 Help Contents

Overview

File Name Labels

Custom Labels

Saving Your Label Sheet

KDL INI File

File Commands


Overview

Ken's Disk Labeler for Windows (KDL) uses 8.5 by 11 inch label paper to print custom labels that are much like those that come with commercial software, and file name labels.

The main form contains up to 9 disk labels that can be edited, printed, and saved as one label sheet.

Ken's Disk Labeler is set up for Avery 5196 9-UP labels (each sheet contains 9 precut labels), but can easily be customized to use any label paper, including 1-UP labels (the whole sheet is one label).

KDL is especially useful with precut labels because you can feed a sheet through your printer multiple times and print a label at a new position each time.

Whenever you print 3 labels across (horizontially), there is some cropping.  Because each label is 2.75 inches, and there is only 8 inches of usable print area, 1/8 of one inch is cropped off the left and right margins.  This is usually a problem only when printing on 1-UP labels with the Print Border checkbox selected, because the left and right borders are not printed and it is hard to know where the left and right side of the labels should be cut with a scissors!

By changing the initialization file (KDL.INI), you can specify 1 to 9 labels, and where they are positioned on the sheet.

Ken's Disk Labeler for Windows assumes that your printer is set up portrait mode - short side up.


File Name Labels

File Name Labels are disk labels that contain information for the files on that disk.  This information includes file name and size, and the time and date it was last modified.

If there are more than 20 files on the disk, then only the name and size may be printed.  If there are more than 40 files on the disk, only the name is printed.

Ken's Disk Labeler can fit up to 80 file names one disk label.

The back of the label contains information about the number of files on the disk, and the total number of bytes.  It also prints the date of the oldest file using a bold font.  The name of that file is printed with the rest of the filenames and also is bold.  The newest file uses the same scheme using bold and italics.

File name labels are handy for getting GIF, ZIP and QWK files off your hard drive while still being easily accessable.


Custom Labels

Custom Labels are labels that you create.

Instead of 1 label printing many file names, you may want to print many labels for 1 application, for example, listing disk 1 of 4, 2 of 4 etc.

There are 5 areas (boxes) where you can optionally enter text:

1. The portion of the label that is positioned on the back of the disk.

You can use the A: and B: command buttons to get summary file information which can be edited, or you can just enter text in this area.

2. The portion of the label that is positioned on the edge of the disk.

If you are a registered user, this area makes it very easy to identify the disk you need when they are sitting in your disk holder.

3. Main Title.

The text in this box is centered, and is the first text to be printed on the front of the disk label.   The text entered in this area can be printed with a border, and may be highlighted with a gray background.

4. Other Title.

The text in this box is centered, and is printed after the Main Title..  It allows a different style to the Main Title.

5. Instruction Area.

This area is provided to provide an area separate from the titles where you may want to enter program setup instructions.The text in this box is left justified..

All of the areas (except the text on the edge) allow multiple lines and allow you to change the font (name, style and size).  Use the enter key to vertically align the text.

You can create attractive disk labels, quickly and easily by choosing complementing text styles.  For that extra polish, you may want to include graphics (borders, pictures, word art, graphs etc).  This can be done using bitmaps.


  File Commands

New

This command clears the current label sheet.

If there are any unsaved changes in the current sheet when you select the New command, Ken's Disk Labeler asks if you want to save the changes.  KDL then clears the sheet to the number of labels defined by your INI file and changes the Title bar to [Untitled].

Open

This command opens previously saved label sheet.

Save

This command saves changes made to the current sheet.  If the Title bar shows that the sheet is untitled, the Save As dialog box appears so you can give the file a name.

Save As

This command saves the current sheet.  The Save As dialog box appears so you can give the file a new or different name.

Load Bitmap

This command allows you to select a bitmaps that serves as the background for all the labels on the sheet.

Unload Bitmap

This command returns the label sheet to a text only label sheet.

Print

Prints the label sheet  for labels that have been populated.

Print Manager

This command allows you to change to Portrait mode, and select print quality.

Exit

This command closes Ken's Disk Labeler.  If current sheet has unsaved changes, KDL prompts you to exit any way or cancel the Exit command.


Label Sheets

The term label sheet refers to the collection of labels that you can edit, print and save.  You can print the same label sheet on a variety of different label papers.

Your label sheets are stored in files having an extension of KDL, for  example MYLAB.KDL.

You may want to save text that appears on many of your labels (e.g.:  DISK 1, DISK 2,...).

You may want to use labels with similar styles for backups of each of your Microsoft applications.

Your label sheets are saved with the text, font name, style and size that you select - but not with a bitmap.

You may want to design your label sheets to be used with multiple bitmaps.  If you use them on multiple machines, pick a font that resides on both machines.


Bitmaps

Bitmaps are used to print graphics (Borders, Word Art, Pictures etc) with your text.  If you use a bitmap, it will be used for all the labels on the sheet, but it won't be saved with your label sheet.

You can create your own bitmaps (BMP files) using Microsoft Paintbrush.  The easiest way to create your own bitmap is to open TEMPLATE.BMP that comes with Ken's Disk Labeler, and using the Save As command in the File menu of Paintbrush with a file name of your choice.

TEMPLATE.BMP has a horizontal line that corresponds to the bottom fold.  If you place graphics under the line, it will appear on the front of the label.

Ken's Disk Labeler comes with sample bitmaps.  If your windows setup uses large font display drivers, the bitmaps supplied will appear small.  One bitmap was supplied (LARGFONT.BMP) that was created using a large font display driver.  This bitmap should fit, if the others don't - and can be used as a template for recreating the samples.


KDL.INI

Use Notepad or any other editor to change Ken's Disk Labeler to work with label paper of your choice.  There are 9 labels (0 through 8) that can be turned on and off, and moved.

To disable the label in the upper left hand corner, set SHOW0=N.  To move it to the right 1 inch, add 1 to LEFT0.  To move it down an inch, add 1 to TOP0.

If you are using 1-UP label paper, you may want to disable the last column, and move the first 2 columns to the right.  You will then know where to cut.  Since each label is 2.75 inches wide (and tall), simple coordinates for LEFT are .25 and 3.

The label sheet that you use for one type of label paper can still be used after editing the INI file for use with another type of label paper.

Before you change KDL.INI for use with another brand of label paper, you may want to save it.