Requirements:

Labeler requires a TrueColor video display, 4 Megs RAM, Windows 95 or better, and a printer. It requires less than 1 meg of drive space for the program files.

To get the most from Labeler, we suggest using a color inkjet printer with 600 dpi or better printed resolution. We also suggest using the screen-matching facility found in most modern print drivers that will allow you to adjust printed colors to better match the screen colors.

Introduction:

Labeler is essentially a paint program specially modified for making labels and cards, and functions as a cross between a bitmap editor and a layout program. Many of the designs you can use Labeler to create in just minutes could take an extremely long time to do in the typical label program, mostly due to the unique built-in text effects and special drawing tools.

In Labeler, the image on screen is streched to show the printed label, which allows you to see the entire label as it is created, rather than just parts of it. For the most part the printed output looks best when doing labels at 800x600 (or higher) screen resolution, because the printed label image quality will depend on the size of the screen image. As a result, higher screen resolution translates to a sharper and better looking printed image.

The Full Screen method used by Labeler is an application whose time has come. In years past, when monitor resolutions and video card technology weren't as advanced, a full screen program like Labeler wasn't quite as viable, mostly because of the 640x480 resolution that was typically used. To get around this problem most Label making programs at the time were vector graphics based, which tended to limit the design possibilies, or you could use an expensive art program that could get the job done but was usually hard to use (there were often classes offered to show you how to use these programs!) So, you could make passable designs quickly in the vector programs or you could make great designs in the art programs if you were willing to invest the time. Labeler bridges this gap, allowing you to create great designs in a very short time.

As most modern PC's are now sold with 17" monitors or 15.1" 1024x768 LCD screens, Labeler can use the full screen for a label template and derive decent printed image quality without having to resort to scrolling and such. The upshot is that you can see the entire label you are making at all times while you are designing it.

About Some of Labeler's Special Features:

Labeler can import Standard WMF (Windows MetaFile) format clip art. Labeler uses a unique and simple method for importing the clipart -- it converts it to a bitmapped graphic at any size to a 450x450 pels max limit. In the clip art dialog window, you pick the name of the file, and the artwork appears. Change the size setting by moving the scrollbar, and when you get to the size you like, click the OK checkmark. The window pops away, the cursor changes to a hand, and just click and drag the artwork to wherever you want it. It's that simple.

Artwork pastes using a transparent layer. In most programs the WMF artwork is surrounded by a white area which is rectangular in shape. Put a piece of artwork on a painted background, and... uh-oh, the painted background is obliterated with the white area. Not so with Labeler! The artwork has no white area; only the artwork image itself is pasted on to the label, thus preserving the background. This method (transparent layer) makes Labeler extremely flexible in how pre-rendered artwork is applied to a label.

User defined label sizes are easy to do. That means that you can do things with Labeler that extend its scope. For instance, here at AlstonLabs we use it to create really cool background color swatches for our business cards. You can also add new label definitions that are actually existing label sizes but run through the printer in Landscape (sideways) mode, which means that you can create labels in any orientation. If you live outside the USA, using A4 and other sheet sizes is a snap, too.

Unique Text effects allow you to quickly create effective text emphasis in seconds.

How to use Labeler:

To use any given tool, click the appropriate CATEGORY radio button, choose the tool or effect from the dropdown box, and then click any of the modifiers (color, size, etc.) that might be used with that tool. For instance, to draw a brick wall, click the SHAPES radio button, choose RECTANGLE from the dropdown box, click the FILL modifier to select a brick texture, and then draw the wall.

Color selection works by clicking the color boxes. The one in the back chooses the background color used by some tools.

The drawing area is shaped and sized to the label desired. The default label is the Avery 5260, which is the 30 per sheet address label. To select a different label, click the LABEL tab and click the LABELS icon.

Drawing Button:

• Pencil -- draw freehand lines
• Eraser -- erases part of an area
• Straight Line -- draws straight (point to point) lines or 3d lines
• Bucket -- use to fill an area with color or a pattern
• Spray Paint -- used to simulate spray paint or a dry brush
• Scissors -- used for copy/cut/paste operations

Shapes Button:

• Ellipse
• Rectangle
• Round Rectangle
• Diamond
• Octagon
• Border -- create borders to surround an entire label or an area of one
• 3D Bullet

Each of the shapes is drawn by clicking the mouse, holding the button down, dragging the outline to the point you want it at, and then releasing the mouse button. The outline size of the shape is denoted with the SIZE dropdown, and the shape contents is denoted by the FILL box. The following picture shows what the shape contents can be:

Note the lower 9 pictures between the arrows; these are TEXTURES and are located in the \TEXTURES folder. More about textures later.

