In PrimeCenter, you can add annotations around each file in your nesting to facilitate identification and tracking. These annotations can be tracking codes or text.
Info
If you need a tracking code per layout instead of per image, configure this in the Cutter options. More details in this article.
Accessing the Annotations settings
Open a recipe and go to the Annotations module .
-
In the recipe configuration panel, go to the Layout tab and open Layout and editing tools.
Version 4.0 - Click to open the tool list.
- Select Annotations to open the tool configuration.
- Configure its settings, then click Back to add it to the recipe.
Configuring Annotations
PrimeCenter V3.4
Annotations position
| Select where to place the annotations around the image. Only one position can be selected at a time. |
Annotations text
Define the information to include in the tracking code and printed text. Use tags to retrieve metadata automatically.
For more information on extracting metadata from file names, and for a complete list of available metadata with their definitions to use in annotations, see Automating workflow with metadata.
Info
When using both a barcode and an information block, barcode text formatting is limited to capital letters in a single line.
Information block
Instead of or in addition to a tracking code, you can display the information as readable text.
📌 Information block size
Define the text area size. If a tracking code is also printed, the text appears next to it. Ensure the area is large enough to prevent text from being cropped.
Example
Information block + Optical code
Optical code
📌 Code type
You can choose between 2 types of tracking codes:
| Barcode (barcode39): used if you have a scanner. It may contain up to 43 characters, and only capital letters (without accent), numbers and space are allowed. | |
| QR code: can be used with a smartphone. It is more flexible in size compared to the barcode. It offers high fault tolerance and has fast readability. It supports numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and even Kanji (logographic Chinese characters). | |
📌 Code size
Define the printed code size. The default minimum sizes are:
| Code type | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Barcode | 100 mm | 20 mm |
| QR code | 20 mm | n/a |
Warning
The more data you include in the tracking code, the larger it needs to be to ensure readability by a scanner:
- For barcodes, additional data results in tighter bars.
- For optical codes, more data means smaller pixels.
Adding a trimbox
📌 Add Trimbox to annotations
Enable Add Trimbox to annotations to generate a trimbox around the code and information block. This adds a cut contour named CutContourOpticalCode, which can be used for cutting.
Example
Trimbox added to annotations
📌 Tear-off
Warning
- This option is only available if Add Trimbox to annotations is enabled.
- This option is only available if the Trimbox function is used in the recipe.
- The option “Add trimbox only if no cut contour found” is not compatible with Tear-off.
For more details, see this article on Trimbox.
The Tear-off option adds a second cut contour, CutContourTearOff, between the image trimbox and annotation trimbox. This allows for a perforated line, making the annotation detachable.
Example
Tear-off example
PrimeCenter V4.0
Annotations position
Starting from PrimeCenter V4.3, instead of being limited to a single placement for annotations, you can now define up to three placements per edge. If multiple annotations are placed on the same edge, their size will automatically adjust to fit.
| Select where to place the annotations around the image. |
Annotations text
Define the information to include in the tracking code and printed text. Use tags to retrieve metadata automatically.
For more information on extracting metadata from file names, and for a complete list of available metadata with their definitions to use in annotations, see Automating workflow with metadata.
Info
When using both a barcode and an information block, barcode text formatting is limited to capital letters in a single line.
Information block
Instead of or in addition to a tracking code, you can display the information as readable text.
📌 Information block size
Define the text area size. If a tracking code is also printed, the text appears next to it. Ensure the area is large enough to prevent text from being cropped.
Example
Information block + Optical code
Optical code
📌 Code type
You can choose between 2 types of tracking codes:
| Barcode (barcode39): used if you have a scanner. It may contain up to 43 characters, and only capital letters (without accent), numbers and space are allowed. | |
| QR code: can be used with a smartphone. It is more flexible in size compared to the barcode. It offers high fault tolerance and has fast readability. It supports numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and even Kanji (logographic Chinese characters). | |
📌 Code size
Define the printed code size. The default minimum sizes are:
| Code type | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Barcode | 100 mm | 20 mm |
| QR code | 20 mm | n/a |
Warning
The more data you include in the tracking code, the larger it needs to be to ensure readability by a scanner:
- For barcodes, additional data results in tighter bars.
- For optical codes, more data means smaller pixels.
Adding a trimbox
📌 Add Trimbox to annotations
Enable Add Trimbox to annotations to generate a trimbox around the code and information block. This adds a cut contour named CutContourOpticalCode, which can be used for cutting.
Example
Trimbox added to annotations
📌 Tear-off
Warning
- This option is only available if Add Trimbox to annotations is enabled.
- This option is only available if the Trimbox function is used in the recipe.
- The option “Add trimbox only if no cut contour found” is not compatible with Tear-off.
For more details, see this article on Trimbox.
The Tear-off option adds a second cut contour, CutContourTearOff, between the image trimbox and annotation trimbox. This allows for a perforated line, making the annotation detachable.
Example
Tear-off example
PrimeCenter V4.5
Annotations position
| Select where to place the annotations around the image. You can define up to three positions per edge. When multiple annotations are placed on the same edge their size automatically adjusts to fit. |
Margins around block
Define the margin around the annotation block (text and optical code) to add spacing around the content.
Annotation format
Annotations can be printed as readable text, an optical code, or both. You cand define different information for each format
Info
When using both a barcode and an information block, barcode text formatting is limited to capital letters in a single line.
Text
📌 Content
Define the information to include in the printed text. Use tags to retrieve metadata automatically.
For more information on extracting metadata from file names, and for a complete list of available metadata with their definitions to use in annotations, see Automating workflow with metadata.
📌 Text height
Define the text size by setting a text height between 2 and 50 mm.
📌 Information block size
Define the text area size. If a tracking code is also printed, the text appears next to it. Ensure the area is large enough to prevent text from being cropped.
Example
Information block + Optical code
Optical code
📌 Code type
You can choose between 2 types of tracking codes:
| Barcode (barcode39): used if you have a scanner. It may contain up to 43 characters, and only capital letters (without accent), numbers and space are allowed. | |
| QR code: can be used with a smartphone. It is more flexible in size compared to the barcode. It offers high fault tolerance and has fast readability. It supports numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and even Kanji (logographic Chinese characters). | |
📌 Content
The optical code can contain the same information as the printed text, or custom content defined using tags to automatically retrieve metadata, just like for printed text.
For more information on extracting metadata from file names, and for a complete list of available metadata with their definitions to use in annotations, see Automating workflow with metadata.
📌 Optical code size
Define the printed code size. The default minimum sizes are:
| Code type | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Barcode | 100 mm | 20 mm |
| QR code | 20 mm | n/a |
Warning
The more data you include in the tracking code, the larger it needs to be to ensure readability by a scanner:
- For barcodes, additional data results in tighter bars.
- For optical codes, more data means smaller pixels.
Adding a trimbox
📌 Add Trimbox to annotations
Enable Add Trimbox to annotations to generate a trimbox around the code and information block. This adds a cut contour named CutContourOpticalCode, which can be used for cutting.
Example
Trimbox added to annotations
📌 Tear-off
Warning
- This option is only available if Add Trimbox to annotations is enabled.
- This option is only available if the Trimbox function is used in the recipe.
- The option “Add trimbox only if no cut contour found” is not compatible with Tear-off.
For more details, see this article on Trimbox.
The Tear-off option adds a second cut contour, CutContourTearOff, between the image trimbox and annotation trimbox. This allows for a perforated line, making the annotation detachable.
Example
Tear-off example
Example
Input
Customer: @(CustomerID)
Order: @(OrderID)
Image name: @(ImageName)
Resulting output