Description

Use the Label Printing page to configure the settings for system default, host-specific, patient, and tube/container type master and tube labels. The labels you create may have one part or multi-parts, but remember label sections cannot overlap or fall outside the width and height of the labels. You also use this page to create label formats for aliquot label groups.

For container labels, the system uses the tube/container type's label format settings, if they are available. If tube/container type label formats do not exist or are not active, the system uses host label format settings for labels produced for samples that have been routed to that host. If host label formats do not exist or are not active, the system uses the default label format set in the System Defaults administration page.

For master labels, the system uses the host label format settings for labels produced for samples that have been routed to that host. If host label formats do not exist or are not active, the system uses the system default label format set in the System Defaults administration page.
When necessary, the system will split lines of text on labels when the current line width is exceeded. When this happens, it will continue printing on as many new lines as needed by splitting the current line on one of the three conditions below. If necessary, it will carry over printing onto another label.

  1. If possible, the system splits the line on the last available space.
  2. If only one character of a word will be printed on the current line, then it skips to the next line and begins printing without splitting a word.
  3. If neither of the above are possible, then it splits the line mid-word when it reaches the maximum line-length.

Remember that in order to print labels, you must have a label printer attached to your system and have the necessary label printing application installed. Contact an Orchard System Administrator for help with setting up label printing.

Access

  • AdminCenter > System Setup > System Defaults > System Settings section > Label Printing button
  • AdminCenter > Order Choice Setup > Tube/Container Types > add or edit a tube/container type > Label Printing button
  • AdminCenter > System Setup > Hosts > add or edit a host > Lab-specific Settings section > Label Printing button
  • AdminCenter > System Setup > Testing Facilities > add or edit a testing facility > Settings section > Label Printing button
  • AdminCenter > Order Choice Setup > Aliquot Groups > add or edit an aliquot group > Aliquot Group Label Formats section > Add button


Technical Manual

Setting the Label Formats

Use the Label Format section to define the type and size of the label. 


Label Type

Select the label type (AP Case ID, Master, Tube/Container, Patient, Aliquot Group Spacer Label, or Client Services) from the Label Type drop-down list. Note that the Patient label type is not available if you are creating label printing settings for hosts.

Rotate Label 

Select either 0 Degrees or 180 Degrees from the drop-down field to print labels at either a standard or a 180 degree rotation.

Apply to EPL printers: Select the checkbox to have the rotation apply to EPL printer language. This setting is turned on by default. When turned off, label rotation will be 0 degrees when printing to a label printer using the respective language.

Apply to ZPL printers: Select the checkbox to have the rotation apply to ZPL printer language. This setting is turned on by default. When turned off, label rotation will be 0 degrees when printing to a label printer using the respective language.

Label Width

Enter a value in inches in the field to define the width of the label you are using with this label format.

Restore Default: Click to reset the width to the default value of two inches.

Label Height

Enter a value in inches in the field to define the height of the label you are using with this label format.

Restore Default: Click to reset the height to the default value of 1.25 inches.

Default bar code typeSelect an option from the drop-down field to set which bar code type the system should use by default on reports when this is the active format. Select either 128, 39 EXT, 128C, Data Matrix, or PDF417 from the list.
Date/Time FormatSelect an option from the drop-down list to configure the date/time format for label printing. Select either AM/PM, Military, or AM/PM (with space before) from the drop-down list.
View Ratio

Select an option from the drop-down list to set the scale at which the system displays your multi-part label settings in the Label Format Sections section. 

Replace Order Choice with Profile: Select the checkbox to have label format Sample Order Choice and Sample Order Choice Alternate ID replaced by the profile name and profile alternate ID, respectively, if the order choice was added to the order by way of a profile. On master labels, a profile name will only appear once.

Number of Master Labels to PrintIf you are defining system default labels, click the button to define the number of labels to print for every order using the Default Label Count page. See the Default Label Count topic. This button is not available if you are creating label printing settings for hosts.
Label AbbreviationsClick the button to display the Label Abbreviations pop-up where you can add label abbreviations by pressing Add. Enter the original word into the Original field and enter the abbreviation into the Translate To field. Click Save to add the abbreviation, or click Cancel to close the pop-up without making any changes.

Import

Click the button to import the label format. A save must be performed before the label format can be imported or exported.

Export

Click the button to export the label format. A save must be performed before the label format can be imported or exported.

