut off by the end of the label. Or, if you have a blank line above or below the barcode, you could suppress the top or bottom clear zone to reduce the amount of white space on your label.

How to suppress barcode clear zones

1. Drag a barcode object onto your layout.

2. Choose Format > Properties.

3. Select the Suppress Clear Zone option that you want.

4. Click OK.

4-State barcode The USPS allows two versions of the 4-State font in TrueType format. The first is

the normal 4-State format, and the other (condensed version) is a shorter size used on Windows and PCL drivers.

Chapter 3: Design labels

The following table compares the dimensions of the normal 4-State format with the condensed format.

Format Point size Width

Normal 18 point 20 bars per inch (approximately)

Condensed (default) 16 point 23 bars per inch (approximately)

You can print the 4-State barcode by dragging and dropping the object onto your design. You can do this with any of the following printer drivers:

! Windows printer drivers

! The PCL Data Stream printer driver

! The Generic Text printer driver

To set the size of the 4-State barcode:

1. In Label Toolbox, expand the Barcode group in the Objects window.

2. Choose 4-State from the list. Drag and drop the object onto your design in the appropriate line. The 4-State Barcode Properties window opens.

3. Type the value expression that you want to use, or click the Filter/ Expression Builder button to choose one. Repeat this step for the conditional filter, if necessary.

4. Choose the size of your barcode: Normal or Condensed.

5. Select to suppress the left and/or right clear zone, if necessary.

6. Click OK.

For more information about the 4-State barcode, see the OneCodeSolution on the USPS website:

4-State data The 4-State barcode supports 20, 25, 29, or 31 character digits of data. Label

http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/

Studio encodes the data into the Descender, Ascender, Tracker, and Full barcode characters. The following table outlines the data layout.

Data Digits Description

Application ID 2 Identifies the barcode for internal USPS use only. The

–

second digit must be a number between 0

Service 3 Identifies the type of service or product. Use any of the

the current 2-digit Confirm Service codes with the addition of a preceding zero.

Subscriber ID 6 The Confirm identification number assigned to you by

the USPS. This number was expanded to 6-digits to accommodate growth. Append your current subscriber ID with a preceding zero.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Unique ID 9 Any number that you use for unique identification.

Routing ZIP None, 5,

9, or 11

The Delivery Point ZIP Code for the addressee. This data is the same as used for the current POSTNET code.

Align barcodes using tabs

If you use the Generic Text driver and print multi-up labels, you may want to use tab stops to ensure that your barcodes are properly aligned with the address information, or to decrease the output file size.

Using tab stops works only for printers that support the ANSI commands

related to clearing, setting, and outputting tabs and also support the values for setting the tab stops in character format (for example, columns 41 and

81).

To set the tab stops:

1. From Label Toolbox, select Tools > Printer Setup.

2. Highlight the Generic Text printer that you want to use and then click

Modify.

3. From the Modify Printer window, select Horizontal Tabs.

4. Set UseTabs to True.

5. Read your printer documentation to set the appropriate ClearTabCode and

StartTabCode settings. These settings clear any previously set tab stops, and then specifies the new location of the tab stops. The tab stop values are automatically calculated based on the page width and number of columns specified in the design file. For example, if you create a 3-up label with a page width of 120 columns, the tab stops are automatically set at columns 41 and 81.

6. Choose the code or symbol that separates the tab stop values and enter it in

the CodeBetweenTabs option, for example, a semi-colon (;).

7. Choose the code or symbol that indicates that there are no further tab stops

and enter it in the EndTabCode option. For example, if you have 3-up labels, the code includes 2 tab stop symbols (;) and one end symbol (u).

Chapter 3: Design labels

Break marks

Break marks are character-based objects that you print on a label. They signal your mail room staff to, for example, start a new package, container (sack or tray), or pallet.

Levels of break marks When your mailroom staff sees a label with break marks on it, they have to

determine which kind of break it signifies. Label Studio allows three levels of break marks: level 1, level 2, and level 3.

For example, you may want to use these to signify the beginning or end of a package, container (sack or tray), and pallet.

You can denote the level of break by either choosing a different character for each level of break (for example, $ for pallet breaks, % for container breaks, and @ for package breaks) or by choosing a different layout for each level of break. You can also use a combination of those methods.

#1125********************CAR-RT-SORT**C-054 #114A/868736/DOE4#

123456789012

JOHN SMITH P395 ### BUSINESS OBJECTS T39 ### 100 HARBORVIEW PLAZA ### LA CROSSE WI 54601-4071

One break mark

Types of break marks Many of the predefined design files come with a break mark placed in the layout.

There are two types of break marks: Clear Channel and Gated Scan. Which one of these you use depends on what kind of machinery you might use to read your break marks. These break marks can look exactly the same; however, the placement of the break mark is different.

Clear Channel

A clear channel break mark is usually placed outside the USPS address block. This ensures

Frame & USPS Address block

Base layer

that the reader for reading the break mark has a “clear channel” for looking for the break mark. No address information is above or below the break mark. You will need to put the address information into its own frame to accomplish this.

Base layer & USPS Address block

Label Studio User’s Guide

Gated Scan A gated scan reader looks at a predetermined area on the label for the break mark.

This type of reader does not require a clear channel to read the break mark.

Note: If you do not use machinery to read break marks, it does not matter what type of break mark you use.

Setting up break marks When you set up your break marks, there are essentially four things you need to

do:

! Select the number of levels you want. For example, do you only want to

break on the last record in a package (one level), or do you want to break on the last record in a package and the last record in a container (two levels)?

! Choose the characters you want to represent the break mark.

! Assign a field to determine when a break mark is printed.

! Create the look you want the break mark to have by selecting the orientation

and the width in characters.

For this example, we will create a simple break mark for the last record in each package, the last record in each container, and for the last record in each pallet.

To create your break marks:

1. Drag and drop a break

mark from the Objects window onto your layout, if there is not one there already.

2. Select the break mark and

choose Format > Properties.

3. In the Break mark properties

window, select the Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 options

4. Choose the character that

you want for each level. In this example we will use the pound sign for all levels.

5. For Level 1, choose AP.Brk_Lvl1_L from the Field drop-down list. For

Level 2, choose AP.Brk_Lvl2_L. For Level 3, choose AP.Brk_Lvl3_L.

6. Select Horizontal for the Orientation and Three for the Width in

Characters.At this point, the Break mark properties window should look like the one above.

7. Click OK.

Your break marks appear on your labels in the following ways:

Last record of new package

Last record of new container

Chapter 3: Design labels

Last record of new pallet

Piece position Not only can you set up how you want the break marks to look, you can tell Label

Studio to print the break marks on specific mail pieces. Label Studio does not limit you in what you can or can’t break on. You can print break marks on:

! The first piece in a package/container/pallet.

! The last piece of a package/container/pallet.

