Primera SureThing, User Manual

Page 1: ......

Page 2: ...r person or to duplicate the Software by any other means including electronic transmission The Software contains trade secrets and in order to protect them you may not decompile reverse engineer disassemble or otherwise reduce the Software to human perceivable form You may not modify adapt translate rent lease or create derivative works based upon the Software or any part thereof Warranty MicroVis...

Page 3: ...hn H Gaby Patrick Wright User s Guide Sean Cavanaugh Jim Mayall Online Help Jim Law SmartDesigns Garvey Jim Mayall Sean Cavanaugh Testing Support Ben Douglas Pete Calkins Tony Tran Nyeland Newel David Rast Sean Kelley Editing Misc Robin Ralston Paul Cary ...

Page 4: ...ing Program Options 14 Entering User Information 15 InternetTab 15 AppearanceTab 15 Zooming In and Out 15 Working with the Software 17 Starting SureThing 17 Creating a New Label 17 SmartDesign Basics 19 Working with Text 20 EditingText Frames 20 Adding a New Text Frame 22 Changing the Size and Position of aText Frame 22 Inserting Merge Fields in Text Frames 23 Formatting Text in aText Frame 24 Edi...

Page 5: ...elTemplates 35 Creating Customized Layouts using the Template CreationWizard 35 Saving Existing Designs asTemplates 37 DeletingTemplates 38 Introduction to Playlists 39 The Playlist Manager 39 A Quick Walk Through 40 Compilation Music CDs 41 For Advanced Users 41 Working with Playlists 42 Importing a Playlist Using the New CDWizard 42 Importing a Playlist to an Existing Design 43 Applying a Playli...

Page 6: ...es and clipart you can use in your labels and designs and of course you can also incorporate your existing images and artwork into any label design You can even merge information from CD playlists a database or CSV file and print sets of labels or numbered series Aboutthismanual The SureThing CD Labeler User Guide provides the essential information you need to get up and running as quickly as poss...

Page 7: ...ible anytime the program is running Much of the help is context sensitive In other words it will jump directly to the specific topic related to the feature or command you are working with When no specific feature or com mand is detected choosing Help takes you to the help system s index or topic list The Help system also contains a number of helpful tutorials tips and techniques Toaccesshelp Press...

Page 8: ... just a click away Set your web browser to the following URL and follow the links to our support section www surething com Fax or mail support You can mail or fax questions to us at the following MicroVision Development P O Box 130023 Carlsbad CA 92009 Fax line 760 438 7406 Telephonesupport You can also phone us directly and speak with a technical support representative Telephone support is availa...

Page 9: ...bs depends on the brand of label you are using and a collection of tools for creating and editing elements such as label text text effects backgrounds images borders etc At the bottom of the screen are buttons you click to cycle through the various SmartDesigns Speed Tools ControlStrip Design bar Variationbar Menubar Commandbar Speed Tools are turned off by default but you can turn them on by choo...

Page 10: ...caltextalignmentmenu Fontcolormenu Bold Italic Underlineoptions Fontmenu FontSizemenu Rotatetool Transparencytool Textmode Objectmode Object tools list TextFrametool Picturetool TextEffectstool Linetool Rectangletool Round CornerRectangletool Ellipse tool InsertOLEObjecttool Texttool Objectselectiontool Rotatetool Transparencytool CropPicturetool CalibratePrinter Print PrinterSetup Undo Redo Cut C...

Page 11: ...ain by choosing the Blocks Tabsforeachcomponentof the label sheet referred to as Blocks Sample Text Effect Label edge Bleed area Rulers clickanddragtocreate alignment guide lines command from View menu and then selecting Show Hide The area displayed in crosshatch indicates the area outside of the label If you place an object such as a text frame or logo over the crosshatch the portion that over la...

Page 12: ...gles to the left and right of the CD labels are jewel case spines and corre spond to the second tab in the design window Turning blocks on and off You select the blocks you want to design and edit by clicking their corresponding tabs at the top of the design window This turns on a block and activates its design window if it wasn t already activated You can turn off blocks using the Blocks Show Hid...

Page 13: ...espond to the Designs commands under the Tools menu Note The Add command is not the method you use to print multiple copies of a label use the Print command and enter the number of copies you want to print for that but rather a means to create differ ent layouts backgrounds text etc within the same file VariationBar The Variation Bar lets you cycle through the various SmartDesigns available to a p...

Page 14: ...tton drag the size you want the object to appear 4 When you are satisfied with the size of the object release the mouse and the object is created Most object tools work in the manner described above Some tools display dialog boxes where you can open and insert files enter text etc SettingProgramOptions A number of SureThing s settings can be customized These include startup options display options...

Page 15: ...the server www2 freedb org cgi bin cddb cgi but you can change this to another server that provides playlist information To change the program back to the default server click the Use Default Server option The Connect to server without prompting option is primarily intended for users who are online all the time such as those who use cable modem systems or LAN con nections for example If you connec...

