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Introduction
This program has been developed by OptifactsOptifacts have developed this program to perform card and address printing using Zebra printers and related devices. The Optifacts system will create warranty card and address label files in various XML-based data formats. The files are output to a “Shared” directory on the Optifacts system, which
can beis accessed by this program running on a Windows computer. This program will scan that directory, and every file
whichit recognizes as a valid card or address file
will begets printed.
Procedure
There are
2two steps in this program’s setup that need to be performed. First, the user must read a sample data file that is
to beprinted.
ANext, a listing of the sample file’s XML data field names and their values will be displayed. The user must then format the label.
TheyNext, they decide which fields to print, the location where they will be shown
and selecting, select font and font size for that value’s text, and
selectingselect a printer.
TheNext, the configuration for that label
will then begets saved. The final setup step is to select the directory location where output files are
to bestored and
toenable printing.
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This program requires that the Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5 (or later) |
is installed on the PC running this program. |
Below is a screen shot example showing a sample mailing label setup:
The Program’s Controls and Their Use
Click the Read button to begin the definition of a printing format. The Next, the standard Windows Open File dialog will appearappears. Browse to Next, browse and select a sample label or warranty card XML file that was created by the Optifacts system.
After you click the Read button
is clicked, you will see a list of the data file’s Field Names and their Values in the left side grid control.
TheNotice the data values
are also displayedshown on the right side of the program’s window in the drawing area.
Each Optifacts XML output file has a unique File Type
name. Thatname
will bedisplayed in the File Type text box. You cannot edit or change this name.
Enter the size of your print card or label in the Paper Width and Height text boxes. Currently, the program
has beenis tested
into display in units of hundredths of an
Inchinch. A box representing your paper size selection
will begets shown in the drawing area. That box will not print on the finished label. It is only shown on the display to help guide you in formatting your
print outsprintouts.
In the printer drop-down box, select which default printer
will be usedto use to print this File Type.
When a sample file
isgets read for the first time, the program will display a list of all values found in the drawing area. You should next enter the Paper Width and Paper Height for the form. You can then select values in the list with your mouse and drag them to the location you want them to print at on the form.
Move the mouse near the cross-hair mark of the item you want to select. The item nearest to the cursor
willgets displayed with an underline under its text. Once an item
has beenis selected, it
will begets highlighted in red.
Highlighted text can be draggedYou can drag highlighted text using the mouse or
by usinguse the arrow keys to move the text in the drawing area.
You can change
athe number of attributes of each text value. The
check boxescheckboxes for each value in the list control allow you to make an item visible or hidden by clicking the Show checkbox. You can change the justification point of a text value by checking the Left checkbox. And finally, some text values will contain leading space characters. You can trim them from a printed form by checking the Trim box.
Right-click on a text value in the drawing area to change its Font and or Font Size. A standard Windows Fonts dialog will appear to allow you to make that change.
MoreYou can select more than one text item
can be selectedat a time in the drawing area.
HoldNext, hold down the Control key and click on the text values you want to change or move. To move them, you can use the mouse to drag the group to a new location or press an Arrow key to move them one pixel (at a time) up, down, left, or right. You can also change the fonts of multiple items at a time. After selecting the group of items, right-click on any one of them to display the Fonts dialog.
Upon selecting a text value in the drawing area, its location and font information
will begets displayed in the controls
shownbelow.
Click the Print Sample button to produce a print copy.
After you have completed
your formattingthe format, you need to click the Save Configuration button. This will save your settings to the common application data folder.
AllThus, all users of this program on a given computer will share the common configuration files created for each File Type
beingprinted.
Printing Labels and Warranty Cards
After saving your print format configuration files
have been saved, you can enable printing by setting up the controls shown below.
UseNext, use the Browse buttons to select the File Source Folder, where Optifacts will save the label and card files. You can also have the program archive the files after printing by selecting an Archive Folder. (A future version of this program may allow you to reprint archived files.)
The printing cycle
isgets enabled by checking the “Print cards and labels” checkbox.
NOTE: THIS PROGRAM WILL ONLY PRINT CARDS AND LABELS WHILE IT IS RUNNING. IF YOU EXIT OR QUIT THE PROGRAM IT WILL STOP PRINTING!Info |
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This program only prints cards and labels while it is running. If you exit or quit the program, it will stop printing! |
Version 1.1 Enhancements
There have been
a number ofseveral enhancements made to the program. The first to discuss is the new Printer Mapping feature. It is now possible to control printing by a printer routing tag inserted into the XML data file. Clicking on the Printer Mapping button shown below will cause the display of the Printer Mapping dialog.
