Classic editor guide

The four-step workflow#

Library → Editor → Mapping → Generate, in the top bar.

The top bar numbers the steps 01 Library, 02 Editor, 03 Mapping and 04 Generate. Steps 02 to 04 stay greyed out until a template is open.

1. Library: create a template, start from a preset or open an existing label.
2. Editor: place text, codes, images and shapes on the label.
3. Mapping: import your CSV or Excel file and link its columns to the {{ … }} variables.
4. Generate: pick the A4 sheet and download the print-ready PDF.

The bar also shows the file name and, in the editor, the label size in millimetres.

Switching between Classic and Morph#

Both interfaces work on the same labels.

The Interface selector in the top bar switches from Classic to Morph, the assistant that designs a label from a sentence. A label created in one opens and can be edited in the other: same format, same data, same export.

Your choice is remembered on this device.

Autosave#

Every change is saved on the device, then to your account.

Changes are kept on the device immediately, then sent to the server two seconds after the last one. The Save button (or Ctrl+S) forces the upload and shows “Saved!”.

If the upload fails, a “Server save failed” banner offers Retry. Closing the page while an upload is pending triggers a browser warning.

Exporting and importing a template (.json)#

Back up a complete template to a file, or share it.

Export (top bar or a card’s “···” menu) downloads the template as .json: elements, mapping, CSV, quantity column and filters.

Import in the Library recreates the template from that file. A file that doesn’t come from BoldLabels is rejected (“Invalid template file”).

Options, language and tutorial#

Dark mode, French or English, guided tutorial.

• Dark mode: in the Options panel at the bottom of the screen, or in Settings → Appearance.
• Language: FR or EN. Defaults to your browser’s language.
• Replay tutorial: a guided tour from the Library to the export, which waits for your actions (add an element, import a CSV).
• Reset everything: erases the local data on the device, after confirmation.

Creating a template#

A blank 100 × 60 mm label, to resize afterwards.

Click New template, or the + New template card. You can then change the format in the editor’s Label panel.

Starting from a preset#

Four ready-to-use templates, with their variables already in place.

Views, favourites and search#

All, Recent, Favourites, Archived, and search by name.

• All templates, Recent (edited in the last 7 days), Favourites and Archived, each with its counter.
• The ☆ star on a card adds the template to your favourites.
• The “search templates…” field filters by name.
• An archived template only appears in Archived.

Rename, duplicate, archive, delete#

Each card’s “···” menu.

Each card shows a thumbnail, the size in mm, the number of elements and the date. Its ··· menu offers:

• Rename: Enter to confirm, Esc to cancel.
• Duplicate: creates “name (copy)”.
• Export: the template’s .json file.
• Archive / Unarchive.
• Delete: after confirmation.

Select, hand and zoom#

The V and H tools, zoom from 20 to 400% and the FIT button.

• V · Select: select and move elements.
• H · Pan: drag the view. Holding Space gives you the hand temporarily.
• Zoom: − and + buttons in 20% steps, from 20 to 400%, or Ctrl + scroll wheel.
• FIT: re-centres the label on screen.
• The scroll wheel scrolls the view; Shift + scroll wheel scrolls horizontally.

Selecting multiple elements#

Click, Shift+click or selection rectangle.

• A click selects an element; Shift+click adds it to or removes it from the selection.
• Dragging on empty space draws a selection rectangle.
• A click on empty space, or Esc, deselects everything.
• Ctrl+A selects all elements.

Move, resize, rotate#

Handles, rotation by the degree and keyboard nudging.

• Dragging an element moves it. The eight handles resize it, down to a minimum of 2.5 mm.
• The round handle above the element rotates it, one degree at a time.
• The arrow keys nudge the selection; with Shift, in steps ten times larger.

Status bar#

Cursor position, selection size, save and zoom.

Text#

A multi-line text block, fixed or filled from your data.

The Text button places a 20 × 7.5 mm block. Its content accepts {{ column }} variables, replaced by the CSV values at print time.

Text fits its box automatically: it wraps, then shrinks (down to 35%), and as a last resort is truncated with “…”. A warning tells you when the text is shrunk or truncated.

QR code#

Link, email, tracking number: any text, fixed or variable.

The QR button places a 15 × 15 mm code. Its Source field takes an address, a text or a variable such as {{ link }}.

Barcode#

Seven symbologies, drawn at the exact size of their box.

The Barcode button places a 30 × 10 mm Code 128. Change the symbology in Type:

Linear codes are printed with their digits underneath. Keep 2 mm of white space around the code: this is its quiet zone, needed for scanning.

Image and logo#

A logo or photo, embedded in the template.

The Image button places a 20 × 15 mm frame. Import puts a file in it, which is saved with the template. Fit chooses Contain (the image fits inside the frame), Fill (cropped) or Stretch.

Rectangle, circle and rule#

Backgrounds, frames, dots and dividers.

• Rect (20 × 10 mm): coloured background, banner or frame.
• Circle (10 × 10 mm): becomes an ellipse if its box isn’t square.
• Rule (30 × 2 mm): horizontal line if the box is wider than it is tall, vertical otherwise. Can be dotted.

Pictograms#

A library of vector icons that stay sharp at any size.

The Icon button places a 6 × 6 mm icon; choose it under Pictogram and give it a Colour.

Position, size, rotation, lock#

The settings shared by all elements.

• Pos X / Y and Size W / H, in millimetres, to the nearest tenth.
• Rotation, in degrees.
• Dup: duplicates the element, slightly offset.
• Lock: the element can no longer be moved, resized or deleted by mistake.
• The bin icon in the header deletes the element.