Page 16: ...level the size of the current window does not affect the view size of the label To zoom in Do one of the following Click the Zoom In button on the Control Strip Each time you click it increases the zoom level Press Ctrl Plus key numeric keypad Choose Custom Zoom from the Zoom sub menu under the View menu and select a zoom level from the list or enter your own zoom level must be between 30 and 400 ...

Page 17: ...ng Clipart to Your Label 28 Working with Backgrounds 29 Using Your Own Backgrounds 30 Using a Background Color 30 Acquiring Images 31 Changing the Label Stock 31 Duplicating a Design 31 Saving Your Label 33 Calibrating Your Printer 34 Printing 34 Working with Label Templates 35 Playlists The Playlist Manager 39 StartingSureThing Double click the SureThing icon on the desktop or launch it from the ...

Page 18: ...ist before you browse the backgrounds Click the Next button when you re satisfied with your choices The next step of the wizard presents you with the option of using SmartDesign templates or designing a blank label from scratch We recommend you choose Use SmartDesigns Select an initial SmartDesign There are three categories of Smart Designs Audio CD Data CDand General Purpose These categories dete...

Page 19: ...You can of course enter anything you like in each field Several of the SmartDesign layouts also include sample images to use as placeholders until you insert your own graphics logos etc If you chose Audio or Data CD in the Wizard please refer to the section titled Working with Playlists later in this chapter SmartDesignBasics SmartDesigns are interactive design templates built into SureThing Unlik...

Page 20: ...s and text fields in the label SmartDesignTip Use theVariation Bar to find a background layout and font that suits your tastesbefore customizingthelabel WorkingwithText Text can take a couple of different forms in SureThing text frames and text effects Text in text frames behaves much like it would in a word processing program for instance with characters paragraphs tabs indents etc Text effects o...

Page 21: ...hen you select one with the Object Tool you select the entire group A text frame group consisting of two text frames the CD title and subtitle The fields in each SmartDesign reflect the typical use for the label but you can use them any way you like You can even turn off selected fields if you find them unnecessary by simply deleting them with the Del key or the Cut command under the Edit menu Typ...

Page 22: ...ferences that highlight some important SureThing features 1 Click the Adding Text icon on the Design Bar 2 Choose Use Text Frame Tool from the menu The text frame tool appears 3 Click and drag to create the frame When you release the mouse the frame is drawn and the text cursor blinks inside it waiting for you to enter your text 4 Enter the text you want to appear in the frame Unlike the first met...

Page 23: ...om the list on the right 4 Click OK to insert the field into the frame If the Show Field Codes option is on under the View menu the field appears as a code with the field name enclosed in brackets If this option is off you will see the actual data except for fields from an external database which will always show the record you specify using the Set Merge Record command under View Options The same...

Page 24: ...formatting options you choose will be applied to the entire text frame Character formatting commands on the control strip 3 Choose the Paragraph command from the Format menu The Paragraph dialog box lets you change indents line spacing alignment and tab positions as well as other options such as border lines and fill patterns Note that when you click the text cursor within a text frame you can cha...

Page 25: ...hen you are done Adding line breaks in the Text Effect dialog box causes text in the effect to align in different ways For example notice how the first line wraps around the top of the CD and the second line wraps around the bottom Actually there are three line breaks the first line will be on top the second line in this example a blank line will be in the center of the CD and the third line will ...

Page 26: ...riation This only applies to the sample text frames effects however New frames and effects are not affected Adding a New Text Effect In a preceding section you learned how to change the sample text that appears in a text effect object Here you ll learn how to create a new text effect object from scratch 1 Click the Text Effects icon on the Design Bar located on the left of the window Doing so disp...

Page 27: ...ects on screen Text appears jagged in text effects because the software has to work with it as if it were a graphic Even though the text in text effects does not always appear very legible on screen it will print crisp and clear WorkingwithLogos Pictures andClipart There are a couple of ways of working with graphics in SureThing Some of the SmartDesigns include placeholders for graphics such as a ...

Page 28: ...k the Photos Clipart icon on the Design Bar located on the left of the window Doing so displays a menu 2 Choose Browse for Logos Clipart from the menu A dialog box is displayed where you can choose from a selection of ready to use images or to other drives and directories 3 Click an image then click OK The image is placed on your label at which point you can change its size and position to fit wit...

Page 29: ...e Backgrounds icon on the Design Bar 2 ChooseBrowse SmartDesign Back grounds from the menu The following dialog box appears 3 Select a category in the left pane which displays the folders where backgrounds are stored Expand or collapse the tree structure as needed 4 Select a background image from the dialog box by clicking it then click OK To help sort through the many back grounds that come with ...

Page 30: ...Choose an image from the list and click OK The image appears as a background in your label Using a Background Color If you decide not to use a background image you can specify a background color You can even create interesting fill patterns shades and gradients blends To change the background color 1 If you are currently using a background image you must first clear it Click the Backgrounds icon o...

Page 31: ...gingtheLabelStock The Deluxe version of SureThing lets you change the label stock at any time Say for instance you ve created some label designs for Memorex CD labels but you later purchase a box of Avery CD labels You don t have to re create your designs to work with the Avery labels but rather change the stock SureThing adjusts your design to print properly on the new labels Tochangethelabelstoc...