CancelClick to return to the preceding page without saving any changes.
OKIf your modifications are complete, click OK to record all changes and return to the preceding page. Otherwise, complete the remaining sections, and then click OK. Note that the system has not yet fully saved your label settings.
SaveOnce you return to the preceding page, click Save to fully save the label settings. 

Setting the Label Format Sections

Use the Label Format Sections section to define the contents of the label. The system displays any existing label parts in the preview pane. To see a preview of the label, complete with data, use the test feature in the Label Format Test section; see "Testing the Label Format" section below.

Add

Click to add a new part to the label. 

Edit

To edit an existing label section, click Edit or click anywhere in that section in the preview pane. This opens the Label Section Edit pop-up.

Label Section Edit Pop-up

  • Codes for Label Format: Use the values in this field to define the contents of the master and tube labels. Type your selections in the Label Format field or double-click the codes in the list to add them to the field, keeping these formatting tips in mind:
    • The system replaces the tags (~xxx) with corresponding values for each label as it is printed. Use as many tags as you want, but keep the label size in mind.
    • End each line with a carriage return to have the label print correctly.
    • Add additional text in the Label Format field to label the values. For example, if you type: Rm#:~rmn, the system will print: Rm#:222.
    • The available codes depend on what you selected as the Label Type.
  • Print STAT Alert, Print ASAP Alert, and Print Routine Alert: Select any alerts that you want the system to print on labels when an order choice on the order has a priority that matches the selected alert level (STAT, ASAP, or Routine). The alert displays as a black box that contains the name of the alert in white. The system will truncate the priority name if it is too large to fit on the label. If this is the case, you may wish to adjust the font sizes and bar code widths for the label (see below).
    • On tube labels, the system prints the alert when an order choice on the order has a priority that matches the selected alert level (STAT, ASAP, or Routine).
    • On non-tube labels, the system prints the alert for the highest alert level for the order choices on the order. For example, if there are both STAT and ASAP alerts, the system prints the STAT alert.
    • These settings are not available when you define patient labels (available when you access the Label Printing page from the System Defaults administration page).
  • Show User Defined Field Labels: Select the checkbox to have the system only show user-defined field labels when printing labels.
  • Show Additional Information Field Labels: Select the checkbox to have the system to show additional information on the labels when printing labels.
  • Show Clinical Info Questions: Select the checkbox to have the system only show clinical info questions on the labels when printing labels.
  • Show Clinical Info Order Choice Abbreviations: Select the checkbox to have the system only show clinical info abbreviations for order shows on the labels when printing labels.
  • Show Clinical Info Additional Text: Select the checkbox to have the system only show clinical info with additional text on the labels when printing labels.
  • Delimit Order Choices With Line Breaks: Select the checkbox to have the system insert line breaks between order choices instead of separating them with commas.
  • If no Collection Date/Time is found, the following dates should be used instead: Select the checkbox to choose alternative dates to print on the label if no collection date is present. The checkbox is selected by default. Choose from the following alternative dates:
    • Proposed Collection Date/Time: Selected by default, this checkbox tells the system to print the proposed collection date on the label if no collection date is present.
    • Order Date/Time: Selected by default, this checkbox tells the system to print the order date on the label if no collection date is present.
  • Font: Select the font size for the label. Note that smaller font sizes allow more text on the label. Select Small, Normal, Large, or Custom from the drop-down list. When Custom is selected from the drop-down list, it displays two new sections: Custom Font Settings and Labeler Font Settings. Use these sections to specify custom fonts.
    • Custom Font Settings: Enter a value in the Size field to specify the font size. Select an option from the Type drop-down list to specify the type of font used. Select an option Type A - I from the drop-down list.
    • Labeler Font Settings: Enter a value in the Size field to specify the font size. Select an option from the Type drop-down list to specify the type of font used. Select either Archivo Narrow, Arial, Courier, Courier New, Franklin Gothic Book, Gill Sans MT, Helvetica, Times, Times New Roman, or Verdana from the list. Select the checkboxes that apply to the custom Labeler font: the Bold, Underline, Italic, Invert, or All content capitalized checkboxes. Select an option from the Justification drop-down list to select how the text will be justified. Select either Left, Right, or Center from the drop-down list. Select the Truncated text symbol checkbox to include a truncated text symbol to the Labeler fonts. Select the Truncate text checkbox to have text be truncated on labels. This only applies to Labeler labels.
  • Bar code size: Select the size for the bar code according to the label type.
  • Bar code type: Select the type of bar code. If you are using the host administration settings to display the bar code on the manifest and/or requisition, then you should set the bar code type to 128 or 39 EXT for tube labels. The system applies this setting at either the host or system levels, based on the way you access this page (either through the Hosts administration page or the System Defaults administration page).
  • Narrow bar width: Enter a whole number between one and ten to specify the width in DPI (Dots Per Inch) of the small bars in bar codes. Click Restore Default to set the value back to the default value of two. Adjusting this value can help you fit bar codes on your labels.
  • Wide bar width: Enter a whole number between two and thirty to specify the width in DPI of the large bars in bar codes. Click Restore Default to set the value back to the default value of five. Adjusting this value can help you fit bar codes on your labels.
  • Bar code width: Enter a value into the field to specify the width of the bar code. Note that this is only applicable to the Labeler feature. The default value is 400.
  • Bar code to label resolution: Enter a value into the field to specify the bar code-to-label resolution. The default value is 203.
  • Variable bar code width: Select this option to set a variable bar code width in the system. This is only applicable to the Labeler.
  • Limit bar code characters: Select this option to allow setting a maximum character length value to all bar codes within that section. If the number of characters to be displayed as a bar code exceeds this set number, then the value will be truncated down before the bar code is printed.
  • Rotate: Select an option from the drop-down list in order to rotate individual sections of a label to either 90, 180, or 270 degrees clockwise, or select No rotation to not rotate it. Note that this is only applicable to the Labeler feature.
  • Width: Enter a whole number to set the width of the current label section in DPI. If this width is set very small, the system only prints the bar code, and not any text.
  • Height: Enter a whole number to set the height of the current label section in DPI.
  • Enforce: Select this option to keep the system from printing the contents of this section of the label outside of the defined space (height) when the contents exceed the defined space. Clear this option to allow the system to print the contents outside of the defined space when needed.
  • X: Enter a whole number in DPI for where the system should place the label section on the X axis (horizontal).
  • Y: Enter a whole number in DPI for where the system should place the label section on the Y axis (vertical).
  • Label Format: Enter text into the field to specify the label format.
  • Cancel: Click to return to the Label Printing page without saving any changes.
  • Delete: If you are editing an existing section, you may click Delete to remove the label section from the label format.
  • OK: Click to record your changes and return to the Label Printing page.
Refresh

