Anyone got any tips for working easier on small label designs?
TIA
Chris.
Chris Davis Acton Gate Systems Limited
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Foxpro's report writer has dimensions. It will be easier if printer-friendly labels are available.
In the worst case, use PDF format? :)
On Thu, Jan 12, 2023 at 9:19 PM Chris Davis chrisd@actongate.co.uk wrote:
Anyone got any tips for working easier on small label designs?
So you mean print to a larger PDF and then print the PDF to the printer with shrink to fit?
-----Original Message----- From: ProfoxTech profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com On Behalf Of Man-wai Chang Sent: 13 January 2023 12:09 To: profoxtech@leafe.com Subject: Re: Small Report/Label Designs
Foxpro's report writer has dimensions. It will be easier if printer-friendly labels are available.
In the worst case, use PDF format? :)
On Thu, Jan 12, 2023 at 9:19 PM Chris Davis chrisd@actongate.co.uk wrote:
Anyone got any tips for working easier on small label designs?
-- .~. Might, Courage, Vision. SINCERITY! / v \ 64-bit Fedora 35 Server Spin /( _ )\ http://sites.google.com/site/changmw ^ ^ May the Force and farces be with you!
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What label printer are you printing them on ?
Something similar to a Zebra.
-----Original Message----- From: ProfoxTech profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com On Behalf Of Alan Bourke Sent: 13 January 2023 12:28 To: profoxtech@leafe.com Subject: Re: Small Report/Label Designs
What label printer are you printing them on ?
-- Alan Bourke alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm
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Well, with a Zebra I would forget the VFP report designer and just send it ZPL commands. And use this to to the design.
http://labelary.com/viewer.html
Many thanks Alan, the printer is ZPL compatible but TSPL by default ... I am going to explore this and see if it's the solution.
Many thanks.
Regards
Chris.
-----Original Message----- From: ProfoxTech profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com On Behalf Of Alan Bourke Sent: 15 January 2023 21:05 To: profoxtech@leafe.com Subject: Re: Small Report/Label Designs
Well, with a Zebra I would forget the VFP report designer and just send it ZPL commands. And use this to to the design.
http://labelary.com/viewer.html
-- Alan Bourke alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm
On Sun, 15 Jan 2023, at 10:56 AM, Chris Davis wrote:
Something similar to a Zebra.
-----Original Message----- From: ProfoxTech profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com On Behalf Of Alan Bourke Sent: 13 January 2023 12:28 To: profoxtech@leafe.com Subject: Re: Small Report/Label Designs
What label printer are you printing them on ?
-- Alan Bourke alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm
[excessive quoting removed by server]
On Thu, Jan 12, 2023 at 8:19 AM Chris Davis chrisd@actongate.co.uk wrote:
Anyone got any tips for working easier on small label designs?
Sure. What is it you're having trouble with? Data, layout, resolution, spacing between labels? There's LOTs that's maddening about labels!
Decades of books and magazine articles were written on report and label tricks. (Bow towards the west and the all-knowing Ms. LSN! And south and the skilled Ms. Pountney.)
- Use the layout tools and label/report properties, set the grid to pixels, snap to grid on/off depending on whether it's helping or not. - Load and save a printer environment if you and your users are on the same network with the same printers (rare these days) - Lower the screen resolution to zoom a small work area (1024x768 or even 800x600). - Move elements with the cursor arrow keys (and Ctrl+ modifier keys) - Group elements together to move without losing spacing between them (Click and Ctrl-click to group) - Create a layout element like a line you want all elements to line up with and then drag items to it, snap-to-grid, then delete line.
Thanks Ted, I will try some of the tips you've summarised see if they save what's left of my hair.
My main issues are layout and images not printing clearly .... so the grid and resolutions things you have mentioned should help me layout properly. I fear the quality of the printed images is either the windows print driver or the images themselves so knowing the printer is ZPL compatible (it's native is TSPL) I am going to explore Alan's suggestion and see if I can skip the report design/driver all together.
Your reply is much appreciated.
Regards
Chris.
-----Original Message----- From: ProfoxTech profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com On Behalf Of Ted Roche Sent: 15 January 2023 14:50 To: profoxtech@leafe.com Subject: Re: Small Report/Label Designs
On Thu, Jan 12, 2023 at 8:19 AM Chris Davis chrisd@actongate.co.uk wrote:
Anyone got any tips for working easier on small label designs?
Sure. What is it you're having trouble with? Data, layout, resolution, spacing between labels? There's LOTs that's maddening about labels!
Decades of books and magazine articles were written on report and label tricks. (Bow towards the west and the all-knowing Ms. LSN! And south and the skilled Ms. Pountney.)
- Use the layout tools and label/report properties, set the grid to pixels, snap to grid on/off depending on whether it's helping or not. - Load and save a printer environment if you and your users are on the same network with the same printers (rare these days) - Lower the screen resolution to zoom a small work area (1024x768 or even 800x600). - Move elements with the cursor arrow keys (and Ctrl+ modifier keys) - Group elements together to move without losing spacing between them (Click and Ctrl-click to group) - Create a layout element like a line you want all elements to line up with and then drag items to it, snap-to-grid, then delete line.
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Alan Bourke -
Chris Davis -
Man-wai Chang -
Ted Roche