Hello,

I tried the directions given here for creating labels using the
templates. For the most part it came out ok but I have a
few questions.

Is there a way to center the text vertically? I can do it
horizontally using Paragraph format but I don't see how to do
it vertically.

If I want to add a little graphical design next to the label, what is
the best way to do this to insure alignment? What I do for the
text is insert an ascii file with however many entries I need.
For example, I am using Avery form 5261 which has 20 labels.
So I generate a text file with 20 entries in it and insert that
(is there a better way?). Now if I want to add a design to each
entry, I need to load in the graphic, make 19 copies of it and
then position those copies where I want them. It becomes quite
a chore trying to align each one to the same place for each label.

I chose a font size of 16 for testing. In order to get it to position
correctly on each label, I used fixed leading of 15 pt. This was
just a guess and it worked. Is there a way to know what this setting
should be?

Any suggestions are appreciated. I can accomplish what I want
to do but it takes a very long time to set everything up. I'm
hoping there is an easier way.

Jack

On 05-Jun-00, Jack York wrote:

>Is there a way to center the text vertically? I can do it
>horizontally using Paragraph format but I don't see how to do
>it vertically.

If you set up 20 text frames exactly positioned per the template
guidelines, and run a 3-line address in each using 16-point type
with default 120% leading, each address will occupy 54.4 points,
or 0.75". So, if you make each text frame just 0.875" high, each
address will start at .125" from the top edge of the label and end
at .125" from the bottom edge of the label: vertically centered.

>If I want to add a little graphical design next to the label, what is
>the best way to do this to insure alignment? What I do for the
>text is insert an ascii file with however many entries I need.
>For example, I am using Avery form 5261 which has 20 labels.
>So I generate a text file with 20 entries in it and insert that
>(is there a better way?). Now if I want to add a design to each
>entry, I need to load in the graphic, make 19 copies of it and
>then position those copies where I want them. It becomes quite
>a chore trying to align each one to the same place for each label.

Just position the graphic where you would like it on the first label
in the upper left corner, then transform it to make 1 copy 4.25"
horizontally and 0" vertically from the first. Select both and
transform X9 at 0" horizontally and 1.00" vertically.

However, if the graphic is to occupy a little space at the left of the
label and the text is to be centered in the remaining space, then
before duplicating the graphic, apply Text Wrap to it, style 3 (text
to the right). Then when the graphic is duplicated, the Text Wrap
attribute will be carried to each copy.

>I chose a font size of 16 for testing. In order to get it to position
>correctly on each label, I used fixed leading of 15 pt. This was
>just a guess and it worked. Is there a way to know what this setting
>should be?

The total number of points in each label should add up to 72. With
48 points of type and 30 points of leading, that's 78 points: trouble.

>Any suggestions are appreciated. I can accomplish what I want
>to do but it takes a very long time to set everything up. I'm
>hoping there is an easier way.

Hey, man: no problems, no jobs, right?

If everything was easy, we'd all be out of work!

--Geoff

--
ggass@teleport.com Geoffrey A. Gass Foulecourt Press

mHello Geoffrey

On 05-Jun-00, Geoffrey Gass wrote:
> On 05-Jun-00, Jack York wrote:
>
>> Is there a way to center the text vertically? I can do it
>> horizontally using Paragraph format but I don't see how to do
>> it vertically.
>
> If you set up 20 text frames exactly positioned per the template
> guidelines, and run a 3-line address in each using 16-point type
> with default 120% leading, each address will occupy 54.4 points,
> or 0.75". So, if you make each text frame just 0.875" high, each
> address will start at .125" from the top edge of the label and end
> at .125" from the bottom edge of the label: vertically centered.

Ok, this is where I go wrong I think. I use the column tool to create
the first frame by drawing it to the size of the guides. Then I use
Transform to create the rest. So each frame is 1 x 4. If I use Create
Text Frame I get 2 columns but they are the length of the whole page.
What am I doing wrong? Also I was told somewhere along the way
that I was suppossed to be using leading type of fixed. This is not
correct? When would I want to use a different percentage other
than 120? I ask this so I can understand what is going on instead
of just learning how to do this one project.

