Printing Labels from FairPlus! data

Printing Labels from FairPlus! data

When a mailing to all exhibitors who are registered for a specific class/lot is needed, FairPlus! can generate the data needed to print mailing labels for those exhibitors.

This would be helpful, for example, if a letter needs to be sent to all 4-H members who signed up for Lamb Lead.

The process involves two main steps

Creating the data file in FairPlus! via the Data Export function
Printing the labels in MS-Word via a Mail Merge process

Creating the data file in FairPlus!

After fair registrations have been entered, and labels are desired for all registered exhibitors in a specific class/lot, proceed as follows:

Click on [Goto] [Utilities / Password Entry] [Data Export]

This will bring up the data export screen. On the left side of the screen there is a box that lists all the known class/lots in your fair. From this listing, select ALL the class/lots that contain the exhibitors you want to print labels for. For example, if you want to print labels for all Lamb Lead participants, you would select all the Lamb Lead class/lots.

To select the class/lots you want labels for:

Click on the first class/lot you want
Hold down the [ctrl] or the [shift] key (on your keyboard)
Click on additional class/lots until all the desired class/lots are selected (highlighted in blue)

NOTE:

Using the ctrl key will allow you to click on any class/lot, and then, when you hold down the ctrl key, you can then click on any other class/lot(s) you want, however, only one class/lot at a time will be selected.

Using the shift key will allow you to click on any class/lot, and then when you hold down the shift key, you can click on another class/lot and every class/lot in-between those two clicks will be selected.

Alternatives include clicking and dragging over a bunch class/lots (holding the mouse button down) OR using a shift-click process, and then letting go of the shift key and holding down the ctrl key and clicking to make further individual selections.

Once you have selected the class/lots you want to print labels for, it's time to tell FairPlus! which data fields you want to include:

Click on the following check boxes in the center "column" on the screen.
- Exhibitor Name
- Exhibitor Address
- Exhibitor City

On the right hand side of the screen, click on the radio buttons for [Exhibitors Unique] and [Custom]
Clicking on [Custom] will prompt you to enter a file name - use a name for the file that makes sense to you
Press the [Tab] key on your keyboard
Click on [Create C:\CKV\dataxfer\.....] button - (The drive letter will correspond to your network drive letter if you run FairPlus! from a file server)
You should now find a small [Export File Status...] box (not a separate window) in the lower right hand corner of the screen indicating that the export file has been successfully created
Click on [Return]
Exit FairPlus!

You now have a data file containing all the data you need to create labels in MS-Word.

Printing the labels in MS-Word via a Mail Merge process

Start MS-Word, or if already open, click on the icon for [New Document]

Click on [Tools] [Mail Merge...] [Create] [Mailing Labels] [Active Window]
Click on [Get Data] [Open Data Source]
Near the bottom of the dialogue box that appears, click on [Files of type:] and change to [Text Files (*.txt)]
Navigate to the CKV\Dataxfer folder and locate the data file created by FairPlus! (and named by you)
Select the file and click [Open]

NOTE:

Depending upon how your MS-Word is setup, there may be options presented when you open the text data file. Generally, you are best to accept the default choice(s).

Word will now do some "behind the scenes" computing, and then prompt you to [Set Up Main Document].
Click on [Set Up Main Document], which will take you to the [Label Options]
Choose your label type (many offices use Avery 5160, or equivelant)
Click [OK], which will then bring up a [Create Labels] box
Click on [Insert Merge Field] [Exb_First_Name]
Hit the [Space] bar on your keyboard
Click on [Insert Merge Field] [Exb_Last_Name]
Hit the [Enter] key on your keyboard
Click on [Insert Merge Field] [Exb_Add]
Hit the [Enter] key on your keyboard
Click on [Insert Merge Field] [Exb_City]
Click [OK]

This will bring you back to the Mail Merge Helper

Click on [Merge]
Make sure the [Merge to] box indicates that you are merging to a [New document] - if not, click on the drop-down-arrow and select [New Document]
Click on [Merge]

Word will now be busy for a while as it creates the labels on a whole new document (the other main "merge" document still exists)

You can now scroll through the labels if you wish - checking for errors, formatting, combining family members, etc. before printing. If you so choose, you can save the the labels for printing at a later time.