Page 32: ...en click the Add button The Add Designs dialog box appears Enter 2 in the No of copies field and click OK You now have three copies of the same design You can then change the title and logo on duplicate labels 2 Sports and 3 Cartoons accordingly Click the and previous and next buttons to move from one label to the next If you are currently on the last label clicking the button asks you if you d li...

Page 33: ...lder button and give it a name 3 Type a name for your label in the File name box You don t have to type an extension because SureThing automatically gives all labels the extension std 4 Click Save The design is saved to your hard disk with the filename you typed and you can resume working with it After saving your design the first time you still need to save your work periodically Choose Save from...

Page 34: ...the designs on the page and sequences them as they print All you need to do is tell it how many copies to print and on which label to start Toprintalabeldesign 1 Put the correct paper in the paper tray of your printer Use plain paper if you are doing a test print use your label stock if you are printing final output 2 Choose Print from the File menu or click the Print button on the Command bar The...

Page 35: ...h records from the merged database will print The Merge button is available to select a range of records from the database you re merging Choose None to print the current design as you see it on the screen without merging Choose All to print all of the records in the database Choose Range and identify the beginning and ending records from the database you want to print Unless you have chosen None ...

Page 36: ...abels on the sheet You can optionally specify bleed settings the amount of space outside the bounds of the label into which SureThing will print and choose from a list of template SmartDesigns Selecting a SmartDesign from the list will initially set the height and width of the label size but you can change it This is useful if the label template you are creating is similar to one that already exis...

Page 37: ...o choose the label template you just created from the list of label types For more information about creating templates choose SureThing Tutorials from the Help menu and select Creating a CustomLabel Template Saving Existing Designs as Templates You can save your existing label designs as templates that can be used as the starting point for new labels Tosaveadesignasatemplate 1 Open or create the ...

Page 38: ...der where SureThing is installed If you accepted the default settings when you installed SureThing you would open the following folders to locate the templates To delete a template open the User Templates folder select the file you want to remove and delete it or move it out of the User Templates folder SureThing templates have the extension STT ...

Page 39: ... a playlist directly from a CD the playlist is added to the playlist manager building up a data base of playlist selections stored on your computer You can then use these saved playlists in the future even when you re not connected to the Internet In fact we refer to inserting your CD into your drive throughout this section But once you have an entry in the Playlist Manager you don t even need the...

Page 40: ... designs which match their purpose A Quick Walk Through We ve now given you a good overview of playlists and how they are used in Sure Thing But nothing really shows how easy it is like a quick exercise So follow these steps and create your first label using playlists 1 Select New from the File Menu or click the New button in the Command Bar 2 Choose SureThing CD Labels 2 Up click Next 3 Choose a ...

Page 41: ...pilation will be created and then select each song to be added to your new playlist You can then save the compilation playlist in the playlist database for future use You will find step by step instructions for this below For Advanced Users For those of you who want to know how everything works read on For others the following might be interesting reading but not essential The important thing to r...

Page 42: ...t You can easily switch between the two modes from the Playlist menu There are also a few instances where SureThing will automatically switch between the two modes For example when you want to insert a playlist field you must be in Playlist Field mode so SureThing switches to it In summary SmartDesigns take care of most if not all of the underlying details for playlist designs It helps however to ...

Page 43: ...s 3 When Audio CD information cannot be found on the CD you ll have the option of searching for it online You must be connected to the Internet to do this If you see this message click OK In cases where you want SureThing to always check online especially if you re always connected to the Internet you can check the Don t prompt me checkbox 4 If CD information is found it is added to your design It...

Page 44: ...Manager 2 The Playlist Manager dialog box displays all the playlists already stored in your database To select the playlist you wish to apply click it in the list 3 Click OK Creating a Custom Playlist with the PlaylistDatabase Need a label for your CD of favorite songs SureThing lets you choose the songs from your existing playlist database to create a custom playlist Tocreateacustomplaylistwithth...

Page 45: ... from the active playlists in document it does not delete them from your database 5 Repeat step 4 to add additional songs 6 When you re finished click OK Tochangethetrackorderinyourplaylist 1 Click the Tracks tab 2 Do one of the following Click the Move Up button to move the highlighted track up once each time you click this button Click the Move Down button to move the highlighted track down once...

Page 46: ...list Manager lets you create edit and apply playlists to your designs You can open the Playlist Manager either from the top menu bar or from the Design bar The first thing you ll notice is that there are two primary lists Active Playlists in Document the top most list and Playlist DatabaseSelections Active Playlists in Document are playlists in use in the current document only They re not availabl...

Page 47: ...plies the selected playlist to the current design Close Closes the Playlist Manager dialog box without applying a playlist to the current design Displaying Playlist Fields or Data You can toggle between displaying playlist fields and the actual data contained in the fields aIf you have playlist data displayed and want to display playlist fields you will be asked to confirm this choice If you have ...

Page 48: ...48 CHAPTER 3 Working with the Software ...