Customizing print templates
See how you can change the print templates that come with FotoStation or create your own.
About the print layout templates
A print layout template allows for very flexible customization of the page layout when printing your pictures from FotoStation. You can freely change the number of labels (placeholders for image and text) on a page, the position of the image within the label, add up to 256 text fields in a label with field values, and control the font properties individually for each label. You can also add text outside the labels to give general information on the page that is printed.
Print templates are text files with the extension .plt which are stored in the FotoStation configuration. When you back up your configuration, or if you choose to centralize it on a server share for several users to download, the print templates are included in that configuration as well.
In the default configuration of FotoStation, where each user of the computer has a separate configuration tied to his Windows/Mac user profile, the print templates are found in these folders:
Windows:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\FotoWare\FotoStation\Configuration\Localized\[Language]\Print Templates
Mac OS:
~/Library/Preferences/FotoWare/FotoStation/Configuration/Localized/[Language]/Print Templates
Example template
A typical template could look like this:
[PAGE_LAYOUT] COLUMNS=2 ROWS=3 UNITISINCH=0 LEFT_MARGIN=0.5 TOP_MARGIN=1.5 COLUMN_SPACE=0.2 ROW_SPACE=0.2 TEXT_FIELDS=2 TEXT_FIELD1_CONTENT=Title: #FNA - #UNA TEXT_FIELD1_LEFT=0.0 TEXT_FIELD1_TOP=0.5 TEXT_FIELD1_RIGHT=19.0 TEXT_FIELD1_BOTTOM=1.5 TEXT_FIELD1_MULTILINE=0 TEXT_FIELD1_ALIGN=0 TEXT_FIELD1_FONT_NAME=tahoma TEXT_FIELD1_FONT_SIZE_ITALIC_BOLD=12,1,1 TEXT_FIELD2_CONTENT=Page #PCU of #PTO TEXT_FIELD2_LEFT=0.5 TEXT_FIELD2_TOP=28.5 TEXT_FIELD2_RIGHT=5.0 TEXT_FIELD2_BOTTOM=29.5 TEXT_FIELD2_MULTILINE=0 TEXT_FIELD2_ALIGN=-1 TEXT_FIELD2_FONT_NAME=ariel TEXT_FIELD2_FONT_SIZE_ITALIC_BOLD=8,0,0 [LABEL_LAYOUT] WIDTH=9.0 HEIGHT=8.0 FRAME_LABEL=1 SHOW_IMAGE=1 FRAME_IMAGE=0 IMAGE_USE_REAL_SIZE=0 IMAGE_AUTO_ROTATE=0 IMAGE_USE_CROP=0 IMAGE_LEFT=0.5 IMAGE_TOP=0.5 IMAGE_RIGHT=2.5 IMAGE_BOTTOM=2.5 IMAGE_RESOLUTION=40 TEXT_FIELDS=3 TEXT_FIELD1_CONTENT=Name: #005 TEXT_FIELD1_LEFT=3.0 TEXT_FIELD1_TOP=0.5 TEXT_FIELD1_RIGHT=8.8 TEXT_FIELD1_BOTTOM=1.0 TEXT_FIELD1_MULTILINE=0 TEXT_FIELD1_ALIGN=-1 TEXT_FIELD1_FONT_NAME=tahoma TEXT_FIELD1_FONT_SIZE_ITALIC_BOLD=12,1,1 TEXT_FIELD2_CONTENT=%%INSFILE Data: #PPL #NOL \\#COL TEXT_FIELD2_LEFT=3.0 TEXT_FIELD2_TOP=1.5 TEXT_FIELD2_RIGHT=8.8 TEXT_FIELD2_BOTTOM=3.0 TEXT_FIELD2_MULTILINE=1 TEXT_FIELD2_ALIGN=-1 TEXT_FIELD2_FONT_NAME=ariel TEXT_FIELD2_FONT_SIZE_ITALIC_BOLD=10.5,1,1
Syntax explanation
[PAGE_LAYOUT]
This section contains information on how the labels are laid out on the page. It does not contain any information about the layout inside the label area.
COLUMNS=2
ROWS=3
Number of labels in each direction: All values from 1 and up are allowed. A value of 1 for both columns and rows is used for a full page print.
UNITISINCH=0
Decides if position values are in cm (=0) or in inches (=1).
LEFT_MARGIN=0.5
TOP_MARGIN=0.5
Margin from upper left corner of paper. Since UNITISINCH is zero, this is in cm. Note that all printers normally have a printable area that is smaller than the actual paper size. A zero margin would very likely render some of the print outside the printable area.
COLUMN_SPACE=0.2
ROW_SPACE=0.2
Spacing between rows and columns of the labels.
TEXT_FIELDS=2
The number of text fields on the page, outside of the labels. You can define a maximum of 16 text fields. These fields can be used for setting a page title, include page numbers etc. For the syntax of text variables, see LABEL_LAYOUT below. Please refer to the field code reference that also contains other print template variables.
[LABEL_LAYOUT]
This section contains information on the layout inside the label area. This layout is duplicated for all labels on the page.
WIDTH=9.0
HEIGHT=8.0
Width and height of the label.
FRAME_LABEL=1
Draw a frame around the label area.
SHOW_IMAGE=1
Draw image in label.
FRAME_IMAGE=1
Draw a frame around the image.
IMAGE_USE_REAL_SIZE=1
Use the current print size of the image, or fit as large an image as possible in the image rectangle.
IMAGE_AUTO_ROTATE=1
Rotate image if necessary to fit inside the image rectangle or draw it as large as possible.
IMAGE_USE_CROP=1
Remove the currently cropped area (=1), or draw full image with area outside cropping dimmed (=0).
IMAGE_LEFT=0.5
IMAGE_TOP=0.5
IMAGE_RIGHT=2.5
IMAGE_BOTTOM=2.5
Image rectangle in absolute values counted from the edge of the label.
IMAGE_RESOLUTION=40
Image resolution. Pixel/cm or Pixel/inch depending on UNITISINCH parameter above.
TEXT_FIELDS=2
Number of text fields inside the label. The maximum limit is 256 text fields.
TEXT_FIELD1_CONTENT=Name: #005
A text style template to format the text in the text field. #xxx will insert the text from the image metadata field number xxx. In the example above, the Object name (field #005) is inserted, and assuming that Object name contains Clinton, the label will read: Name: Clinton. Please refer to theappendix for a complete reference of field codes.
There is also a number of image parameters that can be inserted into the text. They are listed in a sub-section in the appendix.
TEXT_FIELD1_LEFT=3.0
TEXT_FIELD1_TOP=0.5
TEXT_FIELD1_RIGHT=8.8
TEXT_FIELD1_BOTTOM=1.0
Bounding rectangle for this text field. Absolute values from edge of label.
TEXT_FIELD1_MULTILINE=1
Specifies whether the text should be split across multiple lines.
TEXT_FIELD1_ALIGN=-1
Text alignment inside text frame.
Possible values are: –1 for Left alignment, 0 for Center alignment and 1 for Right alignment.
TEXT_FIELD1_FONT_NAME=tahoma
Name of type font.
TEXT_FIELD1_FONT_SIZE_ITALIC_BOLD=12.5,1,1
Three values. First, the font size. In between sizes such as 12.5 are allowed. Second, Italic ON (1) or OFF (0). Third, Bold ON (1) or OFF (0).
TEXT_FIELD2_CONTENT=Caption: #120
Next text field. Repeated as set by the TEXT_FIELDS parameter.