My new Label Printer

[NightHawk]

Do you agree with those calculations?

It's only 50mm of blank space per single label - 25mm before and 25mm after your text.

If you print several labels in one go your calculations don't apply.  Using your example of 7 labels, if the minimum margin is set at 4mm, then you only get 4mm before and 4mm after each bit of text - therefore 8mm per label in that instance.
So, it would be 25mm lead-in for the first label + 7x8mm labels = 25 + 56 = 81mm
The gap on the last label would also be 4mm when you press the 'cut' button.  The machine doesn't automatically set the 25mm length at this stage as the lead-out, because it thinks you may be adding more labels.  Pressing the cut button manually ensures this.
So the grand total would be 81mm + 4mm = 85mm.

You have the option of manually adding more blank space at the end of your last label if you wanted to, but I don't see the need.

Does that make more sense George?

[ideasguy]

mmm no
Is your 85mm figure the total white space/waste when printing 7 labels?

[NightHawk]

Is your 85mm figure the total white space/waste when printing 7 labels?

That's correct George.

(1)  25mm lead-in at the start of the first label = 25mm.
(2)  4mm margin at the front and the end of each label = 8mm per label.
(3)  7 labels to print is 7x8mm = 56mm.
Total:  (1) + (3) = 81mm.

I actually added 4mm more than I should have done in the last posting (85mm), as the 4mm at the end of the last label had already been factored in.

The labeller puts a colon at the start and end of each of the consecutive labels as a marker for cutting with scissors when the printing has been done and you've cut the labels with the machine.  No other tape gets added in this process.

The 4mm minimum margin is not really 'wasted space', it's needed to give formatting space between each label.

Unless I'm a complete numpty and got my maths wrong I can't really explain this any better, so I hope it makes sense this time 

[ideasguy]

In my calculations example, Ive used a fixed label size of 50mm.
That includes the margin you have mentioned.

When printing from the software, you select a label length. Ive opted for 50 for the testing Ive been doing. With that setting, I can do a preview. It text is too long it gets truncated in the preview and print. I will produce various length label options in Ideas Genie Pro (e.g. 40, 50, 60 and 70).
If number of characters is small, the label length is fixed as described above, so the user may wish to use a shorter label option and vice-versa.

When you print from the keyboard on the PT2730, and use chain output, you can produce something similar to your example. The label length is shown in the printers monitor as you type characters. If too long you can change the font size, or split text over 2 or more lines (depending on the height of your label stock).
One line of 10pt text looks good for 9mm tape. Bold makes it even better.

[bossgard]

George,

With the label test using #5366 in GA048, when I clear preview and click print, YES the Brothers PT-2730VP is shown!

Also a question regarding GA100S36 that you had mentioned earlier, when I click on LABEL DATA. I knew this was available.

What size of label are you thinking to use this on, and what would be its main purpose?

I can see it possibly as a label to stick on the outside of pots, perhaps that were propagated for a Plant Sale or something? Perhaps, an Avery #6572, 2”x2-5/8”, white permanent multipurpose label. Total 15 labels per (US) 8-1/2” x 11 label sheet. Or whatever similar, using the new Brothers PT-2730PV.

[ideasguy]

Hi Toby

RE:

when I clear preview and click print, YES the Brothers PT-2730VP is shown!

That's fine. All is OK and you will be able to use the label designs I come up with.

The label design in GA100S36 is quite limited - quite simply for Avery 2x7 address label stock on A4 paper which I had readily available at one time. It prints all 24 labels with the same details, so yes, good for lots of plants of the same name in pots.

I'm working on a label at present. More later.

[roiphil]

RE:

Is that the clear, transparent label stock Brothers offers? Or is it white?

Sorry, I missed that question earlier Toby.
Its black on clear. 9mm wide tape.

Behind the scenes, Ive been corresponding with Phil on all this.
Here's what he uses:

http://www.labelzone.co.uk/100mm-x-19mm-stick-in-plant-tags/p2596 as they were the best price i could find for quantity plus the size being 19mm wide Phil

They come in a roll, for use with another type of printer (expensive but also professional).
They can be torn off for use with the Brother printer - 1000 in a roll, so perfect for me.

Yes a nice cheap affordable label i went for this size as i use 18mm TZ taper in my pt2100 as i found that size offered the best value for money and i can still fit 4 lines on it at 50mm length, to get over the problem of the extra bit of tape i always select to print out 2 labels (if doing 1) basically printing out 1 extra label so as the extra label is left in the machine and it will finish printing off next time i go to print more, hope that makes some sense
phil

[bossgard]

Well, I got my Brothers PT-2730VP to do this:

I printed out an identification label using text data from a M/S Excel file that was on my computer.
I hope the scan turns out OK.

[bossgard]

Or would this scan look better?

[ideasguy]

Can see both loud and clear Toby
You've done well to master printing from the Excel file.
I'm still working on printing from Ideas Genie Pro - had to make a design change which set me back a bit.

RE (Phil)

hope that makes some sense

Yes, Phil, I can see the logic in that method.

[roiphil]

george toby are you both using 23mm wide tape, how many lines have you managed to get on it
phil

[ideasguy]

I am providing two designs initially in Ideas Genie Pro for the PT2730.
The first has larger text - 4 lines of text.
The second is smaller text - 5 lines of text.

I'm experiencing a limitation on the printable height - it doesn't print over the 24mm - seems to be a white space needed at top and bottom of text region.

I'm hoping this willl work for your PT2100 Phil.

[ideasguy]

Ideas Genie Pro Program updates are now ready to download - for anyone wishing to use their Brother printer directly from Ideas Genie Pro.
Ive started a new topic to discuss this new development:
http://www.flowergenie.co.uk/ideas/forum/index.php/topic,1811.0.html