When creating custom labels in a ClarisWorks database, there are four parameters or values that you must consider to ensure that labels maintain proper alignment when printing. Two parameters tune or adjust in the horizontal direction and the other two adjust in the vertical direction.
These parameters are:
*Offset - distance from the edge of the sheet to the edge of the first label
-Vertical Offset - the distance from the top edge of the label sheet to the top of the first label.
-Horizontal Offset - the distance from the left edge of the label sheet to the left edge of the first label.
*Drift - The shifting of the information in relation to the borders of successive labels, which results in the information no longer being properly aligned on the label as the printing progresses.
-Horizontal Drift - Shifting in the Horizontal direction
-Vertical Drift - Shifting in the Vertical direction.
Offset is adjusted in ClarisWorks by setting the Top and Left Margins. Only the top left label is used as a reference for adjusting offset. Using other label positions will make it difficult to properly adjust offset. Offset must be adjusted first before adjusting for drift, otherwise the drift adjustments will be improper and the labels will not align.
Vertical Drift is corrected by adjusting the height of the body. Small movements may result in significant degrees of shift since the results are additive across records. For example, when adjusting one inch labels (10 down on a sheet) a movement of 1/16 of an inch will result in the 10th label moving 5/8 of an inch.
Horizontal drift in ClarisWorks is not adjustable, but is set by accurately entering the Horizontal width of the label when creating the label layout.
Based the above information, the following steps will create a proper label layout using a minimum of steps:
I. Before creating the label layout
A. Be sure your sheet of labels contain a top margin and a left margin. Label sheets not having margins are designed for copy machines, not printers, as printers cannot print to the edge of a page
B. Using a ruler, measure the top margin; left margin; width of the label from the left edge of the label to the left edge of the next label immediately to the right; and height of the label measuring the label by measuring from the top edge of the top label to the top edge of the label below it. It is ok and proper to include any space in the label measurements. If the label in only a single label across, just use the height and width of the label for the label measurements. Do not rely on the measurements printed on the box as they may not be the ones you actually need to set up the labels.
II. Create the Layout
A. Go to Layout mode and choose Layout menu, New Layout.
B. Choose the Labels option, click OK and enter in the Avery Number for a predefined setup or your custom label measurements. Click OK
C. Double-click on the fields on the left side that you wish to be on the labels. Click on them in the order you want them to appear. This will move them to the right side and is faster and better than the Move button as you are not as likely to click the OK button by mistake. When done, click OK.
D. Position the fields as you want them to appear on the label. Slide Objects is automatically chosen for label layouts.
Use the Alignment tool to align the top edges for sliding left to occur properly. Do not allow field handles to touch each other header line, or body line, as this will result in printing issues. You can be as close as 1/72" but not actually touching.
Use the magnification tools to zoom, the size box and deselect Align to Grid to assist you with this.
TIP: the arrow keys will allow you to move the selected fields in a single direction in small increments.
III. Test the label setup
A. Create enough records, if not created already, to print a full page of labels.
B. Print a page of labels by choosing Print under the File menu and printing from page 1 to 1 on a blank sheet of paper.
C. Hold the printed paper to the light with the label paper in back of it to check alignment.
IV. Offset Analysis
A. Compare the test sheet to the label sheet and look at the top left label only.
B. If the top left label is aligned correctly both horizontally and vertically, go to the drift analysis section below.
C. If the label is out of alignment horizontally, adjust the left margin to compensate - i.e., if the field are too far left, reduce the margin
D. If the label is out of alignment vertically, adjust the top margin . Increase the margin size if the fields are too high. Reduce the margin size if the fields are printing too low.
E. Run another test print and check your results again and repeat this operation until offset is corrected.
V. Drift Analysis
A. Compare the test sheet to the label sheet and look at the bottom right label. Top labels will not assist you with this adjustment.
B. If the label is out of alignment horizontally, recheck you ruler measurements as you will have to start over and recreate a new layout to reset the horizontal width. After choosing Layout menu, New Layout and selecting Labels as the type, be careful to enter the correct width for the new label. In the resulting "Set Field Order.." dialog, you will need to place at least one field on the new label layout. However, it can then be deleted and your fields on the previous layout can be copied and pasted into the new one.
C. If the label is out of alignment vertically, correct the issue by adjusting the body line. If the fields printing are too high, increase the label height by moving the body line down a little. If the fields too low into the bottom margin, reduce the label height by moving the body line up a little.
D. Run another test print and check your results again and repeat until drift no longer occurs.
Your labels should now be properly aligned.