While single envelope or label printing is done from the datafile window, batch printing is done from the template window. You can print labels or envelopes from all the records in a datafile, or from a selection of records in a datafile. If your template and datafile have been previously set up properly, this process is very simple. You just open the template and click the printer icon on the template toolbar.
Before batch printing can be done, a template must be already set up, and the Address Block for the datafile must be defined. For more information on setting up the Address Block and templates see the following topics:
Chapter 2-9 (Address Block Settings)
Chapter 2-39 (General Template Information)
Chapter 2-40 (Editing Template Designs)
Chapter 2-41 (Editing Envelope Page Layouts)
Chapter 2-42 (Editing Label Page Layouts)
Chapter 2-43 (Template Design Commands)
Select a Template
Choose a template from the Templates menu. A template window will open.
If it has not already been done, select a datafile in the Select Datafile popup menu on the Template window. This will be the datafile that supplies the addresses and/or other information. The datafile window will open, and the template will test to see that all addresses fit. If they do not all fit, you can choose to do nothing (the addresses that don't fit will not print), or you can choose to edit the addresses that are too large.
Editng Addresses That Don't Fit
iData 2 will reduce the point size of an address until it fits into the Address Block rectangle on the template. If the minimum point size (set for the Address Block on the template) is reached and the address still does not fit, there are several ways to deal with it.
1. You can do nothing, and the oversize address will not print.
2. You can modify the Address Block in the design of the template.
3. You can edit the address itself. If you click the Edit Records button, the associated datafile will come forward with an added drawer at the bottom. This drawer will display one of the oversize addresses and a red rectangle. The rectangle represents the boundary of the Address Block on the template.
You can modify the address in the fields or Freeform Text Area of the datafile to make it fit. Long words can be abbreviated, or parts of the address that are not strictly needed can be deleted.
When you think the address should fit, click
the Update button. The red rectangle will turn blue when the address fits.
If more than one record didn't fit, click the
Next record button to edit the next oversize address.
When you are done editing addresses, click
the Stop editing records button.
The drawer will close and the template window will come forward.
Starting Label
If you are printing labels and your first sheet has already had some labels removed, you can set iData 2 to start printing on a specific label. Simply click on the label in the template window, and the first record will jump to that label. If moving the starting label changes the number of label sheets required, the page number will be updated in the upper left of the template window.
If it all looks right, click on the Print button in the template toolbar. Or, select
Print... in the Print sub-menu
of the File menu. Or, type Command-p. The print dialog for your printer will
open. You can print to Preview or just print the batch directly to your printer.
Printing Selected Records
A label or envelope template will only use the currently selected records in a datafile. This is useful for specific mailings. For example, if you are using iData 2 to manage a club or organization that has dues, you can select just the members whose dues are due and print envelopes just for them.
It is best to open the datafile first, make your selection (see: Making a Selection in this manual), and then open the template.
However, if you already have the template open, you can go to the datafile,
make the selection, return to the template window, and click the Test Addresses button. The new selection will be reflected
in the template.
When you print from a template, it will automatically update the template to the current selection in the datafile. So, it is a good idea to click the Test Addresses button ahead of time so you know what you will be printing.
