Previewing Label Files

You can preview your label files directly in the Documents without opening your labels in the desktop Designer.

To see your label preview:

Right-click your label file and click Preview in the context menu.

	Note
	You can't preview solutions (.nsln files).

The preview opens in an embedded window.

1. By clicking this icon you can edit, print, or download your label file.

2. You can browse for the sample text file containing variable data (name:value pairs).

3. Label preview zoom options with a full-screen button.

	Note
	If you enter the Initial value data in your label variable properties, Variables values fields shows Initial value content.

	Note
	When you select a double-sided label, the preview shows only the front side. To see both sides, right-click the label file, then click Print from the context menu. The Preview and Print window opens with a print preview of both sides of your label.

Control Center can also preview images and PDF files. Right-click the file, and click Preview. You can preview files with extensions .bmp, .png, .jpeg, .gif, .tif, .wmf, .emf, and .pdf.

If you work with file revisions, you can preview files of any revision from the Revision history for the selected file.

	Note
	When opening your label preview, you can enter the values for variables and see how they appear when printed. You can also use database values.

	Note
	Control Center generates label previews using the installed printer on your Control Center. If the printer does not exist, Control Center uses a virtual printer instead.

Applying Values From Data Files to Variables

You usually design your label templates with variables that don't have any default value defined. This ensures that no hard-coded values would be used during printing. On the other hand, it makes the label preview and comparison more difficult because you have to provide the values for variables before Control Center generates the label preview. When generating the label preview, you can enter values manually.

You can also provide Control Center with the external data file (a list of variables and their values). Control Center applies the data file for the generating label previews. The data file must provide the name:value pairs. If the variable of the same name is not defined in the label, the name:value pair is discarded.

	Note
	You can let Control Center find the data file based on the rules defined below, or you can click the folder icon next to the label name/preview and override the defaults with your data file.

Data file structure

You can create your variable data file in XML or delimited structure.

XML structure

You provide your variables within <Variables /> root element in your XML file. Provided variable names with attribute names and variable values with the element value.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>    <Variables>    <variable name="customer">Pizzeria Manhattan</variable>    <variable name="country">Belgium</variable>    <variable name="Lot_nr">478887566</variable></Variables>

Delimited structure

Create every name:value pair in a newline. Variable name is to the left of the equals character (=), variable value is to the right.

customer=Pizzeria Manhattan
country=Belgium
Lot_nr=478887566

Data file naming convention

The name of the data file can be the same as the name of the label, but using the extension .values. This private data file allows you to provide different data file for each label.

If you have a label named label.nlbl, name your data file label.values.

The other option is to use the same generic data file for all labels. In this case, name the data file default.values. The name:value pairs within will be used for all labels.

	Note
	If both files exist in the same folder, the file `label.values` will take precedence over the file `default.values`.

Data file location

You can store your data file in any location in the Documents storage.

Example 1. Example

You stored your label pasta.nlbl in the folder /food labels. The path to your label is /food labels/pasta.nlbl.

Control Center searches for your data file in the following order.

The private data file in same folder as the label file.

Example 2. Example

/food labels/pasta.values
The private data file in the subfolder SampleValues.

Example 3. Example

/food labelsfolder1/SampleValues/pasta.values
The generic data file in the same folder as the label file.

Example 4. Example

/food labels/default.values
The generic data file in the subfolder SampleValues.

Example 5. Example

/food labels/SampleValues/default.values

When Control Center finds first available .values file, the search stops and the contents of the data file is used for the label preview.

	Note
	Using the `SampleValues` subfolder is useful when you have a workflow process defined in the label folder, but you do not want the same workflow to govern your data files. In this case, you can store the new version of the data file without going through all workflow steps.