[Logic] QSL Card Design

Fri Dec 3 17:18:30 EST 2004

Hi Carl,
This depends on what tools you have to hand, and how high a resolution you want
the finished product to be. From the LOGic Report Writer end of things, however,
the import procedure is the same in all cases. The differences come into play
when you're preparing the graphical object to be imported. I'll address that in
a minute.
These instructions are specific to LOGic 7. Don't remember how close this is to
how you do it in LOGic 6. To embed a graphical object in a report:
1. Select "Reports >> Modify Report Layout" from the Menu bar.
2. Double-click your report filename.
3. Click in the Report-Layout window so LOGic is focused on it. A "Report" menu
item will appear in the Menu bar once the layout screen is in focus.
4. Select "Report >> Insert Control >> Picture/ActiveX Bound" from the Menu bar.
The "Report Picture" dialog box will be displayed.
5. Select the graphic filename from the browse window (click the "..." button).
6. Select the "Scale picture, retain shape" radio button. This will allow you to
set the printed size of the object without changing the object's inherent pixel
resolution.
7. Select the "Fix relative to top of band" radio button. This will keep the
graphic where you want it on the QSL card.
8. Click OK to commit the information in the dialog box. The graphic you
selected will appear as a small set of anchor points in the upper left corner of
the layout workspace.
9. Drag the object to where you want it, and size it by dragging the anchor
points. (The aspect ratio of the object will remain fixed regardless of which
anchorpoints you drag. You can't distort it.)
10. When finished, save the report from the "Create/Modify Report" dialog box.
That's the import procedure. Now:
The quality of the object you end up with coming out of your printer depends on
the resolution of the bitmap file you import into the report. If the object has
very few pixels (i.e., is very small, like an icon), then the printed object on
your cards, at any kind of reasonable physical size, will be grainy or fuzzy and
will not look good. For best results, you should use a graphic that has a
resolution of at least 200 pixels/inch at the size you desire. Therefore, for
example, if you want the ARRL logo to be 0.75" tall on the QSL card, then it
should have 0.75" x 200 pixels/in = 150 pixels in the "y" (vertical) dimension.
If it has fewer pixels than that, you will be printing it at a lower resolution
that your printer can produce, unless you have a VERY old printer. Some new
printers can print color images at greater than 200 pixels/in. You will need to
read your printer manual -- or do some experiments -- and figure out what your
printer's actual pixel resolution is. This is not the same as "dots per inch", a
figure printer vendors love to throw around. "Dots per inch" is, in practical
terms, a useless metric when it comes to scaling artwork correctly. What you
need to know about is PIXELS, which are typically made up of a matrix of "dots".
LOGic limits the size of graphic image file you can import, but the limitation
is far greater than the size you will actually need. What you want to avoid
doing is using too SMALL a file. I have an ARRL logo file that is in color
(black and gold) and is 458 pixels tall, plenty of resolution unless you are
really wanting it to be huge (more than 2" tall or so). You can download various
versions of the logo from the ARRL website, but I think I made this one from a
vector format (Adobe Illustrator) and exported it as a GIF file myself. I'll
send it to you if you want it.
Hope this helps.
Bill / W5WVO
Carl Smidt wrote:
> Hi All,
>> I wonder if someone can give me the step by step procedure on how to
> import the ARRL logo into my QSL card in 'Report Writer'.
>> Somehow or other I lost my old QSL card file and am in the process of
> resurrecting another one, but it has the ARRL logo missing, but has
> the RAC logo and the Canadian flag on it ok.
>> I had the step by step procedure all written down in my old LOGic 6
> manual, but a few weeks ago, while cleaning up the shack, I threw it
> out forgetting about all the notes that I had written in it.
>> If someone has the procedure on hand and would consider sending it to
> me, it would save me some work trying to figure out how to do it once
> again. I don't see it in 'Tips and Tricks'.
>> Thanks.
>> 73, Carl VE9OV
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