! Both the first and last pieces of a package/container/pallet.

Your choice should depend on the data in your input file and on your mailroom equipment and procedures. However, the input file data does not necessarily limit your choice of options. Label Studio can interpret the break field data and use break mark options set by the Label Studio user to identify those pieces upon which to print the break mark.

Input file Your input file must contain a field that holds data indicating whether or not a

break mark should appear on that piece. For example, our Presort program generates a field that holds the container break information. If the current mail piece is the first piece of the container, data appears in that field. If the current mail piece isn’t the first piece in the container, the field is empty.

If you plan on using break marks, your input file must contain a break mark field, and you must map the field to the appropriate PW field in your definition file:

! PW.Brk_Lvl1 for package break marks.

! PW.Brk_Lvl2 for container break marks.

! PW.Brk_Lvl3 for pallet break marks.

In addition, you should define the break level in the Input Options window of your job. For information about break levels, see “End subunits based on level

boundaries” on page 92.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Images

You can add any number of images to any number of your labels (Windows printer drivers only). For a list of supported image file formats, see the Label Toolbox help topic “Image Formats.”

Add images to your design

You must complete a few steps before your image will appear on the labels the way you want it to:

! Choose your image(s) from your Image Files folder (set up in Tools >

Options > File location tab).

! Assign a value to the image(s).

! Create a value expression for the image(s).

! Create a conditional expression for the image (optional).

The following example walks you through some of these steps.

Note: Images are not saved to the design file. Only the file path is stored in the design file. You can set up an Image file directory by choosing Tools > Options > File Locations tab. The directory you assign here becomes the default directory.

Example To help illustrate how to add images to your label, we have the following

scenario: A company is sending out a mailing to customers in Wisconsin and Minnesota. To grab their attention, they are going to place an image on the labels—a map of the state for Minnesota customers and a wheel of cheese for Wisconsin customers.

To add these images to the appropriate labels:

1. From the Objects

window, under Miscellany, drag and

PW.State

drop the Image object onto your layout. The Image Properties window appears (if not, choose Format > Properties).

2. Next, enter or build the

value expression in Filter Builder that tells Label Toolbox what field needs to be populated to print the necessary image. Because we are differentiating by state, we chose the field PW.State.

Now we need to choose our images and give them values to tell Label Toolbox what to print and when.

3. Click the Add button in the Image Properties window to choose the image

you want.

Chapter 3: Design labels

4. Select the Minnesota image and enter the value MN. Then select the Wisconsin image and give it a value of WI. These values tell Label Toolbox that when the PW.State field is populated with MN, print the minnesota.bmp image. The same goes for WI; when WI appears in the PW.State field, print the cheese.bmp image.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Other miscellaneous objects

Text Drop a Text field onto a layout to add any text you want

onto your labels.

For example, you could type a greeting or a short message right onto the label design. Be sure to check USPS requirements for your other label elements’ placement and position.

Tab Adding a tab to your layout can help you in designing your label. For example,

you can use it to make a field start at any position on a line. It can be used as a right tab or a left tab.

Expression With the Expression field you can do a number of things you cannot do with other

Label Toolbox fields and objects. For example, use the Expression field to:

! Conditionally print text

! Create printer codes for Windows printer designs

! Combine data from multiple fields

Before you can print an Expression field, you must create a value expression. You can also name your Expression field by typing the name you want into the Field Name text box in the Field Properties window. See Appendix A for more information about value expressions.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Verify labels

The USPS has specific rules about which elements you can print on your labels and where they should be positioned. Label Toolbox checks your label layout for you to ensure that it does not violate basic USPS rules.

Label Toolbox catches several obvious errors, but it does not enforce all

USPS rules on your label layout. Even if Label Toolbox finds no errors in your layout, we can’t guarantee USPS acceptance. For details on USPS rules, see the DMM.

Status window The Status window (View > Status) shows the elements in your layout and their

status. If Label Toolbox finds something wrong with one of the elements of your layout, it will display either an error or a warning related to the current design. They are marked by the following symbols:

Error: This sign signifies that there is a severe problem. If the problem is not corrected, your mailing could be rejected.

Warning: This is not usually as severe as an error; however, it is recommended that you research the problem and attempt to fix it.

How to fix your errors By right-clicking an error or warning in the Status window, you may be able to:

! View a help topic that gives you a description and possible solution to your

problem.

! Go to the location of the problem in question.

Note: When you are preparing labels that won’t be used for mailing purposes, you may still get warning or error messages. Under these circumstances, it may not be necessary to fix these problems.

Turn off verification There may be times when you do not want to verify your labels as you design

them. There are several ways to turn off verification.

! You can remove the Status window from view by choosing View and

deselecting Status. In this case you would not see any of the error or warning messages, not just the USPS verification.

! You can turn off the USPS address block option in the base layer or frame

that your address information is in by selecting the base layer or frame, choosing Format > Properties, and deselecting the USPS address block option.

! A more general way of avoiding USPS verification entirely is to design your

address, container, and pallet labels using the Generic label type in your job, not the USPS address, USPS sack, USPS tray, or USPS pallet label types.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Preview labels

There are two ways to preview labels. You can either preview them through Label Studio or through Label Toolbox.

Label Studio To view your labels before you print, choose Tools > Preview Labels. This will

only work if there is a design file assigned to the current job file and the required blocks are completed.

Label Toolbox When you are in the Design window of Label Toolbox, you can preview your

labels as you design them by choosing View > Label Preview.

Test and Banner pages: The preview does not include any test or banner pages that you may have.

Tip: By resizing the print preview window and the design window, it is possible to have both on your screen at the same time. This feature allows you to see the changes you make to your labels instantly.

Toggle button In the preview mode, there is a Toggle Label/Page View button that

allows you to change between viewing a single label or an entire page of labels.

Preview flow There are four radio buttons at the bottom of the Label preview window that

allow you to adjust the viewing order of your labels (East/West, North/South, North/South Page or North/South stacked). The default option is based on the print direction setting from the Label Options window within the Output Setup block in Label Studio.

Chapter 3: Design labels

To activate the preview flow buttons, you must choose page view with the toggle button.

By selecting a radio button and clicking the Reverse Label Order button, it reverses the order the labels are displayed in.

For more information about each feature in the Label Preview window, see the Label Toolbox or Label Studio help file.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Page templates

When you create a new design file, you must pick a page template (.ltp) to use. Page templates contain the physical information about the page of labels that you are using. This information includes the size of the page, the number of labels per page, the size of the margins, and so on.

When working in Label Toolbox, you can create and save your own page templates, as well as load existing page templates in the current design.

Create a new page template

If you often use the same page setup but different label designs, then you may want to create a page template. For example, if a lot of your printing is done on a custom label or paper size, rather than modifying your page setup each time, you could save your page settings as a page template. To do this:

1. In Label Toolbox,

create and save a design with your desired page settings.

