Check-in Labels tweaking the default label

Question

1

Check-in Labels tweaking the default label

Kelley Langkamp posted 10 Years Ago

Is it possible to simply tweak the original labels instead of having to completely recreate them? Our team wants the wording on the bottom of the pick-up label changed and the service time on the bottom of the child label moved over a little to allow slightly longer group names. Is there a place where I can download or find the original lbl files for Zebra Designer?

Thanks!

0
- Michael Garrison replied 10 Years Ago
I haven't been able to find the original lbl files. The labels SHOULD actually be rather trivial to re-create, but due to some necessary tweaks, I suspect it might not be as easy as it should be. We're actually using highly customized labels now (turns out it's not too difficult), but I've found that every time it takes some manual tweaks to the prn source to get the label to come out correctly (some fields constantly come out too narrow, causing the text to wrap back on itself in an ugly way). Unfortunately I have to expect that would still be necessary even if we had access to the lbl files.

However, here's how to actually tweak the label right in the prn file (I'll also mention here how I've had to modify each custom label I've created in the prn file, for your use):

- Download the prn file from your Rock installation by clicking the file icon (but be sure to click above, not on, the upload button). Save it to your desktop or somewhere useful.

- Open up the file in notepad or a similar text editor. For the Pick-up Label, just find the line you want to be changed and change it. (easy!) Save and re-upload. Delete all the extra merge codes which get added, except for MMM (which should be set to Security Code) and 2 (which should be set to Full Name).

- For the Child label, open up the file in notepad, then select all the text and paste it into http://labelary.com/viewer.html . Set the stock on that page to 4x2, and you'll have a reasonable approximation of what the label looks like.

- Now to tweak the positioning, find the label you're looking to change - I think it's got a label of "9", from your description, so it's the line which ends in 9^FS (it's third up from the bottom in my installation). The numbers at the beginning of the line are the X and Y position. For instance, my line begins ^FT13,385. To scoot it over to the left a little, decrease 13. Change it in the source on that page, then click "Redraw" to see the effect. Feel free to change the "9" near the end of the line (leave ^FS alone as that marks the end of the line) to longer text, spaces and all, to preview your label with actual text, just be sure to change it back to 9 before you finish).

- Once you're satisfied, copy and paste the code back into Notepad, save the file and re-upload it to the same label. You'll have to re-map all the fields - take note of what they were set to before uploading. Delete any extra merge fields (though I don't think there are any on the child Label).

That should be everything you need to accomplish what you've asked.

But I'll throw out one more tidbit- the tweak I've had to do to all our custom labels:

I've made extensive use of center-justified text. Perhaps that's the only kind of text that gets messed up in this way. But many of my fields come out too "narrow" to fit all my text (the name, especially). So I have to affect the x position of the field AS WELL AS the width. Let's say I have a line in my .prn file that looks like this:

^FT318,108^A0N,79,79^FB176,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS

(that's a center-justified field which gets replaced with the child's name). When I try it out in that online viewer, I can see that the name wraps over itself several times - as indeed the labels do print. I have to change the x position to something like 18 instead of 318 (the first number after ^FT). Then the width is the first number after ^FB - in this case it's 176. If I want to keep the same center point, I have to increase the width by double the amount I changed x by. So 300*2 = 600. 600 more than the 176 it came in with is 776. If I change the line to read

^FT18,108^A0N,79,79^FB776,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS

the label prints perfectly, both in that online viewer and from the Zebra printer.

