Control strings are text strings embedded in your documents that can be used to change settings dynamically during a print job. Often used in Word with mail merge documents, or reporting tools such as Crystal Reports and PowerBuilder, it can be used to dynamically set the output folder and output file name information from data fields on the report.
For example, this feature allows a single report of multiple invoices to generate separate , one for each invoice, and named using the invoice number taken from the report.
Enable control strings
By default this setting is disabled. Enabling this setting means TIFF Image Printer will search for and use any properly formatted control strings found in the document.
Changing the control string prefix and suffix
Control strings use the following syntax:
~0% keyword "value" ?
Multiple control strings can be chained together as follows:
~0% keyword "value" keyword "value" keyword "value" ?
The default prefix of '~0%' and suffix of '?' are used to recognize a control string pattern in a printed document. If this format conflicts with content in your documents, it can changed, up to a maximum of 5 characters. Spaces and single or double quote characters are not allowed as control string patterns.
The Set to Defaults button can be used to reset any changes to the control string prefix and suffix back to the system defaults.
Control strings are processed by the printer, but are not printed on the final output unless they are not formatted correctly, or the keyword is incorrect. If your control strings appear in the output, check your formatting and keyword spelling first. Control strings must conform to the following criteria in order to be processed by TIFF Image Printer:
•It must contain at least one keyword-value pair
•No spaces should separate the characters in the prefix (default is ~0% )
•The final character(s) must be the default of a question mark ( ? ) or custom character(s) set in the suffix field
•Control strings must appear at the very beginning of a line
•No other text should appear on lines that hold control strings
•Values are enclosed in quotation marks ("); when using control strings in Microsoft Word you will need to turn off Smart Quotes. Control strings formatted with Smart Quotes will not be recognized by the driver
Control String Creator
This section shows the control strings that are supported by TIFF Image Printer 12. Many of the control strings that were supported in earlier versions of TIFF Image Printer have been removed.
This tool allows you to build sample control string text, by toggling the different control strings. This text can then be copied to the clipboard for easy insertion into your reports and documents. It does not control which control strings will be used.