2. Choose File > Page

Setup, and then click the Page Template tab.

If necessary, click the folder icon to navigate to a different folder, and then click OK.

3. Choose Save New

Te mp la te from the list, and enter a Name and Description for the template and then select Label or Envelope.

Assign a different page template to the design file

4. Click Save, and then click OK.

After you have created and saved this page template, you can use it when creating new design files or you can load it into an existing design file.

Perhaps you know that there already is a page template with the setting you want, to assign a different page template to the current design:

1. Choose File > Page Setup and click the Page Template tab.

2. If necessary, click the folder icon to navigate to a different folder, and click

OK.

3. Choose a page template from the list, and click Load.

4. Click OK.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Layout templates

When you create a new design file, you must pick a layout template (.ltl). Layout templates contain information about what fields, barcodes, break marks, or other objects appear on your labels, banner pages, or test labels.

When working in Label Toolbox, you can create and save your own layout templates, as well as load existing layout templates in the current design.

Create a new layout template

Assign a different layout to the design file

If you often use the same label design but different page settings, you could create different layout templates. Then, you wouldn’t have to change your label design each time you create a new design. To do this:

1. Create and save (File > Save) your label design.

2. Choose File > Layout Template > Save.

3. If necessary, navigate to a different folder, and name your new layout template. Click Save.

After you have created and saved this layout template, you can use it when creating new design files or you can load it into an existing design file.

Perhaps you know that there is a layout template with the settings that you want. To assign a different layout to the current design:

1. Choose File > Layout Tem p l ate > Lo ad .

2. If necessary, click the folder icon to navigate to a different folder, and click OK.

3. Choose a layout template from the list, and click Finish.

Banner pages and test labels

Label Studio User’s Guide

If you often use a common setup for your banner pages or test labels, but not your label design, you may want to create and save a layout template. This template could contain your desired banner and/or test layer information but a blank base layer. You could then use this layout template when creating a new design.

Generic Text driver

Label Studio includes printer files (.ltr) for use with the Generic Text driver. These printer files contain suggested POSTNET escape codes for a variety of printers, such as the Tally, Rena, Okidata, and Genicom printers. See the entire list of printer files in Appendix D.

Assign one of these printers to your job from the Label Toolbox, Design Settings window (File > Design Settings). Click the More button to access the printer settings.

Choose your printer Define your printer settings for any

printer at any time in the Printer Setup window. This window acts as a repository for all of the printers available. Here you can access information about your printer and access the location where you define the necessary settings to control your printer.

Create a new printer instance

You may have multiple printers that you want to use with the Generic Text driver. You may also need to change the settings for a specific printer depending on the job you are running. Label Toolbox has a way for you to define different settings for the same printer, thus saving future setup time.

Example For example, suppose you have a Taneum printer. With some designs, you want

to print at 6 LPI and with others you want to print at 8 LPI. You can set up a printer instance for each and name the printer anything you want.

To set up an instance of your printer to print at 6 LPI:

1. Choose Tools > Printer Setup, and click New.

2. Select the Generic Text driver from the drop-down list, and enter a new

name for your printer, such as Tan eu m_ 6l pi .

3. Select OK.

4. In the Modify Printer window, select Settings.

5. Enter in the InitCode parameter the appropriate printer codes to print for 6

LPI printing, and click OK.

Go through the same steps to set up your printer for 8 LPI, changing the values and names where appropriate. You now have two instances of the same printer, but with different LPI settings.

Define your settings The Modify Printer window contains options you need to set up for using the

Generic Text driver. To enter a value for any of the options, just click the field

Chapter 3: Design labels

next to the name of the option, and type the value or choose the value from the drop-down list.

If you do not use one of the available printer files, your printer’s documentation should contain most of the information you need about these options.

Settings The following table lists the various printer options you may set up, as well as a

description of each.

Option Description

DeviceName Use the DeviceName option when the output is sent directly to the

printer. Enter the name of a Windows printer driver here. The name you type at the DeviceName option must match the name of your printer

exactly

(spelling, case, and so on). We suggest copying and

pasting. For a network printer, you must also specify the path (for example,

\\server name

PadLines This option determines how the driver treats end-of-line situations.

Set to True to pad each line with spaces to the width of the label stock.

When you set PadLines to False, each line ends at the last character or escape code.

PadPages You may find this setting useful if you are experiencing problems

with blank lines at the end of your label page. When the value is set to False, these blank lines are removed.

path\printer name

InitCode If you want a printer initialization sequence, enter it here. The con-

tents of this option are output at the beginning of the print run.

ResetCode Use this option to set the printer reset sequence. The contents of this

option are output at the end of a print run.

LineFeedCode Use this option to override the default line feed sequence. This

sequence will be output at the end of each line of text. Label Toolbox has a default LineFeedCode of \x0d\x0a.

PageFeedCode Use this option to send a page feed sequence. If setup, this sequence

will be output at the end of each page.

Escape codes In Label Toolbox, you can easily enter, store, and use your escape codes to

control your printer. If you do not use one of the available printer files with the POSTNET escape codes defined for you, your printer’s documentation should list the escape codes available. You need to transfer those codes into Label Toolbox.

To define your escape codes:

1. With a Generic Text driver design file open in Label Toolbox, choose Too ls > Printer setup.

2. Select your printer, and click Modify.

3. Select Escapes, and click the New button that appears at the bottom of the window.

4. Enter a name for your escape code in the Value Name field and a value for the escape code in the Value field. For example, enter a name such as

Label Studio User’s Guide

BoldOn and a value of \027\nnn or \xlb\xnn where \nnn or \xnn represent the values your printer uses to turn bold on. Click OK.

5. Click OK, and click Close in the Printer Setup window.

These escape codes are now available as objects to drag and drop on your design or use them to define the LineBeginning and LineEnding values in the Line Properties window, see “Lines” on page 50.

Printer escape objects After you define your printer escape codes, they appear in

the Objects window. You can drag and drop these onto your layout to activate printer commands.

For example, let’s suppose you want to make the customer’s name appear in bold text on your address labels. You would create printer escape objects for turning the bold text on and off and then drop them onto your layout in the appropriate positions.

1. From the objects window, click and drag the BoldOn escape object to the

position before the DB.Name field.

2. Click and drag the BoldOff escape object and drag it to the position

immediately after the DB.Name field.

If you do not include the BoldOff escape object, every field on every label after the BoldOn object will have bolded text. You must send a command to the printer to tell it to stop printing bolded text.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Barcode printing with the Generic Text driver

You can generate the POSTNET, PLANET, and 4-State barcodes in Label Toolbox with the Generic Text driver by using the barcode objects. You can also print the POSTNET and PLANET barcodes with printer escape objects.