Hope that helps!
Edit Answer

I haven't been able to find the original lbl files. The labels SHOULD actually be rather trivial to re-create, but due to some necessary tweaks, I suspect it might not be as easy as it should be. We're actually using highly customized labels now (turns out it's not too difficult), but I've found that every time it takes some manual tweaks to the prn source to get the label to come out correctly (some fields constantly come out too narrow, causing the text to wrap back on itself in an ugly way). Unfortunately I have to expect that would still be necessary even if we had access to the lbl files. However, here's how to actually tweak the label right in the prn file (I'll also mention here how I've had to modify each custom label I've created in the prn file, for your use): - Download the prn file from your Rock installation by clicking the file icon (but be sure to click above, not on, the upload button). Save it to your desktop or somewhere useful. - Open up the file in notepad or a similar text editor. For the Pick-up Label, just find the line you want to be changed and change it. (easy!) Save and re-upload. Delete all the extra merge codes which get added, except for MMM (which should be set to Security Code) and 2 (which should be set to Full Name). - For the Child label, open up the file in notepad, then select all the text and paste it into <a href="http://labelary.com/viewer.html">http://labelary.com/viewer.html</a> . Set the stock on that page to 4x2, and you'll have a reasonable approximation of what the label looks like. - Now to tweak the positioning, find the label you're looking to change - I think it's got a label of "9", from your description, so it's the line which ends in 9^FS (it's third up from the bottom in my installation). The numbers at the beginning of the line are the X and Y position. For instance, my line begins ^FT13,385. To scoot it over to the left a little, decrease 13. Change it in the source on that page, then click "Redraw" to see the effect. Feel free to change the "9" near the end of the line (leave ^FS alone as that marks the end of the line) to longer text, spaces and all, to preview your label with actual text, just be sure to change it back to 9 before you finish). - Once you're satisfied, copy and paste the code back into Notepad, save the file and re-upload it to the same label. You'll have to re-map all the fields - take note of what they were set to before uploading. Delete any extra merge fields (though I don't think there are any on the child Label). That should be everything you need to accomplish what you've asked. But I'll throw out one more tidbit- the tweak I've had to do to all our custom labels: I've made extensive use of center-justified text. Perhaps that's the only kind of text that gets messed up in this way. But many of my fields come out too "narrow" to fit all my text (the name, especially). So I have to affect the x position of the field AS WELL AS the width. Let's say I have a line in my .prn file that looks like this: <pre> ^FT318,108^A0N,79,79^FB176,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS</pre> (that's a center-justified field which gets replaced with the child's name). When I try it out in that online viewer, I can see that the name wraps over itself several times - as indeed the labels do print. I have to change the x position to something like 18 instead of 318 (the first number after ^FT). Then the width is the first number after ^FB - in this case it's 176. If I want to keep the same center point, I have to increase the width by double the amount I changed x by. So 300*2 = 600. 600 more than the 176 it came in with is 776. If I change the line to read <pre> ^FT18,108^A0N,79,79^FB776,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS</pre> the label prints perfectly, both in that online viewer and from the Zebra printer. Hope that helps!
I haven't been able to find the original lbl files. The labels SHOULD actually be rather trivial to re-create, but due to some necessary tweaks, I suspect it might not be as easy as it should be. We're actually using highly customized labels now (turns out it's not too difficult), but I've found that every time it takes some manual tweaks to the prn source to get the label to come out correctly (some fields constantly come out too narrow, causing the text to wrap back on itself in an ugly way). Unfortunately I have to expect that would still be necessary even if we had access to the lbl files. However, here's how to actually tweak the label right in the prn file (I'll also mention here how I've had to modify each custom label I've created in the prn file, for your use): - Download the prn file from your Rock installation by clicking the file icon (but be sure to click above, not on, the upload button). Save it to your desktop or somewhere useful. - Open up the file in notepad or a similar text editor. For the Pick-up Label, just find the line you want to be changed and change it. (easy!) Save and re-upload. Delete all the extra merge codes which get added, except for MMM (which should be set to Security Code) and 2 (which should be set to Full Name). - For the Child label, open up the file in notepad, then select all the text and paste it into <a href="http://labelary.com/viewer.html">http://labelary.com/viewer.html</a> . Set the stock on that page to 4x2, and you'll have a reasonable approximation of what the label looks like. - Now to tweak the positioning, find the label you're looking to change - I think it's got a label of "9", from your description, so it's the line which ends in 9^FS (it's third up from the bottom in my installation). The numbers at the beginning of the line are the X and Y position. For instance, my line begins ^FT13,385. To scoot it over to the left a little, decrease 13. Change it in the source on that page, then click "Redraw" to see the effect. Feel free to change the "9" near the end of the line (leave ^FS alone as that marks the end of the line) to longer text, spaces and all, to preview your label with actual text, just be sure to change it back to 9 before you finish). - Once you're satisfied, copy and paste the code back into Notepad, save the file and re-upload it to the