Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

At long last i have turned to Qimage to make a standard template to reuse.  Having done so and saved, I clear the print queue and reload the saved template.  However I end up with a very long print queue, even though I thought I had saved the basics for just one page, with two images.  I first saved a template for a landscape A4 card with one image on front and a smaller one plus standard text on back.  I then reloaded, having first cleared the print queue and loading from 'custom' and revised this template to be a portrait card and saved etc.  On clearing the queue I reloaded the latter and ended up with 81 in the print queue.   I cleared the queue and reloaded again, only this time ended up with 243 in the print queue.  Each time I reload I use different images for the card.  If I go to the end of the print queue and elect to print just that page, I get what I want, but surely one should not have to scroll down to the very last in the print queue for this?   Why/how are so many pages being produced?

Second query - with landscape selected I wrote a short paragraph about myself - managed to center the text and center on the page where I wanted the text to appear on the 'back' of the card.   However when trying to do the same in portrait mode, I found it impossible to center (align) the text and ensure that it was also in the center of the 'back' of the card.  I had to manually try and center within the back.  I have 4 separate floating pieces of text on the back of each card.  How in portrait mode can I actually center (align) the text and center on this half of the page?  and center the smaller image without trying to manually guess?

Honestly, it's hard to follow your description.... but one thing jumps out at me.
Three times 81 = 243
That suggests that you might have inadvertently typed an 8 next to the 1 in the Number of copies box.
Closing Q and reopening should clear that unless you saved it that way as a default.

Second part...
When you say 4 floating pieces of text, I assume that each one is moveable and each one has its own little dot.
Upper right corner has a button to align text to justify center, right and left

Please explain more if possible.

Fred
 

Txs Fred.   I HAVE JUST WRITTEN THE 2 PARAS BELOW BUT BEFORE POSTING DECIDED TO REDO A TEMPLATE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS/HAPPENED.  THIS TIME I PRODUCED NONE OF THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED BELOW AND THE TEMPLATE WORKS AS IT SHOULD AND I SAVED IT WITHOUT ANY IMAGES (AS I HAD FIRST TIME ROUND).  ON REOPENING THE TEMPLATE DOES NOT BRING WITH IT A LONG PRINT QUEUE.  BUT I STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WENT ON THE FIRST TIME ROUND.  HOWEVER IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW HOW I CAN OVERRIDE THE PROBLEM OF CENTERING A BLOCK OF TEXT WHILST NOT HAVING IT IN THE ACTUAL CENTRE OF A PORTRAIT PAGE.


I have just reopened QI and reopened my template.  Before attempting to add the images that I want to place within the template, the print queue tells me that there are 486 images and 243 pages (ie 2 images per page).  Opening the second template again the queue tells me that there are 54 images and 27 pages.  Somehow in setting up the template I seem to have built in a command to print all these images etc.  I have looked at the queue opened up with 243 pages (which is printing front and back on same page in portrait mode).  Selecting pages at random to print pages 1-242 are the first template (in landscape mode) I designed and saved, whilst page 243 is the template I actually opened (portrait mode) and is visible on screen.  The same applies to the first template designed (landscape mode) - only page 27 is the same as that opened and visible.  Equally bizarre is the fact that queue include various options from different image files that I opened to try in the template.   I should add that after designing the landscape version I closed the queue and then reopened this template and readjusted to make a portrait card, and saved accordingly.  I have no idea how all these pages came about and come to be 'attached' to each template.  The queue seems to contain all the various stages I went through to get the design as I wanted it, although I can't think I went through 243 or 27 different design changes, but may have done so. After each redesign I saved the template but each time overwrote the last change, so leaving myself with only one copy of the said template. 

Re floating text - yes 4 independently movable.  I know that one can align by selecting the relevant align button.  This works fine when designing the back of a landscape card and I have no problem with setting the text as I want it.   But when trying to design the half page to be the back of the card to be printed in portrait mode, centering the text using the button works but this also centers the text in the middle of the page, not where I want it on the 'back' of the card.  When moving the text to where I do want it, what was a 'centered'  paragraph, reverts to a left alignment.  Thus my problem.  How to override the center button's built in page centering, whilst retaining the centering of the actual text.  I have just tried this on making a new template in a simple portrait page and find the same - text remains centred provide the paragraph is also in the centre of the page.  As soon as one moves it off centre the text realigns left.   If that makes sense!

Scrumpy,
I have been trying desperately to reproduce what you describe in portrait mode.

I finally understand based on :

Ok
1) Everything is working as it should in Qimage.

Here's how you do it.

2) See screen snaps.
Simply make a second template of the size you need for the paragraph
3) Make your placement Freehand mode, and drag your second template paragraph box on top of the main template,
In the editor, type your text inside the paragraph box and use "Center Justify"
Now your text is centered but the paragraph is where ever you place the paragraph box (second template)
4) You can save your layout with or without text; make portrait, and another for landscape, (naming them properly)

I think that should do it.

Fred

Many txs Fred.  Great service.  I see now - initially I had not linked text to new template, but once that was ticked all fell in place.

All good people on here ready to help. 
You can help others, so don't be a stranger.
Fred