POSTNET and PLANET barcode widths

Set up your design file and printer

Save your design file, and assign it to your job file

If you want to use the POSTNET or PLANET barcode objects, you need to determine the width of the barcode in characters, and enter this information into the appropriate parameters within the POSTNET or PLANET section of the Modify Printer window. To do this:

1. In the Design File Preview window, select Testing POSTNET width.ltd or Testing PLANET width.ltd design file, and click Edit.

2. Choose Tools > Printer Setup, select your Generic Text printer, and click Modify.

3. Select Settings, and enter the necessary information for your printer, if you haven’t already done so.

4. Select POSTNET or PLANET, and enter the Start and Stop codes for the barcode. Your printer's documentation should provide this information.

5. Click OK, and click Close.

6. Choose File > Design Settings, and choose your Generic Text printer from the drop-down list. Click OK.

1. Choose File > Save As to save your design file with a different name. This design file should only be used to determine barcode length; it should not be used for production purposes.

Count the number of characters, and enter the data

2. Choose File > Exit.

3. In the Design File Preview window, click Select to assign this design file to your job file.

4. In Label Studio, verify your job, and then choose File > Run Job. You will only need to print one label. In the Print Options window, enter your print range of 1 to 1 and click OK.

Your output should look similar to this:

1. Using the top row of numbers as a guide, count how many spaces (characters) the barcode bars occupy. In the example given above, the number of spaces for the 5-digit barcode is 16.

2. After you have determined the number of characters for your 5-, 9-, and 11digit POSTNET barcodes or 11- and 13-digit PLANET barcodes, follow the steps in “Use the barcode objects” on page 74. Be sure to use the design file that you want for production purposes, not the sample design files.

Label Studio User’s Guide

4-State barcode width If you want to use the 4-State barcode object on your Generic Text design, you

need to determine the width of the barcode in characters and enter this information into the appropriate parameters within the 4-State section of the Modify Printer window. To do this:

Set up the margins of your label

1. In Label Toolbox, choose File > Page Setup.

2. From the Label Page tab, set the left margin to 0. On the Label Page N-up

tab, set the horizontal number of labels per page to 1. Click OK.

Set up your layout 1. Drag and drop a Text object onto the first (top) line of your layout. Double-

click the Text object, and type the following sequence of numbers:

1234567890123456789012345678901234567890 (This is 1-0, four times.)

2. Drag the 4-State barcode object onto the second line of the layout.

3. In the value expression field, enter “12345678901234567890” including

quotation marks. This represents 20 digits.

4. Click OK to close the Properties window.

5. Drag and drop a Text object next to the barcode object, and type a few

characters in the Text object.

Save your design file, and assign it to your job file

1. Choose File > Save As to save your design file with a different name. This

design file should only be used to determine the barcode length; the design file and the 4-State barcode should not be used for production purposes.

2. Choose File > Exit.

Count the number of characters, and enter the data

3. In the Design File Preview window, click Select to assign this design file to

your job file.

4. In Label Studio, verify your job, and then choose File > Run Job. You will

only need to print a few labels, so in the Print Options window, enter a small print range (1 to 1, for example), and click OK.

1. Now with the sample label, you can count the number of characters your

barcode occupies. Using the top row of numbers as a guide, count how many spaces (characters) the barcode digits use until you reach the first letter in the string of letters.

2. The first letter on the second line signifies the end of the barcode digits. The

space immediately to the left of the letter is the last space in the barcode. Above this space is the number that tells you the number of spaces your barcode will take.

3. After you have determine the number of spaces, choose Tools > Printer

Setup and click More. Enter these values in the respective fields.

Your printer is now set up to use the 4-State barcode object.

Note: The number of spaces the barcode uses is different depending on the CPI setting of your printer. Be sure to take this into account when determining the width of your barcode.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Use the barcode objects

Label Studio provides a POSTNET, PLANET, and 4-State barcode object in Label Toolbox for use with the Generic Text driver. We recommend using this method of printing for your POSTNET and PLANET barcodes on address labels, rather than using the escape objects.

To do this:

1. Drag and drop the POSTNET, PLANET, or 4-State barcode object onto your layout. The Barcode Properties window opens.

2. In the Barcode Properties window, type the value expression that you want to use, or click the Filter Builder button to choose one. Repeat this step for the conditional filter (if necessary).

3. Define the leading character settings (if necessary). Click OK.

4. Choose Tools > Printer setup, select the Generic Text printer, and click Modify.

5. Choose POSTNET, PLANET, or 4-State from the list to enter the barcode settings information.Your printer’s documentation will have the data for the start and stop codes. See the following “Check digit” and “Convert digit to bars’ sections for information about those settings.

6. If you are printing the POSTNET or PLANET barcode, you will need to determine whether you want Label Toolbox to generate the check digit for you. Enter the value for the WidthXDigit parameter (which you previously determined, see “POSTNET and PLANET barcode widths” on page 72).

7. If you are printing the 4-State barcode, you also need to enter the value for the barcode width (which you previously determined, “4-State barcode

width” on page 73).

8. Click OK.

Check digit If your printer does not automatically generate the check digit for the POSTNET

or PLANET barcode, set the Check Digit parameter to True in the Modify Printer window (Tools > Printer Setup and select your printer). If your printer automatically generates the check digit, set this parameter to False. Otherwise, your barcodes will not print or will print incorrectly.

Convert digits to bars If your printer requires digit conversion to

print the POSTNET, PLANET, or 4-State barcodes, set the ConvertDigitsToBars parameter to True. You must also enter the appropriate conversion values for the TallTall, ShortShort, TallShort and ShortTall parameters (POSTNET/PLANET) or the Ascender, Descender, Tracker, and Full parameters (4-State). The POSTNET and PLANET values are entered in the same way as printer escapes (for example, \nnn or \xnn).

Note: If you set the ConvertDigitsToBars parameter to True, you should also set the GenerateCheckDigit Feature to True (for POSTNET and PLANET barcodes).

Label Studio User’s Guide

How to use printer escape objects for the POSTNET and PLANET

We recommend using this method only if your printer handles the barcode alignment by itself. You don’t have to define the POSTNET or PLANET values in the Modify Printer window if you are using escape code objects to generate your barcodes.

To use escape codes for printing your barcodes:

1. Define your printer escape codes (see “Escape codes” on page 70).

2. Create two printer escape objects: one to turn on the printing of the barcode

and one to turn it off (for example, BarcodeOn and BarcodeOff).

3. Drag the BarcodeOn escape object onto your layout.

4. Drag the AP.Adr_BC_Dgt field object to the right of the BarcodeOn escape

object. Click OK.

5. If necessary, drag the AP.Adr_Chk_Digit field to the right of

AP.Adr_BC_Dgt.

6. Drag the BarcodeOff escape object to the right of the AP.Adr_BC_Dgt (or

AP.Adr_Chk_Dgt) field.

