|
|
Badges Designing |
EntraPass contains a badge layout editor which enables users to create, save, edit or delete badge templates that are later selected and associated with cards for badge printing. You can create and edit badge templates, add coloured or graphic backgrounds, logos, text, bar codes, and place photo or signature holders.
Creating a Badge Template
1 - From the Users menu, select the Badge button. The Badge window appears.
NOTE: The printer configuration description must be first entered from the System Parameters/Credentials menu (see Badge Printer for more information).
NOTE: The Badge window contains all the tools available in other EntraPass windows: new, save, copy, delete, print, links, search (the Hierarchy button is disabled). However, it contains an additional 1-2 button which allows to modify the number of sides assigned to a badge layout.
2 - Click the New button in the toolbar. The Badge properties window appears.
To Specify Properties for a Badge Layout
1 - In the Badge properties window, indicate the number of sides for the badge, then select the desired size for the badge layout, then click OK .
2 - Indicate the number of sides for the badge, then select the desired size for the badge layout, then click OK .
NOTE: Measures are expressed either in inches or millimeters (a hundredth of an inch or a tenth of a millimeter). To change the unit of measure, check the appropriate radio button in the Units section.
3 - Enter the name for the badge template in the language fields. You can enter up to 40 characters.
4 - You may check Set as default card layout if you want this new design to be automatically used for all new badges.
NOTE: Only one default layout is available. When you select one layout and check the option Select as default card layout , the current default layout is replaced.
5 - Click the Save button to save the badge template.
To Edit a Badge Layout
The Badge design utility allows users to edit the badge layout, to add background colour or graphics, to modify the font, etc.
NOTE: Once a card layout is created, you cannot modify its size; you have to create a new layout. However, you can modify the number of sides by clicking on the Sides button in the Badge window toolbar.
To Modify the Number of Card Sides
1 - From the badge window, select the badge you want to edit.
2 - From the Badge window toolbar, click the 1-2 button.
3 - Click the Save button to save the new badge information.
To Modify the Background colour
1 - From the Badge window, select the badge you want to modify.
2 - Click the Click here to modify the card layout button (located in the lower part of the window) to open the Badge design window.
NOTE: When you move the cursor over the Badge design objects, a hint explaining each object appears.
3 - To modify the template background colour, right-click anywhere in the work area. The Properties shortcut menu appears.
4 - Select Properties . The Background properties window appears.
5 - Select the appropriate options for the template:
• No background (default setting)
• Use colour as background: this option will allow you to apply a background colour to all the designs.
• Use image as background . This option allows you to incorporate an image that will be displayed as a watermark in all the badges.
• Orientation : allows you to select a landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical) display.
To Add Objects to a Badge Layout
By a simple click and drop feature, the Badging utility permits you to incorporate objects into the badge template:
• Card fields information
• Bar codes
• Text boxes
• Current date
• Previously saved images and logos (BMP, JPG, GIF, etc.)
• Border
• Rectangle (including rounded rectangle and ellipse.)
• Line, pointer
NOTE: Objects are incorporated with their default settings. To modify an object’s properties, right-click the object, then select appropriate settings from the shortcut menu.
To Incorporate Card Information Fields
1 - To add card information fields to the badge template, click the Card fields button. The Card fields submenu appears.
2 - To modify an object property before you drop it, go to Options in the Badge design window, then choose Show properties on drop . If you do this, the Properties window will open every time you drop an item in the template work area.
NOTE: To enable last and first name selection in the Card fields menu of the Badge design window, go to the Options menu , then choose System parameters, select the User name format tab, check Parse user name checkbox, then select the name (first or last name) that will be used for sorting cardholders names. For more information see User Name Format .
3 - From the shortcut menu, select the card information field you want to add to the template layout, then click in the template work area to incorporate that field you have selected.
NOTE: When you add a photo to a badge design template, the photo that appears is only a placeholder. It indicates where the card holder’s photo will be displayed. When a badge is assigned to a card, the appropriate card holder’s photo is displayed.
To Align Objects in the Template Layout
Grids assist you in aligning items in the badge layout template. It can be used as a visual aid to place items on grid lines.
Three options are available to help you align your objects in the badge template:
○ Show grid lines : displays grid points to aid with object alignment.
○ Align to grid : must be activated before you start building your template. As you “click and drop” design objects in the template work area, they will be “snapped” to the nearest grid mark.
○ Grid settings : allows you to specify the horizontal (Height) and vertical (Width) grid spacing (in pixels).
NOTE: To disable the grid deselect Show grid line in the Align menu.
To Modify Card Fields Properties
Objects are incorporated in the template with their default settings (font, colour, etc.). You can modify the settings later. For example, you can modify the appearance of any text object, such as card field, static text, date, etc.
1 - From the Badge design template, right-click the object you have inserted (in this example, Card information fields).
2 - From the shortcut menu, select Card fields properties .
