Wasp Barcode WaspLabeler +2D Getting Started

Wasp Labeler

Getting Started

Wasp Labeler User Manual

Chapter 1 - Getting Started

1.1 Introduction

Thank you for your purchase of the Wasp Labeler barcode creation software. This topic contains
information that will help familiarize you with barcodes and show you how to create customized
barcodes. The Introductory Materials section contains important information you should familiarize
yourself with prior to creating barcodes.

Introductory Materials

Wasp Labeler Capabilities
What is a Barcode?
Navigating the Main Screen
Creating a Static Label
Binding a Data Source to an Object
Using String Builder to Concatenate Data
Example Labels
Barcode Symbology Reference

After you have read the introductory materials, you are ready to start using Wasp Labeler. Click on the
link below to go to the next step in the Getting Started section.

Software activation system licensed under Patent No. 5,490,216

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1.2 Getting Started - Wasp Labeler Capabilities

Wasp Labeler is a professional label generation application designed to meet the most
demanding barcode labeling and printing requirements. Easily generate barcode labels, asset or
inventory labels, address labels and envelopes with PostNet Zip Codes, ID badge labels,
business checks, and date and time stamps for perishable goods, then print your labels from
any local or network Windows printer. You can import data directly from your corporate
databases or you can create a new Microsoft Access database. In addition, Wasp Labeler can
generate compliance labels for practically every industry.

Wasp Labeler:

 Supports the following barcode languages:

AztecCode, Codabar, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, DataMatrix, EanJan13,
EanJan8, Interleaved2of5, Isbn, Itf14, MaxiCode, MicroPDF417, MicroQRCode, Msi,
PDF417, Postnet, QRCode, GS1, GS1Stacked, GS1Omnidirectional, GS1Truncated,
GS1Expanded, GS1Limited, UCCEAN128, UPC-A, UPC-E

For a description of each of these symbologies, please refer to the Barcode
Symbology Reference.

 Prints the most popular 2D barcodes:

DataMatrix, MaxiCode, MicroPDF, MicroQRCode, PDF417, Aztec Code and
QRCode

 Supports any laser, dot matrix, thermal or ink jet printer using a standard Windows

printer driver.

 Allows you to edit multiple labels concurrently.

 Allows you to input data on the label at print time.

 Capable of advanced graphic resizing and graphic rotation.

 Allows import of bitmap files (*.bmp), JPEG (*.jpg, *.jpeg, *.jpe, *jfif), PNG (*.png),

TIFF (*.tiff, *.tif), GIF (*.gif), ICON (*ico).

 Allows connecting to external databases:

Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, ODBC data sources,
QuickBooks® as well as comma separated files or other delimited text files.

 Allows import of text files or Microsoft Excel worksheets.

 Allows import of QuickBooks® data (version 2008 or later).

 Includes over 100 label layout templates.

Wasp Labeler supports drawing objects including text, lines, rectangles, ellipses, and barcodes.
Each of these drawing objects has full edit capabilities including draw style, size, position and
color. In addition, practically any picture can be imported onto the label design, linked to the
original file, or retrieved from a database.

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Wasp Labeler supports Static, Serialization, Prompt at Print Time, External Data Source, Bind to
Another Object, and Date/Time for objects. The 'Prompt at Print Time' feature is used to
interactively enter information onto the label at print time. The 'External Data Source' feature
allows you to import, view, and edit information from the most common databases and allows
your Text and Bar Code objects to retrieve their source value from an external file. In addition,
Wasp Labeler provides the capability to quickly create your own database.

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1.3 Getting Started - What is a Barcode?

A barcode is a graphical representation of a set of numeric or alphanumeric characters that can be read
by a barcode scanner.

1234 becomes:

Whse1 becomes:

Assigning a permanent barcode to each site, location, item, supplier and customer creates an
environment where a mobile device can be used to easily keep track of inventory movements and
alleviates the problem of data-entry errors.