Caution: If you use escape codes to print your barcodes, and you use any

other escape codes that move the printer head horizontally (for example, a tab escape code), the output will be incorrect. If you need to use a tab, use Label Toolbox’s tab object, available from the objects window.

Chapter 3: Design labels

Label Studio User’s Guide

Chapter 4: Reports

Label Studio provides reports for your own management, for clients, or for other bureaus or vendors.

This chapter introduces you to Label Studio reports. You will become familiar with the available reports and learn the basics about working with them.

Chapter 4: Reports

Available reports

Job Summary The Job Summary reports lists the settings of your job file that affect label

printing.

Print Log The Print Log shows what units were formed and why. The Print Log also shows

any breaks that you make during printing. It lists starting and ending record numbers and the total number of records in each unit.

The Print Log is especially useful if you split your Label Studio output.

Inkjet Format Summary

The Inkjet Format Summary gives the bindery line operator pertinent information about the inkjet setup. This report is printer specific, and only shows information that relates to your printer. The Inkjet Format Summary is available for inkjet drivers only.

Inkjet Simulation The Inkjet Simulation lets you view and verify your label design, even if your

inkjet printer is not ready. By printing this report, you can make sure that you have set up your address and message information correctly. The Inkjet Simulation is available for inkjet drivers only.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Print reports

You can print your reports directly to your printer, or you may prefer to print your reports to a file. If you print to a file, you can preview your reports before printing them. You may decide to write all of your reports into one file, or write each type of report to a separate file.

Send the reports directly to the printer

Enter the port address of the printer (for example, Lpt1) in the Output Destination parameter. Follow the guidelines for setting this as a default for all reports, or setting it in the individual report setup.

The printer must be ready and waiting when Label Studio reaches the reportwriting stage of your job!

One report file To send all of your reports to one file:

1. Expand the Report Setup folder, and double-click the Report Defaults

block.

2. Enter a file name in the Output Destination box, such as $job.out. Do not

name any specific report that you are printing. For example, if printing the Job Summary, leave the Output Destination parameter blank in that report’s job file block.

3. For the first report being printed, select Replace in its job file block, and

select Append for all others. Reports are printed in the order that they appear in the job diagram.

For example, if you are printing the Job Summary and the Print Log. In the Job Summary block select Replace. The Job Summary report is the first report printed and overwrites any existing reports by the same name. In the Print Log block, select Append. The new Print Log information is added to the file.

Separate file per report type

This file can be quite large, but Label Studio offers options that can help you organize and print it conveniently. For example, you can insert banner pages between the reports. Select this option in the Report Defaults block.

This approach gives you more files to handle, but they are smaller and you can more easily find a particular report.

Leave the Output Destination box blank in the Report Defaults block. Instead, enter a file name at this parameter in each of the individual report blocks. To distinguish one report file from another, use the following file-naming method.

Chapter 4: Reports

File names based on the job

To save time and keep files manageable, Label Studio offers a shortcut for naming report files. It’s called $job (“dollar job”). Here is an example of how it works:

Job file Report type

speedy.lsj

Job Summary

Job Print Log

Inkjet Simulation

Inkjet Format Summary

Report file name, as entered in job file

$job.ljs speedy.ljs

$job.lpl speedy.lpl

$job.lis speedy.lis

$job.lfs speedy.lfs

Report file actually produced

Label Studio User’s Guide

Format reports

Before printing reports, you set up several options for their appearance:

! Basics: File name, number of copies, what to do if the file already exists, and

so on.

! Page layout: Page size, margins, headers, and capitalization.

! Printer setup: Control codes that switch your printer into a different font,

size, print direction, and so on.

Defining your report format

General features of reports

You can control your report-printing options at several levels:

! Universal: You can create “universal” report settings if you plan to use them

for most jobs. To set these, choose Tools > Options > Defaults, and then click the Report Defaults tab. Your settings here will be used as defaults whenever you create a new job.

! Job: Within a particular job, you can override the “universal” report settings,

and set defaults that will apply to all reports in that job. Expand the Report Setup folder and double-click the Report Defaults block. These settings override your Universal settings.

! Report: Finally, you can customize the settings for one report within a

particular job. Expand the Report Setup folder and double-click the specific report’s block (for example, the Job Summary block). These settings override the Job settings.

Most reports have the following features:

! The report name is shown in the upper left-hand corner of each page.

! Normally, the software name and version number are shown. You have the

option to suppress this information in the Report Defaults block.

! You can define up to four header lines. You can enter them once, to appear

the same on all reports, or set up a different header for a particular report type. Label Studio will print all four lines at the top of each report.

Printer control Some printers let you select fonts, lines per inch, and other options from their

control panel. However, then you have to set up the printer every time you print.

A better way is to embed printer-control codes (also known as escape sequences) in your Label Studio reports. These parameters send control signals to your printer to switch fonts, set line spacing, use condensed fonts, and so on. You can set up these codes in your Label Studio job, using the Printer Init and Printer Reset parameters. Find these parameters in each of the three report setting locations (Universal, Job, and Report).

For a list of codes your printer recognizes, see your printer manual.

Chapter 4: Reports

Job Summary

The Job Summary report lists the settings in your job-file blocks that control Label Studio output. We recommend that you generate a Job Summary report in every job. This printed report is then available for reference if the results of your Label Studio job are not what you expected. For example, check the setup shown on your Job Summary if labels don’t appear to have been output with the correct breaks.

You can produce the Job Summary report by selecting the Create Reports option in the Execution Options block. Be sure that the Job Summary block is not commented out.

Job Summary Report Label Studio 7.71 [c01] Page 1 Address label job Business Objects 02-Aug-2006 05:55:57pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Job Name: D:\Label Studio\ls\samples\address_sample.lsj Job Description: Job file created by the Label Studio Wizard Job Owner: Business Objects Mailer Name: The mailer Label Type: USPS Address Warn Before Overwrite: Yes Work File Directory D:\LABEL STUDIO\LS\SAMPLES

Input Options ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copies Expression: Copies Labeling: All Level 1 Break Definition: Ignore Level 2 Break Definition: Ignore Level 3 Break Definition: Ignore Default Unit Break Description: Unit Break at End of File: No

Input Files --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Number Input Files: 1

Input File Name: D:\Label Studio\ls\samples\Adr.dat

Starting Record: 1 Ending Record: Process Deleted Records: No Input Filter: Nth Select: 1.000000 Maximum Records to Use:

Input File Totals:

----------Records dropped due to:---------- File Name Database Start & Input Nth Max Input Net Date Records End Nums Deleted Filter Select Records Records Labels

------------------------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ------- D:\Label Studio\ls\samples\Adr.dat 03-Feb-2006 04:18:54pm 50 0 0 0 0 0 50 50

-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- ------- 50 0 0 0 0 0 50 50

Label Studio User’s Guide

Job Summary Report Label Studio 7.71 [c01] Page 2 Address label job Business Objects 02-Aug-2006 05:55:57pm

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Labels -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design File: D:\Label Studio\ls\design files\sample_address.ltd Design Description: Address Label: OEL on 1st line, Postnet on 2nd line, Gated-Scan breakmark Printer Name: \\2KPRINTSRV\HP LaserJet 2200 TP Print To File: Yes Output File Name: D:\LABEL STUDIO\LS\SAMPLES\reports

Label Options --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Print in Reverse Order: No Print Direction: East/West

Subunits -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Divide Units into Subunits: No Max Pieces Per Subunit: End Subunits at Level 1 Boundaries: No End Subunits at Level 2 Boundaries: No End Subunits at Level 3 Boundaries: No

Chapter 4: Reports

Print Log report

The Print Log is especially useful to those who split their Label Studio output. It includes these items:

! What units were formed and why.

