Create Files with Custom File Names
Custom file names allow for effective and efficient file management. Archive and medical content systems use unique file names to ensure that no data is lost or overwritten. Sequential numbers, unique identifiers, date and time information, and user names are only a few items to include in a custom file name to prevent duplication.
Creating a custom file name can also be about organizing your files for easier searching, sorting, and filtering. Again, using date and time information and other custom text such as a user, department, or client name can help organize your files and logically group them for easier access.
Initially, the TIFF Image Printer, Raster Image Printer, and PDF Image Printer save all output files to the My Documents folder, naming them according to the file name from the print job.
You control the output folder and file name through the profile the image printer uses to create your output file. You can change this in the Save Options tab when editing the profile in the Profile Manager. However, we recommend exploring the Filename Creator tab for more customized file naming options. The File Name Parts Editor on the Filename Creator tab allows you to add, edit, and reorder output filename parts to create unique filenames for your output files.
Below, we show you how to use the Filename Creator tab to customize your created file’s default output location and output name. But first, we’ll go over the different file name parts and how they work together.
Quick Links
Custom File Name Creator Primer
There are six essential file name parts, of which you will typically only need to edit two – Output Location and Output File Name. You would modify these two main custom file name parts to customize where to save your file and what to name it. The default output location is the Documents folder. The print job name supplies the output file name; here, we show it as ‘Document’ for the sample name.
The File Extension part is typically not customized. If you have our Raster Image Printer, this file part changes depending on the type of file you choose to create. For TIFF Image Printer and PDF Image Printer, the part usually does not change. You can change this file part if you want a custom file extension.
The other three file parts, File Number, Overwrite Revision Number, and File Split Part Number, are specific to creating the numbered part of a file name when handling multi-part output. Serialized output, where each page is a separate file, splitting the output file into parts based on disk size or number of pages, and copy protection are types of multi-part output.
Dynamic Custom File Name Parts
These file name parts are where the magic happens. Use separators, custom text, a unique ID, or the current date and time to dynamically create folder structures and file names for naming, sorting, and organizing your output.
Use the buttons at the top of the File Name Parts Editor to add a dynamic file name part. The editor inserts new parts after the Output File Name part or the currently selected file part. After adding the part, you can move it up or down in the list to create the desired file name.
Creating the New Profile
To create a profile with your custom file name, double-click the desktop shortcut for your printer to open the Dashboard. The Dashboard is your access to the Profile Manager for creating, copying, and editing profiles. It also gives quick access to product licensing, printer management, and help resources.
Select the Edit & Create Profiles tile to open the Profile Manager.
The Profile Manager lists all of your printer profiles. Click the Add a profile button to create a new profile, or start with a copy of an existing one. Give your new profile a name and a description to make it easy to find later.
Changing the Output Location
Choose Filename Creator from the list on the left-hand side and scroll past the sample names to the File Name Parts Editor. We’re ready to set our output location and create our custom file name.
First, we’ll edit where to save the file. Select the file name part for Output Location to expand its options.
If this field is blank, the printer creates the file in the Documents folder or, if you have already saved an image, in the last used folder. You can type your new output location into the folder field or browse to select a folder using the file icon. Changes made here are also visible on the Save Options tab.
If the folder does not exist, the printer will create it when saving the file, or you can click the red folder icon to create the missing folder. Below, we’ve set our output location to a new folder, ArchiveReports, under our Documents. We’ll let the printer create this folder the first time we print.
When finished, click the up arrow to hide the options for this part. You will notice that the sample text has changed to reflect your custom location.
Editing the Custom Output File Name
Next, we will add our custom file name. Select the file name part for Output File Name to expand its options. You can build your output file name from a base file name with optional prefix and suffix text.
If the base file name is blank, the printer uses the file name passed from the application when printing the file. Usually, this is the name of the document you are printing. Still, some applications, such as Notepad, use the same generic name each time they print.
To create our custom file name, we leave the file name blank and add a prefix, FinanceDept_, to the front of all the files we create. Since we did not set a base file name, this change is not visible on the Save Options tab.
Click the arrow icon to collapse the Output File Name settings.
At this point, we have customized where to save the files and set a custom file name prefix for all files we create. If this is all you need to do, save the profile now, and you are ready to start using it to make your files.
Customizing Serialized and Multi-part File Numbering
Three file parts control how to number serialized and multi-part file sets: File Number, Overwrite Revision Number, and File Split Part Number. Each file part can be customized to add or change prefix and suffix text and to increase or decrease leading zeros in the numbered sequence.
File Number (Serialized Output)
When you want to create a single file for each page in your source document, this is known as serialized output. The printer appends the default format, _001, _002, up to the last page number to the end of the document name, creating the final custom file name.
You can change the format and position as you need. Pad the number with more zeroes at the front, include the word “Page”, or move the numbering to the beginning of the file name; the choice is yours. To move a file part, use the up and down arrows at the top of the file part options. Here, we have modified our serialized output to add Page0001_, Page0002_, and so on to the beginning of each page when creating serialized output.
Overwrite Revision Number
Copy protection also uses sequential numbering and applies when prompting is disabled and, override protection is enabled. Copy protection creates a numbered copy of your file if a file of the same name already exists in the output location. It uses the Overwrite Revision Number file part to create the file name. The default format for this is _copy1, _copy2, in ascending order.
File Split Part Number
The last file part for sequential file naming is splitting your output files by the number of pages per file or by file size. Similar to serialized, the File Split Part Number file part appends _part0001, _part0002, and subsequent values as each split point starts a new file.
Changing the Default File Extension
The last file part listed is always the file extension. A file extension is the last part of a file name after the dot (.). The file extension matches the type of output you create, but you can change it to make a custom file name and extension.
Use Your Custom File Name Profile
You can make this personal profile the default profile used by your image printer for conversion by changing the default profile for the printer in the Printer Management utility. See Changing the Default Printer Profile to learn more about configuring profiles for your printer and other printer management features.
Additional Reading
For more advanced custom file name scenarios, see the following articles.