Click to update the height and width of the preview pane with any changes you have made.

OK

If your modifications are complete, click OK to record all changes and return to the preceding page. Otherwise, complete the remaining sections, and then click OK. Note that the system has not yet fully saved your label settings. 

SaveOnce you return to the preceding page, click Save to fully save the label settings. 

Setting the File Drop Label Format

Use the File Drop Label Format section to set up labels that will be printed to device engine label printers that have a raw-data printer selected. When set up, the exact text in the File Drop Label Format section will be sent to the device engine label printer, including specified untranslated field codes. 

Codes for File Drop Label Format 

Select a code from this section by double-clicking it. The code will appear in the File Drop Label Format section.

If you select a File Drop Label Printer and the item you are printing has no File Drop format string defined, the system will alert you that no labels will print. 

File Drop Label Format The code you selected in the Codes for File Drop Label Format section will appear in this section. 

Testing the Label Format

Use the Label Format Test section to preview the label with real data. 


OrderEnter one or more characters in the search-as-you-type field to search for and select an order. 
Label Printer

Select an option from the drop-down list.

Local Workstation Labeler: Select the option to preview labels that are generated by the labeler on the Label Format setup page.

Preview: A preview will be generated when this button is clicked and the Local Workstation Labeler is selected in the Label Printer drop-down list. See the Label Printer Search topic. 

Test: Click to print a test label for the selected order on the selected label printer. 

Network Label Printer

Enter one or more characters in the search-as-you-type field to search for and select a label printer on a network.

Test: Once a label printer has been selected, click Test to print a test label for the selected printer. 

OK If your modifications are complete, click OK to record all changes and return to the preceding page. Otherwise, complete the remaining sections, and then click OK. Note that the system has not yet fully saved your label settings. 
SaveOnce you return to the preceding page, click Save to fully save the label settings.