! Any breaks that you make during printing (if you interrupt printing).

! The starting and ending label numbers.

! The total number of labels in each unit.

Caution: Be sure to print this report only after you have printed your

labels. Because this report reflects printing output, the report file will be empty if you try to print the report before printing labels. In the Output Order block, select to print Labels first.

Print Log Report Label Studio 7.71 [c01] Page 1 Address label job Business Objects 26-Mar-2006 06:08:48pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Label Studio Print Run ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Start: 26-Mar-2006 06:08:53pm End: 26-Mar-2006 06:08:56pm

File Name: reports Volume ID: 000001 Date & Time: 26-Mar-2006 06:08:56pm Unit: (1) Subunit: (1) Break Reason: End of job

Record Label Input File Record Range Total Label Range Total

---------------------------------------- ----------------- -------- ----------------- ------- (1) D:\Label Studio\ls\samples\Adr.dat 1-50 50 1-50 50

Label Studio User’s Guide

Banner pages

A banner page announces the beginning of a report in large letters and makes it easier to find your way in a thick stack of reports.

#### ##### #### ### #### ##### ### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #### ##### #### # # #### # ### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ##### # ### # # # ###

### ##### ### ### ### ### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ### # #### # # # # # # # # ### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ### ### ##### ### ### ###

Job File : D:\Label Studio\ls\samples\address_sample.lsj Job Owner : Business Objects Job Description : A sample job

Print banner pages Select the Print Banner Pages option in the Report Defaults block to print banner

pages between your reports.

Chapter 4: Reports

Label Studio User’s Guide

Chapter 5: Output

Rather than send your label output to one file, you can split up the output into several files. This chapter discusses the reasons for wanting to split Label Studio output, and shows you how to do it.

For information about the Inkjet Output Summary file, see the Label Studio Inkjet Reference.

Chapter 5: Output

Output destinations

When you run your job, you can send your output (labels and reports) directly to the printer assigned to your design file, or to one or multiple output files.

To print your output to a file, select Print to File in the Labels block. If you do not select this checkbox, your output is sent directly to your printer. Inkjet and PCL Data Stream printer drivers can only print to a file; they cannot print directly to a printer.

Printers If you decide to send your output directly to a

printer, printing can begin right away— as soon as the first label is composed, it is printed.

However, sending directly to a printer might be slower than printing to a file because Label Studio may compose faster than your printer can print. For certain printers, it may be faster to print to file.

To use the direct-printing option safely, you must be guaranteed exclusive

access to the printer throughout the print run. If you share the target printer with other work groups, make sure to alert others that you will need exclusive use of the printer before you begin printing. Otherwise, if someone else tries to use the printer during your print run, their job may be mixed with yours and some labels may be ruined. The effects depend upon your equipment setup.

Files If you decide to print to a file, Label Studio stores your labels in a print-image

file. Later, you can transfer the file to your printer. If you want to split your output, see “Create multiple output files” on page 89 for more information.

One file name and the $job macro

If you output to one file, then specify the one file name. In the Labels block, either type a specific name for your file or use the $job macro. The macro is automatically converted to the base name of the job file (without path or extension). For example, if your job file was named myjob.lsj, your output file would be name myjob (you need to specify your own extension, for example, $job.out).

If you use the $job macro in more than one place in your job (for example, naming your reports), avoid file-naming conflicts by giving the files different extensions or placing them in different directories. So, in the previous example, you could specify, $job.prn and your output file would be named myjob.prn.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Create multiple output files

If you create just one output file, it could be quite a large file and it could only be sent to one printer. However, if you create unit and/or subunit breaks, you can create multiple output files. You create unit breaks according to values in your input file and/or subunit breaks based on the number of records. See “Set up

units” on page 90 and “Set up subunits” on page 92 for more information.

Why create multiple output files?

Label Studio generates labels in the order of your input file. If you want to keep the same output file structure as existed in your input files, you should split your output into multiple files using your defined units or any field that you choose.

Note: Keep in mind that you can’t reorder the records in your input files. Instead, you tell Label Studio to create a new file when the pertinent data signals the start of a new unit.

Example The box at right shows the

result of setting up unit breaks by entry point, segment, and then scheme and creating multiple output files: 13 output files or 13 units.

Banner pages and test labels

You can have Label Studio print banner pages or test labels between units or subunits. Then when the mailroom staff assembles the mailing, the banner pages or test labels signal the start of new jobs, units, and subunits.

Entry point, segment, and scheme as units

1. Phoenix ASF, English Edition, Auto Flats

2. Phoenix ASF, English Edition, Regular Flats

3. Phoenix ASF, Spanish Edition, Auto Flats

4. Phoenix ASF, Spanish Edition, Regular Flats

5. Denver BMC, English Edition, Auto Flats

6. Denver BMC, English Edition, Regular Flats

7. Denver BMC, Spanish Edition, Auto Flats

8. Denver BMC, Spanish Edition, Regular Flats

9. Phoenix ASF, English Edition, Qualified Nonpresort

10. Phoenix ASF, Spanish Edition, Qualified Nonpresort

11. Denver BMC, English Edition, Qualified Nonpresort

12. Denver BMC, Spanish Edition, Qualified Nonpresort

13. default entry point, no segment, Unqualified

Set up the appearance of your banner pages and test labels in Label Toolbox. In the Label Options block, choose from the Banner Pages and Test Labels dropdown menus when (if at all) they should print.

Chapter 5: Output

Set up units

You can tell Label Studio to read values from certain fields in your input file and then group the output files accordingly. Label Studio calls these groups of records with common input file values units. Define your unit breaks in the Input Options window.

The following examples show how to set up your Unit Break Definition and Unit Break Description parameters for one description or multiple descriptions.

One Unit Break Description

Even if you want multiple unit breaks, you only need to set up one Unit Break Definition and Description. However, each unit must use the same value in the Unit Break Definition, meaning that each field must change according to the same principal (for example, first, last, or change).

