Creating a Label from Scratch

Windows 95 Users

1. Click the Start button on the taskbar and select Programs.
2. Move the mouse cursor over the program group that contains Bear Rock Software.
   Note: If you accepted the default program group during installation, there will be a Bear Rock Software program group.
3. Click on theBear Rock Software v3 icon to launch the program. Note: Windows 95 users also have the option of using a shortcut icon to start the program.

1. Locate the program group that contains the Bear Rock Software icon.
2. Double-click on the BRL3 icon to start the application.

In the first lesson, we will create a new job by selecting one of the manufacturer-defined label types from the set of pre-defined labels that are contained within Bear Rock/SmartSigns Software. This lesson will show you how to place constant objects such as text and graphics onto labels. You will also use a Date/Time object to place a date stamp on the label being created in this lesson. Using the Print command you will see how SmartSigns Software makes it easy to specify the exact number of labels to print. Finally, the first lesson will end by saving and closing the work done in this lesson.

Step-by-step, the lesson shows you how to:

• Start a label job
• Create a text object
• Resize a text object
• Enter and edit text
• Move a text object
• Modify text attributes
• Add graphics to a label
• Use a Date/Text object as a Date Stamp
• Print a specific number of labels
• Save and Close the job

The label job you are about to construct is simple to create and simple to print with Bear Rock/SmartSigns Software. You will make an address label by typing information into one text object. Normally, you would use several text objects and print addresses from a database, but for simplicity we will use only one text object.

Note: If you want to stop in the middle of a lesson, you can do so by simply choosing the Close Job command from the File menu on the menu bar. A message box appears prompting you to save your work. If you choose not to save your work, the label will not be saved and you will have to start over.

Creating a Basic Label Job

Click on the Design a Label from Scratch button in the Opening Screen.

The Pre-defined Format dialog box appears. Click on Avery Laser from the left side column of manufacturers. A list of Avery Laser labels appears on the right.   Click on Avery Laser 5196 2.75x2.75 Disk. Click on OK. The Bear Rock Main Edit Window appears with the Avery Laser 5196 as the label format.

 
Creating a Text Object

For your first label job, you will type in a name and address. Then you’ll practice modifying and moving your text object. Before typing in text, you must create a text object. A text object is a box into which text is placed.

You will set a few options before actually creating the object on the label. The first option to set is the Show Rulers command from the Options Menu. Having the Rulers displayed will allow you to precisely place objects on to a label. You will also set the Unit of Measure to inches for this lesson while in the second lesson centimeters will be the selected Unit of Measure. These are the default settings for the program, so unless you have changed them you can you can skip these steps.

1. Click on Options from the menu bar.
2. Click on Show Rulers if it is not yet selected. If the command has already been activated, hit the escape key to return to the Main Edit Window.
3. To set the Unit of Measure, choose the Preferences command from the Option menu.
4. Click on Inches for Unit of Measure, and then click on OK to return to the Main Edit Window. note: The default settings are that the rulers will be shown and that "inches" is selected.

Now we are ready to create a text object.

1. Click on the Text Tool button. Note: When you position the mouse pointer on the Text Tool button, two things happen: a Tool Tip pops-up next to the tool, and the Quick Help appears on the Status Bar. The Tool Tips and Quick Help alert you to the item that you are pointing to with the mouse pointer.
2. When the Text Tool button is clicked, the mouse pointer becomes a crosshair pointer with the letter "A" in the upper-right corner. A crosshair pointer lets you draw label objects.
3. Place the crosshair pointer 1/4-inch in from the left edge and 1/4-inch down from the top of the label.
4. Use the ruler lines on both the horizontal and vertical rulers to help.
5. Click the left mouse button and while keeping it pressed, drag the crosshair pointer to create a shape approximately 1 inch wide by 1 inch high.
6. The text object appears as the outline of a rectangle while you are dragging out its dimensions. Note: As you drag the mouse, the overall dimensions of the text object are displayed at the bottom of the Main Edit Window.
7. Release the mouse button.
8. Do not worry if the size or shape of the text object is not what you planned. You will learn how to resize objects next.