>> If I want to add a little graphical design next to the label, what is
>> the best way to do this to insure alignment? What I do for the
>> text is insert an ascii file with however many entries I need.
>> For example, I am using Avery form 5261 which has 20 labels.
>> So I generate a text file with 20 entries in it and insert that
>> (is there a better way?). Now if I want to add a design to each
>> entry, I need to load in the graphic, make 19 copies of it and
>> then position those copies where I want them. It becomes quite
>> a chore trying to align each one to the same place for each label.
>
> Just position the graphic where you would like it on the first label
> in the upper left corner, then transform it to make 1 copy 4.25"
> horizontally and 0" vertically from the first. Select both and
> transform X9 at 0" horizontally and 1.00" vertically.

Thanks, that one was easy.

> I chose a font size of 16 for testing. In order to get it to position
>> correctly on each label, I used fixed leading of 15 pt. This was
>> just a guess and it worked. Is there a way to know what this setting
>> should be?
>
> The total number of points in each label should add up to 72. With
> 48 points of type and 30 points of leading, that's 78 points: trouble.

Why should it add to 72? The 48 comes from 16 pts x 3 lines, I'm
guessing, but I don't see the rest of it.

>> Any suggestions are appreciated. I can accomplish what I want
>> to do but it takes a very long time to set everything up. I'm
>> hoping there is an easier way.
>
> Hey, man: no problems, no jobs, right?
>
> If everything was easy, we'd all be out of work!

True enough. Sure makes it a lot easier having helpful and
knowledgeable people available though.

Jack

On 05-Jun-00, Jack York wrote:

>Ok, this is where I go wrong I think. I use the column tool to create
>the first frame by drawing it to the size of the guides. Then I use
>Transform to create the rest. So each frame is 1 x 4.

OK, that's the right way to do it. So what's wrong?

>If I use Create Text Frame I get 2 columns but they are the length
>of the whole page. What am I doing wrong?

So don't use Create Text Frame; use the column tool to create the frames.

>Also I was told somewhere along the way that I was supposed to be
>using leading type of fixed. This is not correct? When would I want
>to use a different percentage other than 120? I ask this so I can
>understand what is going on instead of just learning how to do this
>one project.

If you needed to get 6 lines of 12 point type on a 1-inch label, you'd
have to go back to 100% leading. Often a slight adjustment of leading
will allow finishing a paragraph neatly on a page rather than leaving
a short last line on the next page (widow) or having just the first
line of a new paragraph at the bottom of a page (orphan).

But whether you use fixed (points) or percentage leading, it doesn't
matter -- whichever is more convenient for you to use. 120% leading
on 16 point type is adding an extra 3.2 points between lines.

>> The total number of points in each label should add up to 72. With
>> 48 points of type and 30 points of leading, that's 78 points: trouble.

>Why should it add to 72? The 48 comes from 16 pts x 3 lines, I'm
>guessing, but I don't see the rest of it.

You said you were using 15 point leading; I assumed that you were making
a 3-line label, so that adds 30 points for the space between the lines.

It should add up to 72 because 72 points is one inch, and those Avery
labels are 1 inch high.

--Geoff

--
ggass@teleport.com Geoffrey A. Gass Foulecourt Press
Also at this address: T. Bain Stokes Fignewton Frogberry

Hello Geoffrey

On 06-Jun-00, Geoffrey Gass wrote:
> On 05-Jun-00, Jack York wrote:
>
>> Ok, this is where I go wrong I think. I use the column tool to create
>> the first frame by drawing it to the size of the guides. Then I use
>> Transform to create the rest. So each frame is 1 x 4.
>
> OK, that's the right way to do it. So what's wrong?

I think I see where I am going astray. Somewhere in this thread someone
mentioned that the text frames should be set to the size of the guides.
And then you said to make them a different size. Somehow that got
turned around in my head and I was still trying to keep the new size
aligned to the guides. I've got it straight now I think.

>> Why should it add to 72? The 48 comes from 16 pts x 3 lines, I'm
>> guessing, but I don't see the rest of it.
>
> You said you were using 15 point leading; I assumed that you were making
> a 3-line label, so that adds 30 points for the space between the lines.
>
> It should add up to 72 because 72 points is one inch, and those Avery
> labels are 1 inch high.

Your assumption was correct. My basic lack of knowledge about DTP shows
here. I wasn't aware that 72 pts = 1".

The light has finally come on. Thanks for all of your help.

Jack