Aetiket Label Printer Cross-Platform Issues


FileMaker Pro

FileMaker Pro is a cross-platform database package, enabling users of Apple Macintosh, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows NT to run Aetiket Label Printer unmodified on any machine.

Fonts

Unfortunately, although Aetiket Label Printer will run on all machines supported by FileMaker Pro, it is not always possible to know beforehand which system resources, fonts, or peripherals will be used with this software. Consequently, I have used Arial throughout this solution, not because it is a beautiful typeface, but because it is found on the majority of Windows, and also on some Macintosh computers. On Macintosh computers without Arial, Helvetica is automatically substituted by FileMaker Pro. The results are similar, although line spacing may vary slightly from computer to computer.

Aetiket Label Printer does permit text formatting within fields, and I encourage you to experiment with your favorite typefaces and formats.

Printers

Printers often come bundled with various fonts and drivers, and it is not always possible to predict the outcome on different devices or computers. I have tested Aetiket Label Printer with a number of Ink Jet and Laser Printers from a different manufacturers, and the results have been relatively consistent. If you encounter difficulties printing, please let me know in an email detailing the printer and printer driver used.

File Names

Here I must apologize to my Apple Macintosh users. Although Microsoft has made great strides in improving their operating system, with Windows we are still stuck in the dark ages with file naming conventions. In development I found that the only consistent way to ensure that Aetiket Label Printer would work with all Windows operating systems was to name the files in the DOS 8.3 form. I apologize for any angst or inconvenience this may have caused. Although the Apple Macintosh came in 1984 with long filenames, I still find myself supporting DOS filename conventions in 1998.

Downloads

Some of my users have been astute enough to notice that FileMaker Pro databases used on Windows machines can also be used on Macintosh computers. The advantage of this of course is that if a "Mac" version of Aetiket Label Printer comes out first, even Windows users can download and enjoy it. The only real differences between the two versions lies in the documentation and the Register (or Register.exe) program provided by Kagi.


Page last updated May 6, 1998

Copyright © 1997-1998 by Eric Fandrich All Rights Reserved.