Text typography#

Font, size, weight, alignment, line height, capitals.

Fonts are embedded in the PDF: printed text is exactly as wide as on screen.

Stroke, fill, dotted#

Settings for rectangles, circles and rules.

• Stroke: thickness (0 = no stroke) and colour.
• Fill (rectangle, circle): a colour, or transparent.
• Dotted (rule): solid or dotted line.

Code and image content#

Source of QR codes and barcodes, placeholder text for images.

• Source (QR, barcode): the content to encode, fixed or variable.
• Type (barcode): the symbology.
• Label (image): the text shown until an image is imported.
• Fit (image): Contain, Fill (cropped) or Stretch.

Label format and name#

The Label panel: presets or free width × height.

In the Label panel, choose a Preset (Shipping 100 × 60, Badge 90 × 55, Tag 50 × 30, Inventory 70 × 25) or enter the Size W / H in millimetres. The Name is the one shown in the library.

Grid, rulers and snapping#

Guides that help you align without thinking about it.

• Grid: a 5 mm grid.
• Rulers: graduated in millimetres.
• Snapping: while moving, the element snaps to the edges and centre of the label, to the edges and centres of other elements, and to the grid when it is shown. Coloured guides show the snap.

Aligning multiple elements#

Six alignments as soon as two elements are selected.

With at least two elements selected, the Align panel offers: left (L), horizontal centre (CX), right (R), top (T), vertical centre (CY) and bottom (B). Locked elements don’t move.

Layers#

Stacking order, visibility and locking.

• Drag the ⠿ handle to change the order: whatever is at the top of the list goes in front.
• The eye hides an element; a hidden element is not printed.
• The padlock marks a locked element; click it to unlock.

Dynamic fields#

The list of variables used in the label.

The Dynamic fields panel lists every {{ variable }} found in texts, QR codes, barcodes and images, with how many times it is used. Map data → opens the Mapping step.

{{ column }} variables#

A text, QR code or barcode that changes on every label.

Write a column name between double curly braces: {{ Product }}, Price: {{ price }} €. At print time, each row of the file produces a label with its own values. Accents, spaces and punctuation are allowed in the name.

Importing a CSV or Excel file#

CSV, XLSX or XLS, delimiter detected automatically.

In Mapping, click Import CSV. Accepted formats: .csv, .xlsx and .xls (first sheet). The delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab or pipe) is detected automatically, quotes included.

Each file shows its number of rows and columns; the cross removes it.

Linking columns to variables#

Drag and drop, or automatic matching by name.

A variable is automatically linked to the column with the same name, ignoring case, accents and punctuation: this is shown as “same name”. Otherwise, drag a column header from Source onto the variable in Template fields. The cross removes a link.

Auto-match saves all same-name links in one go.

Quantity column#

Print several labels per row.

Choose a Count column: each row is repeated as many times as its value. Empty = 1 label, 0 = row skipped. A negative or non-integer value blocks the next step, and the first errors are listed.

Exclusion filters#

Leave out certain rows without touching the file.

+ Add a filter… picks a column; check the values to exclude. With several filters, a row is only excluded if it matches all of them. A counter shows how many rows are left out.

Live preview and checks#

See the filled label, row by row, before printing.

Live preview shows the label filled with the current row; the ‹ › arrows move from one row to the next (“ROW n / total”). Continue → takes you to Generate.

Before printing, BoldLabels flags a variable with no source (“these texts will be empty”) or labels whose data would all be empty.

Choosing which labels to print#

One checkbox per label, after filters and quantities.

The Rows list shows every label to be produced. Check or uncheck them one by one, or use All / None.

A4 sheets and page formats#

Eleven Avery and edge-to-edge templates, or a custom sheet.

Format: A4 (210 × 297), Letter (216 × 279) or A5 (148 × 210), in Portrait or Landscape. A warning appears if the label size doesn’t match the chosen template.

Margins, spacing and skip cells#

Fit the sheet to your paper, reuse a partly used sheet.

• Margin: in millimetres, the same on all four sides (10 by default). A template sets its own margins; changing them overrides them.
• Spacing H / V: the gap between columns and between rows (3 mm by default).
• Skip cells: leaves the first cells of the first page empty, to finish a sheet you’ve already started.

These settings are saved with the template.

Generate, download, print#

A vector PDF with embedded fonts, ready for the printer.

The sheet preview (zoom from 25 to 200%) summarizes “columns × rows per page” and the total. Generate PDF · n labels starts the creation, with a progress bar.

The boldlabels_YYYY-MM-DD.pdf file can be Downloaded or opened for printing (Open / Print…). Regenerate recreates the PDF after a change.

All shortcuts#

They are inactive while the cursor is in an input field.

Plans and limits#

What each plan includes.

Manage your subscription from the user menu, Plans & Billing. Prices are in US dollars.

Credits and streaks#

Extra generations once the daily limit is reached.

A three-day streak with three actions per day earns 1 credit. The ⭐ badge in the top bar shows your balance, streak and today’s actions.

Once the daily limit is reached, the button becomes Generate with a credit.

Referrals#

5 credits for you, 3 for the person you invite.

In the ⭐ panel or Settings, copy your personal link. Each friend who signs up earns you 5 credits and gives them 3. Enter a code you received in the field provided, then click Apply.

Desktop app#

BoldLabels for Windows and Linux, with built-in updates.

The desktop app signs in through your browser, then returns to the app automatically. A banner offers Update & Restart when a new version is released, and PDFs open in the system viewer.

Support#

Your support ID, to include with any request.

The user menu, Support, shows your Support ID with a Copy button. Include it in your message: it lets us find your account without exchanging passwords.