Barcodes get wider with the amount of numbers and characters you want represented by them. In
other words, the width is determined by the amount of numbers or characters represented by the
barcode. Some barcode scanners have a limited width that they can read. If you have very long item
numbers or location numbers you may need to reconsider the numbering scheme or the scanner you
are using. Also be aware that many of the less expensive barcode readers do not read barcodes that
are bent, at an angle, are too small or are damaged. Consider the possible disposition of your
barcodes before choosing a scanner.

There are many different barcode formats or symbologies. The different symbologies can be thought of
as different fonts. The same characters are represented by different symbologies in different ways. For
example, the two symbologies below represent the same information (Whse1).

.

.

These different formats exist to provide ways to compress more data into a smaller space, to represent
a different set of characters or to enable scanning at different angles or distances.

When using Wasp Labeler, barcodes should be printed using a high quality laser or ink jet printer, or a
thermal label printer. You want the barcode label to be high quality because low quality barcodes are
harder to scan and usually do not last long. Wasp Labeler can print to a regular printer or a barcode
printer.

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1.4 Getting Started - Navigating the Main Screen

In this topic:

Help/Resizing Icons

Accessing Help

Resizing/Minimizing Wasp Labeler
Tabs
Icon Toolbar
Design Window
Properties Box

Hide/Show the Properties Box

Move the Properties Box

This topic provides a brief overview of Wasp Labeler's Main screen. The Main screen provides access
to all of the features and functions you will need to create customized labels or to create labels using
the templates. Use this topic to help familiarize yourself with getting around in the application. Links to
detailed instructions for using each function are provided throughout this topic.

A: Help/Resizing Icons
B: Tabs
C: Icon Toolbar
D: Design Window
E: Properties Box

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1.4.1 Section A: Help/Resizing Icons

This section contains icons that allow you to adjust the size of the Labeler screen, access this Help file
or close the Labeler window.

Accessing Help

Launching the Help File: You can launch this Help file from anywhere in the Labeler application

by clicking the question mark icon in the top right of the screen. Using this method launches the
Help with the topic related to the currently open screen/tab displayed. You can search for or
navigate to other topics as needed.

Context-Sensitive Help: You can access a Help topic specific to the screen or feature you are
currently using by clicking on the small question mark arrow that appear on most screens and in the
Properties box. Clicking the Help icon on the Properties box launches Help specific to the object
you have selected. You can also launch context-sensitive help by hitting the F7 key on your
keyboard.

Help Button Example - Screen

Help Button Example - Properties Box

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Resizing/Minimizing Was

Wasp Labeler can be resized to fit your whole screen or reduced to appear as a portion of your
screen.

To resize the window, click the icon in the top, right of the Main screen, as shown below:

The screen will reduce in size when the icon is clicked. You can resize the screen by dragging any
of the corners or borders. Labeler will remember the size when it is closed and re-opened.

To minimize the screen and place it on the taskbar, click the minimize icon in the top, right of the

Main screen, as shown below:

p Labeler

Labeler will be placed on your taskbar. To reopen it, click on the icon on your taskbar.

1.4.2 Section B: Tabs

File Tab:

The File Tab
labels and check for updates to your software. Click on an icon to access a function.

Design Tab:

The Design Tab
function. The toolbar on this tab is divided into 5 sections:

Clipboard - This section contains basic commands such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo and Redo.
Insert - The Insert options allow you to insert text, basic shapes, a picture or a barcode into your label.
Arrange - The Arrange menu allows for precision placement of objects or text you insert onto your

label.
Layout Options - Use these options to change the layout of your label or to hide/show the ruler along
the top and side of the label.
View - The View menu allows you to zoom in or out.

contains save, open, and close options. This tab also allows you to launch example

contains all of the options for customizing your label. Click on an icon to access that

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nge

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Data Tab:

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s you make will appear in the Label Design window.

The Data Tab
project. You can then associate an object on your label, such as a text field or a barcode with the data
source.

Print Tab:

The Print Tab

allows you to add a database, spreadsheet, .csv file or other data source to your label

contains functions relating to printing your labels, including Page Layout.

