Complex multi page template with "headers"
So right now we create our "Labels" with a mix of Bartender (2021 R4) and Jasper. We want to evaluate wether we can migrate all labels to Bartender. For both cases, csv files are used for data. Usually our csv files contain a single line per page, prompting a print of all template pages for every new line.
In general we struggle with 2 things with Bartender. On a lot of our labels, the first page contains a significant amount (like 50% of space on the label/page) of "header data" (sender/receiver adresses, general stuff) followed by a variable number of rows of "payload" data. If not all payload data fits on the 1st page, a 2nd one (and maybe more) is needed, which should not contain the header data again. Is this easily achievable in Bartender and how?
The 2nd thing are pages with very different template layouts. I guess the preferred solution for this would be multiple template "pages" (just upgraded to BT 2021 didn't try this yet), right?
But we also need to consider the above problem. For example we have a template with 1st page = general information + payload data, then multiple pages (depending on amount of data) of only payload data and then a final page with a completely different layout and different data.
-
Not sure on the footer, but have you looked at using the Page Template option (enabled in the Page Setup>Page tab) to configure your header and then use the Records per Item in your database setup.
The first record would be your header information and you would add this to your Page Template, whilst the rest of the records you would add to Template 1 which would give you something like this:
Not had a chance to "play" with this fully but it may be something you could use. I am not sure how you would handle the footer information though as it sounds like the number of lines is going to be variable and I cannot think of a simple way to handle this unless you made the footer data the second line in your data file with the rest of the information starting on line 3.
If you split the information into multiple files and used the Database option for the payload and External file for the header and footer, then perhaps that would work.
0 -
Hello and thank you for your input. Sadly i'm not familiar with the Page Template/Records Per Item options and do not understand what your solution would do to a second page. I'm seeing one page with the "header" and then the "data template". What would a seconde page look like if we had like 50 rows of data (that don't fit on the first page). Would the header not be printed and why? What happens if we need additional pages because we have hundreds of rows of data?
1 -
I need exactly this!
0 -
Is this the kind of thing you are after?
For this I didnt use the Records per page mentioned above but created a label template with the Page Template enabled in the Page Settings and then, for my sample adjusted the header and footer size via the Top and Bottom margins on the layout tab and also configured the rest of the label to be made up of 6 labels (3 x 2) again from the same screen.
With this you will then see a Page Template tab, where you add the fields and information for each of your header and footer areas and the usual template tab where you configure the usual "label" adding the database fields for one record (ie one of the 3 x 2 labels). The rest are populated at print time laid out as per this single label.
0 -
I'm refering to Martin Schulze above:
> 1st page = general information + payload data, then multiple pages (depending on amount of data) of only payload data and then a final page with a completely different layout and different data
I think what we need here is to create 3 different templates (.btw files), one for each layout you need:
1st template is the general information + payload data (first x rows)
2nd template is payload data only (starting from row x+1)
3rd template is different layout without payload data
Then add an Integration with the IntegrationBuilder (.btin file) that uses all three templates, via actions that a processed in sequence (not parallel!).
At least, this is my current attempt I'm doing. But, I'm still stuck how I get the payload JSON data (array of objects) that is passed through the REST API Endpoint properly passed into the integration so that it prints the array data in the 2nd template.
Is this the way to go?
0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
5 comments