NOTE: The Properties menu item depends on the selected item. For example, it will change to Image properties or Current date properties, depending on the selected object.
3 - From the Card fields properties window, you can modify all the text properties:
• Font (name, colour, style (bold, italic, underline)),
• Background (transparent or solid with a colour),
• Justification (horizontal, vertical),
• Orientation,
• Parameters (word wrap, for example).
NOTE: The Set as default checkbox allows you to apply all the characteristic to all text objects that will be incorporated in the template.
NOTE: When Text Orientation is set to “Other” it is not possible to re-size the field.
To Modify Picture Properties
This applies to any picture object such as photos, logos, and signatures.
1 - From the Badge design work area, right-click the image (picture, logo) or signature that you want to modify.
2 - From the shortcut menu, select Images properties .
3 - You may select another image from file or modify the image properties:
• Stretch ratio : select this option if you want the image to be centered in the image holder space, while keeping the proportion of the original image.
• Transparent mode : if you choose this option, there is no background colour,
• Draw frame : select this option if you want a frame around the picture object,
• Frame colour (enabled when a Frame option is selected): select this option if you want to apply a specific colour to the image frame. The Frame colour drop-down list enables you to select a custom colour from the frame.
4 - You may check the Set as default option if you want these properties to apply to all image objects you add in the badge template.
To Add Static Text Objects
To add text objects to a badge, first click and drop a text box, then enter the text in the Text properties window. It is also in the Text properties window that you modify the text appearance.
1 - From the Badge design tool bar, click the text button. To re-size the text box, select it and use the two-headed arrow to drag the sizing handles to the desired position. This also allows you to change the height and width of the text box.
2 - To align the text box, see To Align Objects in the Template Layout.
3 - To add text to the text box, right-click the text box, then select Static text properties from the shortcut menu.
4 - Enter text in the Enter text field; then modify the text properties as desired. The Preview section shows the result of the changes you apply to the text.
To Add Bar Codes
The Badging feature allows users to add bar codes to badges. By default, the bar code value is the card number, if no other value is specified.
1 - From the Badge design window, click the Bar code button, then click in the Badge design work area.
2 - To align the bar code, see To Align Objects in the Template Layout.
To Set Up Bar code Properties
1 - From the Badge design window, right click the bar code to open the Bar code Properties window.
2 - From the Properties window, you can define settings for the bar code that you want to incorporate in the Badge design.
NOTE: If it is necessary to set Bar code encoding option to Code 39-Modulo 43, set Field Checksum to true.
To Add the Current Date
You add the current date just as you add any other design item by selecting the item in the tool bar, then by clicking in the Badge design work area.
1 - From the Badge Design template, select the Current date button, then click in the Badge design work area.
2 - Right-click the current date to display the shortcut menu.
3 - To align the current date, see To Align Objects in the Template Layout.
4 - Select Current date properties from the shortcut menu.
5 - From the Current date properties window, you can:
• Select the date format (top of the window)
• Change the text properties: font, colour, justification, orientation etc.
To Add an Image
Background images can be imported from any directory. Scanned images, photos taken with a digital camera and artwork created in any illustration design program can be incorporated into the badge design.
1 - From the Badge design window, select the Picture button.
NOTE: The Badging feature supports most available image formats: BMP, JPG, EMF, WMF, GIF, PNG, PCD, and TIF.
2 - Drop the Picture button in the template work area. The Image properties window appears.
3 - Click the Select image from file button. The Open window appears, allowing you to select an image.
4 - Browse to the desired image, then click Open . The picture appears in the template area.
NOTE: When you import an image, you have to re-size it to its original size as illustrated on the following image.
5 - Using the sizing handles, adjust the image to the desired size, then move it to the right-hand position; you can use the grid to align it properly. For more information, see To Align Objects in the Template Layout.
6 - Right click the image to modify its properties. For details, see To Modify Picture Properties.
To Place Other Design Objects
The Badging feature lets you add borders, rectangles (regular, rounded, ellipse), lines and pointers, just as you add any other design object, by a click in the toolbar, then a drop in the design work area.
1 - From the Badge design window, select the object you want to add (next to the Diskette button), then click in the Badge design work area” The Border properties window opens.
2 - To modify the border properties, select the border colour, the border style, and the border width. You may check the Set as default option, then click OK to exit.
To Place a Rectangle
1 - From the Badge design window, select the rectangle tool (next to the Border tool), then click in the work area.
NOTE: This applies also to rectangles, rounded rectangles and ellipses.
2 - From the Rectangle properties window, you may define the rectangle properties before importing it:
• Line colour,
• Line style,
• Line width,
• Background (brush style and brush colour).
1 - From the Users menu, select Badge.
2 - Click the Print sample button. The system is prompting to select which user to use for the badge sample.
NOTE: If the badge is 2-sided, the word Sample will be printed on both sides.