In this dialog, you can enter the list of user names
that will besaved into
aan XML tag in the print file.
YouFirst, you need to select that tag and then enter a list of user id values. Each value is then assigned a printer from the drop-down lists. If the file specifies a user id that is not found in the mapping list, then the program will use the entry made in the Default Printer selection.
Custom Fields
You can now create your
ownprinting fields that consist of plain text or combinations of multiple text labels and data fields from the data file. The custom buttons and added fields are color-coded in
aplum color, as shown below.
A new dialog, the Custom Field Definition dialog, is used to create or edit a custom field.
Up to 5 fields from the data file can be combined (concatenated) into one text string. Each can have a plain text prefix/suffix (which includes space characters) as well. The resultant Custom Field Value
is displayeddisplays for your reference at the top of the dialog. You also can assign a unique name to your custom field. When you are satisfied with the look of the new field’s data, click the Save button. It
will begets added to the Field list and
will beinserted onto the drawing area
for youto position and size it as you want it to print, just like all other values.
Version 1.4 Enhancements
One bug fix and one new feature
have beenwere added to the 1.4 program update.
The fix involves the removal of the error dialog that would appear if an invalid print
xmlXML file
wasis processed. The program would
actuallyhalt and prevent further card printing until a user
actuallyclicked OK in the dialog. The program will now silently move the bad file to the archive directory. Each bad file
will begets renamed, to begin with, the word “INVALID” as part of the new file name.
The new feature involves the new “If Empty Display…” column added to the configuration grid. You can now have a substitute field’s data displayed if a field’s data value is blank (empty). To choose a substitute field for another field
first, click on (highlight) the field you want to make the assignment
to. Next, click the “If Empty” button. This will open the “Empty Field Substitution” dialog. Another way to open the dialog is to double click in the “If Empty Display…” cell you want to change.
Scroll through the list and select which field’s data you want to substitute if the value
of the fielddisplayed in the text box at the top is empty.
ClickNext, click the “Set” button to complete the assignment. Clicking the “Clear” button will erase any previous assignment. Clicking the “Cancel” button will exit the dialog with no change.
After your changes have been correctly madeFinally, you must click the “Save Configuration” button
in orderafter making your changes for the changes to take effect.
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The “If Empty Display…” feature also applies to values selected in all Custom fields you define as well. |
Version 1.5 Enhancements
These new features will allow the use of Mail Merge features in Microsoft Word. The user will build a mail merge document using the
list of xmlXML tags provided by Optifacts
that arewithin the specific job
xmlXML output file. To build the document, first, open the card template provided. This is saved as:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Zebra Print Program\warranty_card_template.docx
Color images can be used, such as company logos, etc.
As, as well as dual-sided cards. To add a mail merge field to the document, choose the Insert tab within Microsoft Word and select the Quick Parts option in the toolbar. From here, choose the MergeField option in the list, and enter the desired field in the Field Name text box. This is where the
xmlXML tag
isgets entered for the desired value.
Then choosing OK will populate the field into the document.
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*Important* - When saving these mail merge documents, they must be get saved with the same name as the root tag in the xml XML file. For example, if you set up this template is to be set up for a crizal Crizal lens, and the xml XML root tag is as follows: Then the card template must be saved as “CRIZAL.DOC_warranty_card.docx” This is how the progam program matches the xml XML file with the correct Word template document for each card. Also, note that each template should be get saved in the same folder , if all cards will be ran run on the same PC. |
Next, set the proper paths for
xmlXML files and the Card templates:
The “File Source Folder” text box and the “Archive Folder” text box are
wherewhere the
xmlXML files
will beget sent for processing
,and saved after processing, respectively.
TheFinally, the “MailMerge Templates” text box is where the user saved all the Word templates they built
,for the different types of cards.
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Selecting the “Save Finished Mail Merge Documents” will save all finished documents after the merge has taken place, in |
: “C:/Program Files (x86)/Zebra Print Program/<timestamp><name of file> - Merged_Document.docx” |
Example: 04212015 - 10-23-31 - SP1234BRI - Merged_Document.docx
Finally, selecting the “Print cards and labels” checkbox will start
theprocessing
of xmlXML files, creating and printing cards.
To view and download these instructions as a PDF file, click on the following document image.
View file name Optifacts Zebra Card Printer Program Procedure.pdf height 250