Text Button:

• Normal Text -- Type, just like a word processor
• Shadowed Text -- draw a box to select an area and the text is sized to fit the box. The text is aligned to the BOTTOM of the box.
• Exploding Text -- draw a box to select an area and the text is sized to fit the box. The text is aligned to the BOTTOM of the box.
• Rotated Text -- use the Size modifier to select a size, and click the drawing area. A dialog box appears that allows you to specify the text to write and the degree of rotation. The bottom of the text is aligned to the center of the I-Beam cursor. Drag the scrollbar up and down to select the rotation angle.
• Extruded Text -- draw a box to select an area and the text is sized to fit the box. The text is aligned to the BOTTOM of the box.
• Vertical Text -- use the Size modifier to select a size, and click the drawing area. A dialog box appears that allows you to specify the text to write. The centerline of the text is aligned to the center of the I-Beam cursor, and the vertical height of the text is evenly divided and centered on the I-Beam cursor.

Color Manipulation:

Color and/or fill textures can be modified using the lighten and darken buttons. These buttons modify the foreground color, the background color, and the fill texture at the same time. This is useful when you want to put in a faded background texture over a large area and then want to put text over it such that the text stands out.

Area Color Manipulation:

When you have an area selected, you can lighten or darken the colors in that area as needed. Also, you can also turn colors to their greyscale equivalents for use in monochrome laser printers so that you know what the color intensity will appear as in black and white rather than guess what the printed image will appear like. You can also lighten and darken monochrome/greyscale images to optimize the laser printed output.

Import of Artwork: Menu: IMAGE | IMPORT WMF CLIP ART

Click the MANUAL tab to look for a specific picture if you know the location. Otherwise use the AUTOMATIC tab to locate all of the WMF pictures on the specified drive. Click the picture name, and the picture will appear. Use the scrollbar to size the picture, then click OK to paste this into your label design.

Menu: IMAGE | IMPORT

To use, select the drive and folder from the lists, then the picture you want from the list at the bottom. The size of the picture will appear. This is important only in that if the picture is larger than the label you are pasting into, the picture is resized to fit inside the label. The picture can then be pasted into your design.

Label Management:

Menu: LABEL MGMT | CREATE NEW or EDIT

The graphic on the left shows you the dimension data that you enter into the boxes. If you are editing an existing label, the current dimensions of the label you chose will be entered. You can use the dimension data supplied with your label vendor, or you can download the dimensions from the vendor's website.

IMPORTANT:

The Label Number setting is used to sync the label design to your saved work. Files are saved as LABEL_NUMBER + your_file_name where the label number is used when loading the file to look up the correct label dimensioning. The examples that come with Labeler are Avery-Dennison numbers; these appear to be the industry standard for computer full sheet labels.

Menu: FILE | NEW

You can choose the label you want to use as a template when creating a new file. The image to the left should approximate what your sheet label looks like.

Menu: LABEL MGMT | MARGIN HANDLING

Margin Handling refers to the physical spacing of the labels on the page vs. the settings that your printer driver may or may not allow. For instance, on a Canon BJC-70 that we have here, the physical left margin is reported by the printer driver as 0.25 inches. If we were to print on an Avery 5260 (30 per sheet) addressing label, the left edge of the leftmost label is at 0.188 inches.

This represents a small dilemma -- what to do about the .062 inches that can't be printed on? More importantly, this same driver doesn't allow printing past .79 inches at the bottom margin, and this cuts into the lowest row of 5260 labels by about 1/4 of the label. In other words, if we print on the lowest row of labels, the printer itself won't print fully on the lowest label. (Well, the _printer_ itself may be physically able to do it, but the driver isn't going to let it. Unfortunately we can't override the driver!)

The "Margin Handling" setting allows you to specify how you want this handled.

• Compressed -- compress the label image to fit inside the printable space of the label.
• Clipped -- keep the image at normal size, and parts of it won't get printed.
• No Print -- don't print on the label at all; only print on labels that are within the boundries.
• CHECK: Show Warning -- If checked, Labeler will warn you when printing that you have a driver that isn't letting you get to the total printable area of the labels (as above.) If not checked, the message won't be displayed.