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1.4.3 Section C: Icon Toolbar

The tabs at the top of the Main screen allow you to switch between functionalities. The tabs act as a
way to group Wasp Labeler's features together by task. For instance, the File tab contains functionality
related to opening a new file, closing a file, saving a file, etc., while the Design tab contains
functionality related to creating and designing your labels. When you first open Wasp Labeler, the
Design tab is displayed and this is the tab you will probably use the most.

You can switch to a different tab by clicking on the desired tab label.

1.4.4 Section D: Design Window

The Wasp Labeler Design window, by default, shares space on the Main screen with the Properties
box. You can Hide the Properties
resize the window, place your mouse over the dividing line between the Design window and the
Properties box until your cursor turns into a double arrow, as shown below:

With the left button held down on your mouse, drag the dividing line either left or right. Keep in mind
that you cannot expand the Design window over the Properties box. When the Design window
reaches it's maximum width, it will stop moving. If you need more design area, hide the Properties

Box.

box entirely, or you can resize the Design window as needed. To

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1.4.5 Section E: Properties Box

The Properties box contains options specific to the type of object you have selected in the Design
window (barcode, text box, picture or drawing object). You can hide the Properties box or "dock" it in a
different location as needed.

Hide/Show the Properties Box

The Properties box is displayed on the Main screen by default. This box displays information

relating to the tab you are currently using. For example, on the Design tab, the Properties box

displays the various options available to the selected object.. If you want to have a larger design

area, you can hide the Properties box by clicking on the Pin icon in the right-hand corner of the box,

as shown below:

When the Properties box is hidden, a label will appear on the right side of the screen as shown

below:

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Move

the Properties Box

By default the Properties Box is docked on the right side of the Labeler screen. You can move, or

redock, the Properties Box to the center-left, center-right or left side of the screen as needed.

1. Click on the top of the Properties Box and drag it. The box will undock from it's current

location and appear as a small, floating box similar to the example shown below:

2. Drag the box to the center or left of the screen. Arrows appear on the screen showing you all
dockable locations as shown below:

3. Drag the box to an arrow.. The screen will highlight yellow indicating the area in which the
box will appear if docked there. In the example shown below, the box would appear from the
center of the window to the right.

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You can then let go of the box and it will dock where indicated.
To move the Properties box back to the default location, click the Reset Docking icon on

the Label Tab

toolbar.

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1.5 Getting Started - Creating a Static Label

Now that you are familiar with the basics of moving around the Main screen, you can begin creating
your labels. This topic will take you through the steps to create the most basic label - a static barcode
label. A static label means the information on it does not change. The label does not pull information
from a database, isn't serialized, etc.

For this example, we are going to create one name badge label containing a standard Code 128
barcode and a text field containing a name and employee ID number. Links are provided in each step
to detailed information regarding the tabs and screens.

1. Open a document:
Open a New Document and make sure the Design

2. Add a barcode:
Click on the barcode icon and drag it to the Design window.

tab is selected.

You can move the barcode around on your label as needed by clicking on it and dragging it

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wher

e you want it.

3. Define your barcode:
By default, a Code128 barcode with content123456789 will be placed onto your label. Use the

Properties

box to select the appropriate barcode and enter the content (what you want

encoded in the barcode).

a. Make sure the barcode is selected in the Design window.
b. Click the Barcode tab in the Properties box.
c. Make sure Code 128 is selected in the Symbology drop down box.

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d. Enter the data you want encoded in the barcode into the Content box. In this case, we

want the employee name and employee ID number so entered Jane Doe123456 into
the Content box.

Wasp Labeler User Manual

Note that your label changes to display Jane Doe123456 below the barcode.

e. Now that we have the content in the barcode, we can specify how it should be

formatted. In this case, we want the employee ID number to appear below the
employee name. To do this, click the ellipse (...) button to the right of the Content field.
The Special Characters menu option appears.

Place your cursor where you want the break to occur. Here we will place the cursor
after the e in Doe. Then click the Special Characters button. A list of all available
special characters appears. Scroll through the list and select <CR> (carriage return).
Now your data will appear as follows:

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