Keeper can print price tags, with or without bar codes, on any label stock or price tag stock you can put into your printer.
Keeper comes with the definition for an Avery 5560 label. This is a standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch, 10 row by 3 column label sheet with 30 labels on it. The measurements Keeper supplies for this label may need slight adjustments for your printer. You'll have to try it out by printing a sheet of labels and then adjust as necessary.
To create a new price tag sheet definition you need a ruler that will measure tenths of an inch.
1. In the Tag Name box, type a new name. If you don't type a new name before you save the tag definition, Keeper will simply update the Avery 5560 label definition or whatever other tag definition you're showing. As soon as you make a change in the name or any part of the tag description the [Save Tag Type] button will turn red to remind you to save the changed description. If you change your mind and want to start over just click a tag’s name in the Tag Type box.
2. Enter the values in the Tag Dimensions frame:
Rows: Enter the number of tags down the page.
Columns: Enter the number of tags across the page.
Indent From Top: Measure from the top edge of the tag sheet to the point on the first tag where the top of the barcode or the tops of the characters in the first line of text should fall. This is an approximation. You’ll probably have to adjust after a trial run. The actual measurement needs to be from the logical top of the page. That point isn’t visible and varies from printer to printer.
Indent From Left: Measure from the left edge of the tag sheet to the point on the first tag where printing should begin. This is another approximation that will need to be adjusted after a trial run.
Row Difference: Measure from the top of one tag down the page to the top of the next.
Column Difference: Measure from the left edge of one tag across the page to the left edge of the next.
Type Size: This may need adjustment after a trial run. 12 point type is “pica” type on a typewriter. 10 point type is “elite.”
3. Click the [Save Tag Type] button.
You can save definitions for as many price tag types as you wish. Once you’ve saved a type you can recover its dimensions by clicking the tag name in the Tag Type box.
If you're using butterfly tags (also known as barbell or dumbbell tags):
1. Measure and enter the tag-sheet's values as described above and define a tag type for the butterfly tags. Use 6 point type if you're going to print on small butterfly tags.
2. Determine the height and width of the printable area left of the shank in fractions of an inch. This information normally will be supplied by the tag manufacturer. If not, measure the dimensions.
3. Click the Dimensions button inside the Butterfly Tags frame and enter the printable area dimensions in decimal parts of an inch in the Butterfly Tag Dimensions pop-up screen.
We recommend strongly that you print a sheet of butterfly tag output on plain paper to be sure your dimensions and measurements are correct.
To edit a price tag definition:
1. Click the name of the definition in the Tag Type box.
2. Make the changes you need to make to the values in the Tag Dimensions frame.
3. Click [Save Tag Type].
To delete a tag definition:
1. Click the name of the definition in the Tag Type box.
2. Click the [Delete Tag Type] button.
Keeper won't let you delete the last tag definition.
1. Check the Tag Name box to make sure it shows the name of the tag sheet you're preparing to print. If the tag name is wrong click the correct name in the Tag Type box. If the [Save Tag Type] button is red, click it to save the changes you’ve made in the tag description.
If you're printing butterfly tags, click the check box inside the Butterfly Tags frame. If the Butterfly Tags check box is checked, Keeper won't let you print barcodes or descriptions on your tags.
2. If you're going to begin printing on a partial sheet of tags, in the Start With frame, enter the Row and Column where you want to start printing on the first sheet of tag stock. By using the Row and Column boxes you can go back to a tag sheet that's partially used and fill in the rest of the sheet.
3. Decide whether or not you want to print barcodes. This will depend on the size of the price tags you're printing and the capabilities of your printer. Keeper prints bar codes that should be readable by virtually any barcode wand or reader provided your printer has enough resolution to make the barcode clear and sharp, and provided your barcode reader is set to read the kind of barcode you've printed. If you want to print barcodes click the Print Barcodes check box. If you're printing butterfly tags, Keeper won't let you check the Print Barcodes check box.
Keeper defaults to an Code-39 barcode. If you want to change the barcode type, click the down arrow at the right of the Barcode Type box and click the name of the barcode type you want to use. Keeper will remember your selection the next time you print tags. If you're using alphanumeric stock numbers, you'll need to choose a barcode that can generate alphanumeric characters. Code 39, Code 93, and Code 128 are capable of handling alphabetic characters as well as numbers but Code 93 and Code 128 require you to compute a check digit to add to the end of each string.
4. If you're printing a large number of tags and you want to stop to check your work after each sheet, click the Stop Between Sheets check box. After it's printed the first sheet of tags, Keeper will stop and give you a choice of printing another tag page and stopping, printing all remaining tag pages, or quitting.
5. If you want to print the item's name, click the Print Item Name check box. If you do this you must be using tags that are wide enough to accept the item name.
6. If you want to print the inventory item’s full description below the price on your tags, click the Print Item Description check box. If you do this you must have tags large enough to accept the full description. If they’re too small the description on one tag will overwrite the information on the previous tag. Keeper will print the full description in 8 point type. If you’re unsure about how large your tags need to be, print a page of dummy tags on a regular sheet of paper and compare the output with your tags. If you're printing butterfly tags, Keeper won't let you check the Print Item Description check box.
7. Click the Supplier or the Category check box to bring up a list of items for a specific supplier or category. You can search for a specific supplier or category in the usual way by entering number or name, or with the spin buttons and Browse buttons next to the Supplier and Category displays. Keeper displays the list of inventory items in numeric order by default. If you'd rather see the items listed alphabetically by name, click the Alphabetic button in the Sort Order frame.
8. Enter the number of tags you'd like to print for each of the inventory items.
a. To set the system to print one tag for each item, click the [1] button at the top of the screen.
b. To set the system to print a tag for each of the items in inventory; in other words to print ten tags if there are ten copies of an item in stock, click the [Full Quantity] button at the top of the screen.
c. To clear the Copies column and start over, click the [Clear] button at the top of the screen.
d. To enter copy counts one at a time:
- Click the item you want to set a quantity for in the item list. Keeper will set the input focus in the Copies box.
- Enter a quantity in the copies box and press <Enter> or press the <Down Arrow> to move to the next item in the list. You can also use the <Up Arrow> to move to the previous item in the list. With the <Down Arrow> you can keep moving down the list and entering quantities without having to use the mouse.
9. Click the [Print] button. If you’ve made a change in the tag description, Keeper will insist you save the description before it will print your tags. If printing ends on a page with less than a full sheet of tags, the printer won't eject the page, but the Row and Column boxes will show the position on the tag sheet where the next tag will be printed. Keeper will ask if you want to print more tags on the current sheet. You can go on to the next supplier or category and print more tags, starting at the position shown by the Row and Column boxes. If you tell Keeper you don’t want to print more tags on the page the page will eject.
PLEASE NOTE: On butterfly tags, if the item's name is too long to fit within the specified label area Keeper will skip the name rather than overwrite and spoil the tag below it.