Your screen should now look something like this.   Resize your text object. Now, you will resize the text object by using the re-sizing handles. They appear as black boxes on each side of the text object. As you pull or push on a handle, the object expands or contracts in the corresponding direction.

Click on the Text Box to select it. Move the four-headed arrow to the right re-sizing handle of the text object. When the pointer is positioned properly over the handle, the pointer is transformed into a horizontal two-headed arrow. The arrows indicate the two directions you can resize the object. Click and drag the handle until the right side of the text object is on the 2 1/4-inch mark on the horizontal ruler, and then release the mouse button. Note: The width may not need adjustment if you originally made the text object 2-inches wide, but take this opportunity to practice scaling objects horizontally on the label. move the pointer to the bottom re-sizing handle of the text object. When the pointer is positioned properly over the handle, the pointer arrow is transformed into a vertical two-headed arrow. Click and drag the handle until the bottom side of the text object is on the 2 1/4-inch mark on the vertical ruler, and then release the mouse button. Note: The actual size of text within a text object remains unchanged when resizing the text object. Your object should now measure 2 inches wide by 2 inches tall, and your screen should now be similar to the screen shot shown below.

 
Entering and Editing Text

Now that you have successfully created a text object, you can start typing inside the text object. If you do not see a flashing vertical cursor in the top left corner of your text object, double-click inside the Text Object to bring up a cursor and begin typing.

You can type in text just as you would in any document; press ENTER to move to the next line.

Note: The program automatically wraps text to the next line. If you are entering names and addresses, you will not want to wrap text.

As you type in text, you will notice the font size is 12 point. This is the program's current default font size. The current font and point size are displayed in boxes located on the Ribbon Bar. You will learn how to change the font and point size soon.

1. Double-click with the mouse arrow in the text object.
2. Type in your name, and press ENTER.
3. Type in your street address, and press ENTER.
4. Type in your city, state, and zip code.

Click on a position within the line of text that you want to change. Press the BACKSPACE key to remove the character preceding the cursor or the DELETE key to remove the character following the cursor. Type in any new text that you wish to enter. Your screen should now look something like the screen shot shown below

Moving a Text Object

A text object can be easily moved to any location on a label. For this exercise we will move the text object down 1/4-inch. To reinforce the procedures on how to resize an object, and to prepare for future exercises, we will also resize the object so that it measures 2-inches wide by 1-inch tall.

1. Click on the Arrow Tool on the tool bar.
2. Click on the Text Object.
3. Handles appear around the text box. The mouse cursor should now appear as a four-headed arrow while inside the selected text object.
4. With the mouse cursor inside the text object, press down with the left mouse button and keep it depressed while dragging the mouse to move the text object so that the top of the text object is at the 1/2-inch mark on the vertical ruler. Release the mouse button when you have repositioned the text object.
5. Resize the text object, such that the bottom of the text object is parallel with 1½-inch mark on the vertical ruler.

If you have any problems resizing the object, go back to the Resizing a Text Object section. You can also simultaneously resize both the horizontal and vertical sides by using the corner object handles. Your screen should now look similar to the screen shot shown below with your text object measuring 2-inches wide by 1-inch high.

 
Modifying Text Attributes

Once you have typed in the text you want, you can modify how it looks by using any of the items on the Ribbon Bar.

The Font box displays the current font and lets you to change the typeface. The Point Size box displays the current point size and allows you change it. The text attribute buttons let you apply bold, italic, and underline to text. The alignment buttons let you align your text.

1. With the Arrow Tool, double-click on a text object.
2. Click and drag the mouse to select the text that is to be modified.
3. Go to the Ribbon Bar, and click on the bold button.
   Your normal type now appears bold.
4. Click on the drop-down arrow button to the right of the Point Size box.
   The Point Size list box appears.
5. Scroll through the list until the number 16 appears, and click on it.
6. The larger point size may cause the text to be clipped by the text object. The label will print this way unless you change it. To accommodate the text, you could resize the text object. But for this exercise, repeat the steps above to set the new point size to 8.
7. Click on the drop-down arrow button on the Font list box. The Font list box appears.
8. Scroll through the list until the font Times New Roman appears, and click on it.