If Labeler is warning you about the driver settings, you may want to try contacting your printer manufacturer and see if there are any updated drivers that allow more area to be printed. Most of the printer vendors have their latest drivers available online.

You also need to take the Labeler advice with a grain of salt. If you are making the "typical" label, such as a return address, the area that could get lopped off isn't usually being affected anyway. Only imagery that takes up the entire label area is usually affected. In the "typical" return address label case, the Clipped setting works very well. As in all things, your mileage may vary.

Label Printing: Menu: FILE | PRINT

You have control over how many labels you want printed:

How you can add your own Fill Textures:

Fill Textures are the images that are used to make brick walls and so on. How it works is that the program takes a small image and tiles it into place. Tiling is a method where the program puts many copies of the same picture in rows and columns until the area you selected is filled up. Since the texture tiles are specially designed, the resulting image looks like a contiguous area. The special design of a texture tile is essentially making sure that the top/bottom and left/right portions of the picture can be laid together so that no seam is noticeable. The pictures in the \TEXTURES subfolder are the Fill Textures used in Labeler. You can easily add your own. The best place to get texture images is downloading them from from web pages or from CD's or web sites that contain "web" artwork collections.

Other Capabilities:

There are things that Labeler can do that aren't apparent just from looking at it. This section describes some of these features. Labeler can print on any sheet label. In theory, a small bitmap printed large can have jagged edges. However, in today's world of high screen resolutions and 1200 dpi inkjet printers, the reality is that the resulting printed work looks good.

Printing Sideways

A printer that can print in standard portrait orientation (up and down) can also print in landscape orientation (sideways.) Any standard label or business card setup assumes portrait orientation. For instance, a standard business card is a rectangle that when printed in portrait orientation comes out with the long side being horizontal. Some unique business cards are printed such that the long side is vertical. This was done by printing them in landscape mode. Labeler can do this as well.

To use landscape orientation, simply use the Label Mgmt | Create New... menu item to create a new label. (According to Labeler, even a business card is just another label. It doesn't realize that there's no adhesive backing.) Inside the box of most brands of labels or other sheet printing supplies there is a sheet of paper that describes the measurements used. The dialog asks you to enter these measurements to describe the area that will be printed on, how many of these areas go across the page, how many down, and any spaces in between them. To make Labeler print sideways, simply swap the horizontal and vertical dimensions when you enter them.

Printing on part of a label

Sometimes you may need to print on only a part of a label, such as sheet labels that already have something printed on them. Or because Labeler is a bitmap program you may want to print a small area at higher apparent resolution.

The way to do this is to force Labeler to use custom dimensions, rather than creating a new label with standard dimensions. For example: a shipping label is 4 x 2 inches with no spaces, so to force it to print only to a specific sub-area, enter label with and height of 2.5 x 1 inches and set the horizontal and verticcal spaces to 1.5 and 1 inches. The areas you will then print are inside the red boxes. Compare these to the actual label sizes:

What this gives you is larger screen area to work with than the 4" x 2" label would allow for so that you can increase the printed image quality. You may find yourself in a situation where you only need to print on a small part of a label but at pretty high quality, and Labeler can do it.

Printing decals and irregular shapes

One of the most versatile label sheets you can get is the "whole sheet label." Essentially this is a label the size of a sheet of paper! Using techniques as described above for telling Labeler where to print at, you can use this ability to print all sorts of things using the full sheet labels. For instance, model builders can make dozens of aircraft decals (like the USA star insignia) on a sheet. Rail hobbyists can make miniature Railroad Crossing signs for model railroads. You can make all of the decals needed for realistic model rockets. You can also make replacement decals for plastic toys that have had their original decal fall off. All you have to do is design them at the right size, print them out, and use a pair of scissors to cut them to the desired shape. Amazingly, this short description only scratches the surface of what's possible. You would be pretty surprised at the sort of quality and versatility you can get out Labeler, full sheet labels, and a color printer!

Download labels.zip here.

Order Labeler Direct via DigiBuy.

Labeler Copyright © 1996 - 2002 by AlstonLabs.com - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

AlstonLabs is not affiliated with Avery-Dennison, Canon, or any other manufacturers mentioned. Each owns their respective trademarks.