For example, suppose you want to create unit breaks based on Entry Point and then Segment.

To do this:

1. Define the following in your .def file:

PW.Unt_Brk1 = DB.Seg_No & DB.Ent_Pt_No

2. Open the Input Options block, click the Definition & Description button.

3. Define only one of the following in the Unit Break Description box (they both work similarly):

alltrim(DB.Seg_No)

4. Choose from the drop-down list the Unit Break Definition according to how each field changes, the example above is defined as Change.

Note: Each component of PW.Unt_Brk1 must change according to the same principle (first, last, or change) because you can only define it once from the drop-down menu.

Label Studio User’s Guide

Multiple Unit Break Descriptions

You can have up to 10 Unit Break Description and Unit Break Definition parameters defined for each component of the unit.

In the Unit Break Definition window, just define each break separately. For example, if you were splitting by entry point then segment (where you have fields DB.Ent_Pt_No and DB.Seg_No defined in your .fmt file):

With this setup, each specified unit can change differently (different Unit Break Definition parameters).

Chapter 5: Output

Set up subunits

Subunit breaks divide your output based on the number of records. You do not need to have units defined in order to create subunits.

Limit the number of records per output file

If you want to limit the number of records per output file, set up subunit breaks. Each file would contain the number of records (or less) that you set.

To do this:

1. Expand the Output folder, and double-click the Subunits block.

2. Select Divide Units Into Subunits.

3. Enter the number of records that you want in each output file. For example, type 5000 if you want each output file to have 5000 records or less.

4. Click OK.

End subunits based on level boundaries

Set up level boundaries You define level boundaries by using the PW.Brk_Lvln field (where n is number

To end your subunit breaks at level boundaries, you first must set up level boundaries in your definition file and in the Input Options block.

1, 2, or 3). For example, your .def file entry might resemble:

This field is from your database

PW.Brk_Lvl1 = DB.Pkg_Brk_F

and identifies when to create a level based on the first records.

Then, in the Input Options block, choose First from the Level 1 Break Definition drop-down list. Choose this value based on what your database field identifies (First, Last, Change, Value, or Ignore).

End on level boundaries If you want to end a subunit break at a boundary level, you must check the

appropriate options. For example, to end a subunit break based on the example above:

1. Expand the Output folder, and double-click the Subunits block.

2. Select Divide Units into Subunits, and enter the appropriate number.

3. Select End Subunit At Level 1 Boundaries.

4. Click OK.

End on level boundaries and Maximum Number of Pieces per Subunit

Label Studio considers the value of the Maximum Number of Pieces Per Subunit, when ending subunits at a level boundary. This feature is useful if you want to split your output into separate files for multiple bindery lines.

For example, rather than having a pallet or a container split between two output files, you can select End Subunit at Level 2 boundaries (container) and End

Label Studio User’s Guide

Subunit at Level 3 boundaries (pallet). This setup will end your output files at the last full container and/or pallet before exceeding your desired maximum number of pieces, 240,500. To do this:

1. Open the Subunits block, and

select Divide Units into Subunits.

2. Type 240500 in the Maximum

Number of Pieces Per Subunit field.

3. Select End Subunits at Level 2

Boundaries and End Subunits at Level 3 Boundaries, assuming

that you have defined these level boundary breaks.

Label Studio creates a new output file when it reaches the level 2 and/or 3 boundaries, but without going over 240,500 labels.

Chapter 5: Output

File masks

When printing your output to multiple files, you must specify a name for each file. To keep the files from having the same name and overwriting each other, you must include a variable, or file mask, in the name. At print time the file mask is replaced, resulting in a unique file name.

How it works You associate a file mask character with a data field (input or output) that

identifies the unit or subunit. For example, if your units are formed based on segments, you may want to associate a mask character with the output field DB.Seg_No. To successfully create your file masks, you must use the same fields used to define your breaks.

Label Studio has two default file masks. If you don't define your own file masks, Label Studio uses these default file masks:

Split output by Mask character Syntax

Unit number ^ ^,ap.unit_no

Subunit number % %,ap.subunit_no

The number of characters specified translates into the minimum number of characters to print. For example, if ^,ap.unt_no was defined, the output file setup as jobname^^^.out would translate into jobname001.out if ap.unt_no = 1, and jobname1000.out if ap.unt_no = 1000. The amount of characters can grow but not shrink.

Characters You can use any character for file masks except for Windows reserved characters:

:\/ . “

?<> | $

We recommend that you use “special” characters and not just any letter or number as a file mask. That is because if the file mask character you choose is also present in the file name, it will get replaced. Here are some characters that you could use:

^@% ! ~ & #

Label Studio User’s Guide

Guidelines When you use file masking to name output files, follow these guidelines:

! You need to only define one mask character for all of the file names to be

generated. For example, if you are splitting by segment and you have defined 115 segments in your job, then you only need to include one character for the segment number; test@ would be a valid mask. The files created would be name test1 - test115.

! You cannot use mask characters in the file extension. For example,

test.@@@ is invalid.

! Use multiple mask character to create static length filenames. For example, in

the example in the first bullet, test@@@ would create the files test001 test115.

Chapter 5: Output

Output file sizes

If you define unit or subunit breaks, the sizes of your output files may differ. That’s because Label Studio forms a new subunit whenever it reaches the number of specified labels or the end of a unit, whichever comes first.

For example, let’s suppose you need to prepare a large national mailing. You choose to group your records by changing entry point (DB.Ent_Pt_No) values because your West-Coast-bound trucks leave first.

Because you also have two bindery lines ready to generate the labels, you limit the output files to, for example, 2,000 pieces. That way each bindery line can handle pieces from the same job.

Within the large units, Label Studio forms many subunits, each subunit containing 2,000 pieces— except possibly the last subunit in each unit. The last unit varies because Label Studio must end the subunit when the unit ends (see the Flagstaff entry point). For a unit that has fewer than the specified 2,000 pieces, Label Studio ends the subunit when the unit ends. Consequently, that smaller subunit never reaches 2,000 pieces in size (see the Prescott entry point).

Label Studio User’s Guide

Denver

9,231 pcs.

(5 subunits)

Subunit 1 2,000 pcs

Flagstaff

7,762 pcs.

Subunit 2 2,000 pcs

Subunit 3 2,000 pcs

Phoenix

10,436 pcs.

(6 subunits)

Subunit 4 1,762 pcs

Subunit 1 641 pcs

Note: We don’t show the subunit breakdown for the Denver or Phoenix entry points. The program would create them similarly to the Flagstaff subunits.

Prescott 641 pcs.

Appendix A: Creating expressions and filters

This appendix explains what expressions and filters are and how to set them up in Label Studio.