Note: You can apply text changes to individual characters or words as described above or you can apply changes to the entire text block. To apply changes to the entire text block, select the arrow tool and then single click on the text Object. Now follow steps 3-7 above.

You have just completed an address on one label. Now we will add a date stamp to the label, print a specific number of labels, and then save and close the label job.

Inserting a Date Stamp on a Label

Click on the Date/Time Tool. Starting in the lower left-hand corner of the text object you created earlier, click with the left mouse button, and drag down diagonally to the right, until the new object measures 1-inch wide by 1-inch tall and then release the left mouse button. The Date/Time dialog box appears. Click on Date and then click on the OK button. A date stamp should now appear similar to this screen shot.

 
Inserting a Graphic Object

There are two possible methods for adding graphics to your labels. One method allows you to pick an image from a directory of your choosing while the second allows you to pick an image from a graphics directory. Both methods are discussed here.

Inserting a Graphic Object using the camera tool:

Click on the Graphic Import Tool. Start in the lower right-hand corner of the text object you created earlier clicking with the left mouse button, and drag down diagonally to the left until the new object measures 1-inch wide by 1-inch tall. Then release the left mouse button. The Paste Graphic dialog box appears. Click on the Apple.WMF filename. The path will default to the Smart Folder. A preview of the image will appear on the right. Click OK.

Using the ClipArt Gallery

To simplify this exercise we will set the default clip art directory prior to inserting a graphic.

Setting the Default Clip art Directory:

1. Choose Preferences from the Options menu.
2. In the Clip Art Default Directory type in the path.
3. C:\Program Files\BRL4\Program\Premade\Smart for both Windows 95 and Windows 3.x users.
4. Where C:\ is the drive that SmartSigns Software was installed on.

Inserting a Graphic object using the ClipArt Gallery

Click on the ClipArt Gallery Tool. The ClipArt Gallery appears. Click on the thumbnail of the apple graphic toward the upper left corner of the Clip Art Gallery, and the click the OK button. Regardless of which method you used to add a graphic to your label, your screen should look something like this.

 
Printing a Specific Number of Labels

In the following exercise you will see how simple SmartSigns Software makes it to print a specific number of labels.

Note: It is not necessary to print labels to complete this exercise. You can use the preview option in the Print dialog box to see what the output will look like without actually sending a print job to the printer.

Choose Print from the File menu. The Print dialog box will appear as shown on the next page. Click in the box to the right of # of labels to print, and then type the number 8 to print eight identical labels. Alternately you can click on the # of pages to print and enter 1 as the value. This will print 1 complete page of identical labels. Now click on the Zoom in button to see the eight identical labels. Click on the Zoom out button to return to the Print dialog box. Note: If you are actually going to print labels at this time, turn the printer on and then load the printer with the appropriate label stock (Avery 5196). Click on the Print button to send the label job to the printer or click on the Done button to return to the Main Edit Window.

Saving the Job

To save your label job, choose the Save Job or the Save Job As command from the File menu, and then type in a file name.

Go to the menu bar, and click on File. The File menu opens. Click on Save Job or Save Job As. The Save Job As dialog box will appear. Type the file name Lesson 1 into the File name text box. Click on Save. The Save Job As dialog box closes and brings you back to the Main Edit Window.

 
To close the job:

1. Choose File from the menu bar.
2. Click on Close Job.
3. If you made any changes since you last saved your file, the program asks if you wish to save your changes. This safeguard reminds you to save your file before closing it so you don’t lose any work.
4. Click on Yes to save current changes or No to close the job without saving changes.

After a job has been closed, the Main Edit Window is ready for a new label job. To start a new job select Job Selection Screen or New Job from the File menu.