same label. You'll have to re-map all the fields - take note of what they were set to before uploading. Delete any extra merge fields (though I don't think there are any on the child Label). That should be everything you need to accomplish what you've asked. But I'll throw out one more tidbit- the tweak I've had to do to all our custom labels: I've made extensive use of center-justified text. Perhaps that's the only kind of text that gets messed up in this way. But many of my fields come out too "narrow" to fit all my text (the name, especially). So I have to affect the x position of the field AS WELL AS the width. Let's say I have a line in my .prn file that looks like this: <pre> ^FT318,108^A0N,79,79^FB176,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS</pre> (that's a center-justified field which gets replaced with the child's name). When I try it out in that online viewer, I can see that the name wraps over itself several times - as indeed the labels do print. I have to change the x position to something like 18 instead of 318 (the first number after ^FT). Then the width is the first number after ^FB - in this case it's 176. If I want to keep the same center point, I have to increase the width by double the amount I changed x by. So 300*2 = 600. 600 more than the 176 it came in with is 776. If I change the line to read <pre> ^FT18,108^A0N,79,79^FB776,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS</pre> the label prints perfectly, both in that online viewer and from the Zebra printer. Hope that helps!
I haven't been able to find the original lbl files. The labels SHOULD actually be rather trivial to re-create, but due to some necessary tweaks, I suspect it might not be as easy as it should be. We're actually using highly customized labels now (turns out it's not too difficult), but I've found that every time it takes some manual tweaks to the prn source to get the label to come out correctly (some fields constantly come out too narrow, causing the text to wrap back on itself in an ugly way). Unfortunately I have to expect that would still be necessary even if we had access to the lbl files. However, here's how to actually tweak the label right in the prn file (I'll also mention here how I've had to modify each custom label I've created in the prn file, for your use): - Download the prn file from your Rock installation by clicking the file icon (but be sure to click above, not on, the upload button). Save it to your desktop or somewhere useful. - Open up the file in notepad or a similar text editor. For the Pick-up Label, just find the line you want to be changed and change it. (easy!) Save and re-upload. Delete all the extra merge codes which get added, except for MMM (which should be set to Security Code) and 2 (which should be set to Full Name). - For the Child label, open up the file in notepad, then select all the text and paste it into <a href="http://labelary.com/viewer.html">http://labelary.com/viewer.html</a> . Set the stock on that page to 4x2, and you'll have a reasonable approximation of what the label looks like. - Now to tweak the positioning, find the label you're looking to change - I think it's got a label of "9", from your description, so it's the line which ends in 9^FS (it's third up from the bottom in my installation). The numbers at the beginning of the line are the X and Y position. For instance, my line begins ^FT13,385. To scoot it over to the left a little, decrease 13. Change it in the source on that page, then click "Redraw" to see the effect. Feel free to change the "9" near the end of the line (leave ^FS alone as that marks the end of the line) to longer text, spaces and all, to preview your label with actual text, just be sure to change it back to 9 before you finish). - Once you're satisfied, copy and paste the code back into Notepad, save the file and re-upload it to the same label. You'll have to re-map all the fields - take note of what they were set to before uploading. Delete any extra merge fields (though I don't think there are any on the child Label). That should be everything you need to accomplish what you've asked. But I'll throw out one more tidbit- the tweak I've had to do to all our custom labels: I've made extensive use of center-justified text. Perhaps that's the only kind of text that gets messed up in this way. But many of my fields come out too "narrow" to fit all my text (the name, especially). So I have to affect the x position of the field AS WELL AS the width. Let's say I have a line in my .prn file that looks like this: <pre> ^FT318,108^A0N,79,79^FB176,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS</pre> (that's a center-justified field which gets replaced with the child's name). When I try it out in that online viewer, I can see that the name wraps over itself several times - as indeed the labels do print. I have to change the x position to something like 18 instead of 318 (the first number after ^FT). Then the width is the first number after ^FB - in this case it's 176. If I want to keep the same center point, I have to increase the width by double the amount I changed x by. So 300*2 = 600. 600 more than the 176 it came in with is 776. If I change the line to read <pre> ^FT18,108^A0N,79,79^FB776,1,0,C^FH\^FDname^FS</pre> the label prints perfectly, both in that online viewer and from the Zebra printer. Hope that helps!
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Kelley Langkamp

10 years ago

Thanks for all the advice. I'm sure as we go along and start needing labels for more groups this will come in very handy!

Rock RMS · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-12T14:36-07:00

1

Rock RMS replied 10 Years Ago

As Keley noted the check-in labels can be downloaded from GitHub:

https://github.com/SparkDevNetwork/Rock/tree/develop/Checkin%20Labels

Please note though that we have hand modified these (specificially the Notes label) to allow for multiline wrapping. The ZebraDesigner does not support that though the ZPL language does. Great tip on the Labelary website. We'll add that to the documentation.

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Check-in Labels tweaking the default label

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