Most of this information is also available in Filter Builder’s online help. You can access this help by pressing F1 when you are in Filter Builder.

Appendix A: Creating expressions and filters

Expressions and filters

When you drop certain objects onto your layout, you may need to create a value expression or conditional filter for that object. Label Toolbox provides a utility for creating and editing your filters and expressions.

To access this utility, select the object and choose Format > Properties from the Label Toolbox menubar. Click the Filter Browser button.

Value expressions A value expression tells Label Toolbox to print the value of the specified field or

data. For example, PW, AP, and DB fields automatically contain a value expression telling Label Toolbox to print the specified information.

When Label Toolbox looks at a record, it retrieves the data for this value expression and applies it to the record. For example, a value expression,

alltrim(ap.adr_bc_dgt) + alltrim(ap.adr_chk_digit), would return the value of ap.adr_bc_dgt + ap.adr_chk_digit for each record.

Barcodes always require a value expression.

Conditional filter A conditional filter allows you to designate under what conditions an element of

your label or the data contained in the element will appear or not appear.

For example, a conditional filter, alltrim(pw.mail_type) = “ATM”, would return a “T” or “F” for each record depending on the outcome of this function.

Objects that do not have a conditional filter assigned to them will always print.

Predefined expressions and filters

Label Toolbox contains a number of predefined expressions and filters. These cover some of the most fundamental expressions for the various elements of your mailing. The table below gives descriptions of what they do and how they are used.

Note: If you change a predefined filter or expression, you are prompted to do one of three things, shown at right.

Filter Description Usage

AP.Adr_BC_Dgt PW.Adr_BC_Dgt

AP.Ctn_BC_Dgt PW.Ctn_BC_Dgt

Ctn BC Required Conditional filter for container label barcodes

Last in Pkg Conditional filter indicating the label as the last

Value expression for address label barcodes Used by the POSTNET barcode in labels (not con-

tainer labels)

Value expression for container label barcodes Used by container labels

Used only on presorted labels

in a package

First or Last in Pkg Conditional filter indicating the label as the first

or last in a package

Label Studio User’s Guide

Used only on presorted labels

Filter Description Usage

Last in Ctn Conditional filter indicating the label as the last

in the container

First or Last in Ctn Conditional filter indicating the label as the first

or last in a container

Last in Plt Conditional filter indicating the label as the last

in a pallet

First or Last in Plt Conditional filter indicating the label as the first

or last in a pallet

BC on ATM only Conditional filter indicating the label should

have a barcode if it is of the mail type, ATM

Zebra BC Required Conditional filter indicating whether the con-

tainer label should have a zebra barcode

Letter D Value expression defined as letter “D”

Used only on presorted labels

Used by container labels

Appendix A: Creating expressions and filters

Filter Builder

Label Toolbox contains a utility that you can use for the creation, verification, and selection of filters and expressions.

If you click the Filter Browser button, it opens the Filter Browser window. From this window, you can access Filter Builder to edit or create new filters and expressions.

Example Here is a quick tour of the Filter Browser windows.

Filter Browser window The first window

you come to, after clicking the Filter Browser button, is the Filter Browser window.

Filter Browser buttons

The Available Filters box lists all of the predefined filters that came with Label Toolbox and any of your own filters.

The Filter Syntax box contains the syntax that makes up the filter you select.

At this point, you can click Edit to change the filter, or you can click New to create a new filter. Either way, you end up at the Filter Builder window.

Note: This is the only place where you may delete any existing filters or expressions. To delete an item, right click on the one you want to delete and click delete in the pop-up menu.

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Label Studio User’s Guide

Business objects LABEL STUDIO 7.71C User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Label Studio

User’s Guide

Contents

Preface

About Label Studio Label Studio is a design tool that takes your input files and outputs customized

About this guide In this guide, we explain what Label Studio can do and how you can apply it in

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Complete documentation set

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Welcome to Label Studio!

What is Label Studio? Label Studio is a powerful tool that links your input files and label designs with

Label Studio’s place in the mail process

Label Studio’s parts You set up your Label Studio jobs in the main, Job Editor window. However,

Label types

Address labels Address labels indicate where the mail piece is destined. The USPS regulates the

Container labels Container labels, which are for sacks and trays, indicate where the container is

Pallet placards A pallet placard indicates where the pallet is destined and where it originated. The

Generic labels Label Studio also provides a generic label type. You can use this label type as a

Windows drivers

Features Windows drivers provide the most robust features and creativity when designing

Printing performance Because Windows printer drivers provide so many features, it is easy to overload

Assign your Windows printer to your job

Inkjet printers and drivers

What are inkjet printers?

Why use inkjet printers?

Label Studio inkjet documentation

PCL Data Stream drivers

Features The PCL Data Stream driver supports many advanced features, such as:

Predefined design files

Data Stream fonts When you use a Data Stream printer driver, you must use Data Stream fonts on

Generic Text driver

Generic Text design files

Generic Text printer files

More documentation For more information about how you can use the Generic Text driver, see

Quick tour of Label Studio

Open the sample job Choose File > Open and double-click Quikjob.lsj. The job-editor window

Define your parameters

Create a design file A design file defines the layout and page size of your label. There are many

Preview labels Choose Tools > Preview Labels, or click the Preview Labels button to see

Verify your job Choose File > Verify Job, or click the Verify Job button. If you have set up

Print labels and reports

Introduction to job files

Job Editor window When you work on a job file, Label Studio displays the job in a two-part window,

Job file blocks When you double-click a block, Label Studio provides an interface to define your

Job diagram In the job diagram, Label Studio uses a set of symbols to indicate the block status.

Parameter descriptions

Tips

Before setting up new jobs

Set up your auxiliary files

Assign auxiliary files to your job

Set your defaults After you install Label Studio, you should do one thing right away: set your

Quick ways to set up jobs

Sample jobs To help you start preparing your own Label Studio jobs, we provide a set of

Assign your input files

Input File Setup From the Job Editor window, expand the Input

Copies If you want to create multiple labels per record, there are two ways you can set

Design labels and set up your printer

Design your labels To design your labels, use Label Toolbox, Label Studio’s label designing tool.

Design files and printer settings

Verify your job

Parameters and blocks

Verify Job option Before processing, you should check the whole job for possible conflicts between

Run time When you run your job, Label Studio will first verify your whole job all over

Generate labels and reports

Run your job In Label Studio, choose File > Run Job when you are ready to generate your

Change your printer at run time

Remote Views

How it works Remote Views is a product for networks. You use a Windows client to design

How it works with Label Toolbox and Preview

Create a tray label design file with the Label Toolbox Wizard

How to use the wizard To begin creating your new tray label job with the Wizard:

Create an address label job with the Job Editor

Create the job To begin creating a new job with the job editor:

Select a design file Your job needs a design file. Before you can begin designing your address labels,

Label requirements

Address labels