Word Processor

You can format the content of a word processor text object by using the BarTender Word Processor, which is an easy-to-use interface that you can use to modify the content of the text object.

To access the Word Processor, double-click a word processor text object, or click Properties on the context menu to open the Word Processor Text Properties dialog. Then, on the Word Processor property page, click Word Processor.

The Word Processor organizes all of its available commands in a ribbon, which is designed to make all formatting options quickly accessible. Similar commands are organized into groups and contained in the tabs that make up the ribbon. Based on your personal preference, you can choose to minimize the ribbon so that you see the tabs only while you work inside the Word Processor.

Available Ribbon Tabs

Tab

Description

Home

Contains the most frequently used commands. This includes the Clipboard, font selection, and paragraph formatting.

Insert

Contains commands to insert symbols, pictures, or data sources into the object.

Merge Fields

Contains commands to link existing data sources in the object.

Table

Contains commands to insert and edit tables in the object.

Layout

Contains commands that affect the layout of the object.

View

Contains commands to zoom in and out of the object display.

In addition to formatting the text by using the Word Processor, you can modify the contents of the text object. To do this, click inside the text until a blinking cursor appears. You can then add or delete the text that you want. To remove all text from the object, click the icon, and then click Clear.

Exporting and Importing Documents

You can export the text in the Word Processor and save it as a file. When you do this, you can import the formatting of an existing object into another object on the template or into another document.

ClosedTo export the contents of the Word Processor

  1. Double-click the text object that you want. Alternatively, click Properties on the object's context menu. The Text Properties dialog opens.

  2. In the list of available properties pages, click Word Processor to display the Word Processor property page.

  3. Click Word Processor, click the icon, and then click Export.

  4. Enter a file name, and then click Save to export the object as a document.

If you need to use data and formatting from an existing document, you can import that document into an existing text object by using the Word Processor. BarTender uses the information in the existing document and converts it to Rich Text Format (RTF). If the source document has advanced formatting that is not supported by RTF, these advanced features are not retained in the Rich Text object.

ClosedTo import an existing document into a Rich Text object

  1. Add a new word processor text object to the template.

  2. Double-click the text object. Alternatively, click Properties on the object's context menu. The Text Properties dialog opens.

  3. In the list of available properties pages, click Word Processor to display the Word Processor property page.

  4. Click Word Processor, click the icon, and then click Import.

  5. Browse to the document that you want, and then click Open to import the contents into the BarTender Word Processor.

You can import the following file types into the BarTender Word Processor: Microsoft Word 97-2003 (*.doc), Microsoft Word 2007-2016 (*.docx), OpenDocument Text (*.odt), Plain Text (*.txt), Rich Text Format (*.rtf), and Web Page (*.htm, *.html).

Merging Data by Using the Word Processor

You can use BarTender to insert data from an external source into an object on a template. If you have multiple items to print and the data changes from item to item, you can connect to a database that contains the text or image path and then use the data in an object. Many objects in BarTender accept database input, including barcodes, text objects, pictures, and Rich Text objects. For more information about how to connect to a database, refer to Reading Data from Databases.

In some cases, you might need to use multiple data sources in a single object to obtain the expected output on your printed items. For example, suppose you have a data string, such as your company's name, that is to appear exactly the same on every item to be printed. Rather than repeat the company name on each record in the database, you can specify the company name one time as an embedded data source. Most objects can use multiple data source types in the same object by using multiple data sources.

The exception to this is the text object that was created by using the Word Processor. You can use Merge Fields to easily combine embedded data with data from an external data source without complicating the design process with multiple data sources.

Merge Fields

After you open the Word Processor, click the Merge Fields tab to insert data from a database or to view existing fields in your object.

The first group in the Merge Fields ribbon is the Insert group. As the name suggests, you can use the items in this group to insert a database field or named data source into the Rich Text object. To do this, click Database Field or Named Data Source, and then click the option that you want in the list. The item then appears at the text cursor in the editor.

The second group in the Merge Fields ribbon, View, defines how the database field looks in the editor. The following options are available:

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