Printing Item Tags

Printing FairPlus! Item Tags
Revised 6/29/2005

Background

FairPlus can handle Item Tag printing in a couple of different ways:

You can print item tags as items are entered into FairPlus!
- This works well for items entered "on the spot" at the fairgrounds, either as the occasional late exhibit or if your county enters exhibits as they arrive at the fairgrounds
- This would also work for situations where item tags are distributed "by member". Assuming all of a member's fair items are entered from their registration sheet at one time, then all their necessary item tags would be printed at that point. Tags to be distributed "by member" can also be printed later, as a batch printing.

You can wait until all items have been entered into FairPlus!, then print all the item tags at one time

This is the approach most counties are familiar with and have used with the old Fair program.

You can use a combination of the above methods

This would involve entering all submitted fair registrations into FairPlus!, printing the tags for those items. Then, at the fairgrounds, printing tags only for those "late" items entered on fair day.

NOTE:

To use any of the above approaches, you first need to select your tag "style". FairPlus offers two choices, and these can be viewed and selected by clicking on [Goto] [Exhibitors / Items] [Item Tags] [Tag Style]. Most Minnesota Counties select Tag Style Two.

NOTE:

Because there are specific Classes that do not need item tags, FairPlus! allows you to specify Classes for which you never want a tag printed. These Classes are considered "No Tag" Classes and are designated by the user at [Goto] [Exhibitors / Items] [No Tag Classes]

The first place to have specific input on the Tag Printing Process is on the Exhibitors Screen: [Goto] [Exhibitors / Items] [Exhibitors].

Near the top there is a button that is labeled [Tag Printing...]. If this button is set to [On], then Item Tags will be generated as items are entered into FairPlus! If it is set to [Off], then tags will be accumulated for later printing.

To set the "default" for this button, click on [Goto] [Utilities] [Parameters], then locate and change the Parameter titled [Tag Printing Options].

Printing Tags as Items are Entered

Once you have determined which classes should NOT have tags printed for them, and have set your Tag Printing Button to [On], simply start entering items.

As you enter items, you will notice that the small rectangle in the lower-right part of the screen, labeled [Tag Printing Status] will change. The rectangle represents one sheet of paper, with four "blocks", each representing one item tag.

As an item is entered, it's item tag is generated, which is represented by the shaded block(s). When all four block are shaded, the printer will print the entire sheet.

If needing to print a sheet that is not full, click on [Eject Sheet]

If at any point, one tag is needed, select the item and click on [Print Item Tag]

Print Tags all at One Time

If [Tag Printing] is set to [Off], item tags will accumulate for all entered items, except for those items in class/lots that are specified as [No Tag Class/lots].

To print those accumulated tags, get to the following screen by clicking on:

[Goto] [Exhibitors / Items] [Item Tags] [Tag Printing]
Click on [Batch Printing..] to see all the options, as explained below:

Item Tag Printing - County

Option	Effect
Delay Printing	Item tags will NOT be printed as items are entered into FairPlus!
Print Tags as Entered	Items tags will be printed as items are entered into FairPlus!

County Item Tag Options

Option	Effect
Print Item Tag Bar Code	Item tag style ONE offers the ability to include a bar code that can be read by hand-held scanners. IF you are using tag style two, this check box has no effect
Print Graphic (Ex. Clover)	Item tag style TWO includes the 4-H Clover. In some cases, printers may have difficulty printing Item Tags. If that is the case, un-checking this box will reduce the complexity of the print job and might make it possible to print under difficult circumstances.
One, two or three or four copies	If desired, you can print multiple copies of each item tag

Select Tag Print Order

Option

Effect

Item Number,
Class Code,
Exhibitor Name,
or Club

When printing a batch of item tags that have accumulated, you can choose which order you want the tags to be printed in. For example, if you want all the item tags for one member to print out together, you would choose [Exhibitor Name]. If you wanted all the item tags for each club to print out together, you would choose [Club].

These options do not affect which tags are printed, only the order that they will print out.

County Item Tag Batch Printing

Option	Effect
Unprinted Tags	FairPlus! will keep track of which items have had a tag printed for it. Therefore, this option would be good for situations where you've entered a bunch of items and batch printed" the tags for those items. Then, you get another pile of fair Registration Forms in, and you enter those items. If you want to batch print, you could use this option to print a batch of tags, but only get tags for those items for which a tag hasn't been printed yet.
Printed and Unprinted tags	This option would allow you to re-print a tag that has already been printed - for example if a tag was lost, or a duplicate was desired.

Look For Tags By...

Option	Effect
Entire Fair	Use this option to print all the tags for your fair, upon the completion of entering the items. (Please note that classes in the "No Tag" list will not be printed with this option - nor will they print with any option). FairPlus! will keep track of which items have had a tag printed for it. For example, you've entered a bunch of items and "batch printed" the tags for those items. Then, you enter another pile of fair Registration Forms, and you want tags for just those newly entered items (that haven't yet had a tag printed for them).
Department Divisision Class	Allows you to print all the item tags for selected classes. By choosing the various options, you can determine at what level you want to do your selecting. Clicking on any of the three options will result in a list box being displayed - in which you can make your desired selections.
Club	Allows you to print tags for a specific club
Range of Tags- by Item Number	Clicking on this option displays a text box, along with an example of how to enter the information that allows you to specify a range of item numbers to print tags for.
Individual Item Tag	Clicking on this option displays a list box that will list all the items in your fair. In order to actually list the items, you must first click on the [Number] or [Name] button at the top of the list box. Once the items are displayed, clicking on an individual item will send one tag to the printer - as evidenced by the representation of a sheet of tags in the upper left corner of the screen. You may click on as many items as you wish, in rapid succession if desired.

NOTE:

The tag printing status indicator (left) tells you how many tags are waiting to be printed. A sheet of tags will not be printed until there is a full sheet ready.

The shading indicates that a tag is completed. In the example at left, there is one tag ready. Once four tags are ready, the entire sheet will be shaded and sent to the printer.

If a sheet is only partially filled, you can force it to be printed by clicking on the [Eject Sheet] button.

NOTE:

If you are printing a large number of tags at one time (more than 40), FairPlus! will display a warning message that a Scheduled Processing Delay is in effect. Because each sheet of tags is a separate print job, it would quickly overwhelm the printer if a large number of tags were sent at once.

When you get the warning message about the scheduled delay, wait until the printer has caught up to the print jobs in the queue, and then proceed by clicking on [OK].

Other Tag Printing Options

Mixed Printing Options - It is quite possible to print item tags for all items entered prior to the fair. Then, when you get to the fair, you can set up FairPlus! and as "late" items are entered, you can print item tags for them on the spot.

Blank Tags - If desired, you can print a sheet of blank item tags for use as hand-written item tags.

[Goto] [Exhibitors / Items] [Item Tags] [Print Form (Sheet)]