How to print labels with data entered at print time?


It is often convenient to be able to enter data for labels at print time. For example, you may want to print a batch of 50 labels with the product name "Pencil" and its description. Subsequently, you may have the requirement to print another 50 labels with the same label template but with a different product name and description. It is possible to "hardcode" the product name as part of the label as a static text object though it is more convenient to enter this data with a User-Entry-Form during print time.



Note - This tutorial also applies to the Poster & Flyer app, Greeting Cards app, Scrapbook app, and the Envelope & Address Print app

Barcode & Label supports this capability of allowing you to enter data at print time through a feature known as "Fields". In general, you can choose the data source of a Text or Barcode object in a label to be a "Field" instead of a fixed value. When the label is printed, the app will prompt you to enter the data for the field through a User-Entry-Form before the print job is sent to the printer. You will be able to specify unique data for each individual label or for a whole batch of labels.

Tutorial

The following tutorial illustrates how to use the "Fields" capability for entering variable data at print time. You can also check out the Data-Entry-Form video to see how it's done.

1. Launch Barcode & Label.

2. Create the Text object (or Barcode object) by tapping on the Text object button and drag it your mouse (or finger) onto the canvas.

3. Double click (or tap) on the Text object to bring up the Text Properties flyout.

4. In "Type", select "Field : 01". You can choose up to 10 different fields in one label.




5. Click (or tap) on the "Preview" button in the WYSIWYG designer. You will see the field is displayed as "<F01>". Please see the tip below on how to specify an alias for a field.

6. Click on the "Print" (or "Print Image") button. The app will display a Data-Entry-Form where you can enter the values for each label (or enter one value and used it for all labels). After entering the values for all labels, you can proceed to print your labels.




Tip
Sometimes you may have many fields and will like to easily differentiate them. In this case, you can simply tap (or click) on the "..." (Ellipsis) button on the top app bar and select the Setup Fields option. In the flyout, select "Field" as the Type, and you can enter an alias to identify the different fields. The alias you entered will appear in the canvas and in the "Data-Entry-Form" which appears at print time.




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