10 - Print Image Labels with the Cataloguer

By P. van Zyl

This Tutorial deals with the Printing of Labels that include Images and Text or Just Images. these are the CD Tray, Cover and round Label as well as the T-Shirt Transparency.

I will use the Alfa Romeo Category from the Catalogue used by Werner. As you know already from Werner's tutorial,  Printing Labels is obtainable by accessing the Icon in the toolbar (see graphic on the left).

You also know that what loads as default is the template for the address labels. But I am dealing with images and it as such, also relating to the media being used, one deals with ONE image at a time. 

This said, remember, we handle images labels in a different manner. 

Read the little yellow dialog message box at the bottom of the labels screen (See below): It states the logical, do ONE IMAGE at a time. I didn't the first time around and found out quickly why it is logical to follow the instructions. If one loads the whole catalogue's or even a category's image's, you're bound to have to wait a long time for the loading as these are loaded in their original size and resolution (HINT - I optimize them for the screen and keep a copy of the same in its original full blown scan size in the storage Disc I use) 

So I do it this way: I click the Image I want to print a Label for, to highlight it, (see below), then I right-click it and pick 'Print Label' (see left)

Note that only now I mention the properties. Because some Image labels also include text (the case with CD Trays, covers and round labels), properties can be ticked to include this. These are templates and will print a static way. Meaning one cannot change them, but:

(HINT -  when I enquired with CML, I was given a new option, The one of saving an Image in the catalogue that has been pre-designed in an Image Editor whereby Text has been added to any area of the Image, in any font design and colour, with anything I desire added to the image, and this could be what is printed in the CD Cover, Tray or Round Label - or Transparency - meaning one could tick one field of the catalogue properties and ensure that NO DATA appears in the respective text field, this would still allow the labels screen to pop and not give the message stating 'you have nothing setup to print'. Brilliant, it does work!) 

Back to the tutorial: After I right click the image and chose Print Label, the label screen loads the customary address label text as default (see screen to the left), although if one had opted for the suggestion of the above HINT, and set one property field for reports only, but ensured that it contained no data to display - a blank data text field - the screen on the left would show a blank page.

I then access the droplist of the Labels screen for my choice of media, Pick the CD Case Inserts Cover option for this example, and 

Get this friendly popup telling me to be patient while image loads

and the Image appears as shown on the left. (note that the images here are optimized for quick downloading and do not show their true resolution and quality, but the software handles those just as well. again, I suggest that if you do it the way I do it, the catalogue becomes a referencing tool and you can keep your PC uncluttered with large Images).

The image on the left does not show text, this is because i did what I was suggested in the HINT above, but let me show you what would happen if i kept it default:

I now click another image, and right-click it to access the option of 'print Label', the address label default screen loads, and I next  go for the Labels screen droplist (below), chose the CD Case Inserts Tray option (much the same as the cover, except the template is sized different for the media)

And the picture to the left shows the result of the immediate image load. The template now has the image and the default text that comes from having the properties ticked for those fields you see (and of course there is a limit to the amount of fields that can be used - check the help page at CML Website). The one thing that prompted me to ask about the HINT to CML, was that this font is static and templated to be always the same, one cannot change it or its attributes and location, now you see why: because the HINT can do it any other way.

 

Much like the the first two Labels I showed above, If I now click the option on the droplist (see below) for the full face CD/DVD Label, the label reloads immediately for that template (see left). Note that the picture still appears square/rectangular in shape and not round as the media.

Although square/rectangular in shape, the image prints okay in the Avery media I used (the recommended) and all one looses is a minimal and insignificant part at the 4 corners. I found this (after a while) to be helpful as it made me careful about the designing of my labels in general and in the end it resulted in not wasting media paper. 

 

The one I enjoyed thoroughly was the T-Shirt Transparency. Again clicking the droplist option (see below), loaded the image. I discovered after a few attempts (only to find later that the help page at CML says it all) that depending on the size (and resolution for quality), the image appears in the screen relatively. 

So, to the left you see my first image. This image was a very small file (never mind the quality as the image as been optimized for download at 70% of its original resolution for the tutorials, otherwise it outputs top class) and the size it appeared was this small. 

I clicked the Print button

 

Note - I discovered that the best way to print T-shirt Transparencies, is to:

1. use the actual file at original size and resolution (I found 1280x800 to be quite nice and would estimate 800x600 to be the minimum worth) from the stored CD after you located it in the catalogue via its smaller brother image. (Add to the catalogue the original image). You are going to Print it for real, not so?

2. Landscape Images work better, because they print full page. Portrait will print smaller, so take your portrait image, rotate it to landscape (yes! keeping the same original  resolution specs) shape, then add it to the catalogue to print the transparency.

3. Or try the landscape Option off your printer dialog boxes offer.

To the left you see I got the customary popup dialog box from my printer after clicking the 'print' button in the previous step, it asks me to click print again - after I did some tweaks in the printer's properties (see below)

Clicking the Properties of my printer in the previous tutorial step brought about this screen (note that these screens change from printer to printer but most offer the same default tweaks), I know that in my printer I have to go for 'Basics' to access the rotate option

in the basics screen dialog I click the 'landscape' radio button (see left)

and the image prints fine occupying the most space on the transparency (I always test using a blank A4 paper before wasting expensive media paper).

While on Print, you can print the image straight from the image area if need be. It worked for me with the original resolution image and in transparency paper also. The left screen shows the option after I right-click the image.

In this right-click list of options, you also have the facility to view the Image in the screen at its original resolution and then can prompt the windows Print dialog box to Print to various media including a straight transparency to iron on a T-Shirt! So, Lots of options for you.

 

 

CML Showed me one he did with a 1280x800 sized Image already in landscape format and it was super great. it filled the whole A4 size and the resolution was of professional quality. I must just add that I do sell substantial amounts of T-shirts to stores and at flea markets, hence my investment in the software. It Works brilliantly. You can create any T-Shirt (or any other garment) graphic with ease and get great results with little effort.

 

These two Images were Printed as Transparencies to iron on my T-shirts (courtesy of CML for which I thank him) and look absolutely stunning. Vivid colours and reasonable size that fills the chest area completely. Both are 600x800 and were turned into landscape from portrait for the print and then I positioned the Iron-on Transfer transparency paper the way I wanted it to be landscape format as you see it here. The white part bordered with black is the A4 size relative and from this you can judge more or less its size in a T-Shirt. Very cool!