Use BarTender’s visual design software to create labels, add label elements and Benchling properties, and configure data entry forms, then print directly from your connected device.
Adding elements and Benchling properties to a label template
To print a label from Benchling that contains properties of the Benchling object, like a barcode, entity name, ID, date created, etc., you can use BarTender’s visual template designer. You add general template elements by dragging and dropping them into place on your template, then rearrange and resize as needed. For each element, you can replace the default value with an example value to help visualize element spacing.
For Benchling-recognized keywords to add to your template, visit Label printing basics.
Configure the label’s Data Entry Form
To add Benchling-recognized keywords:
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Click Form 1 in the bottom-left corner of the template creation screen.
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In the left-side panel under Template Object Data Sources, click and drag the element(s) you want to populate with Benchling data into the Data Entry Form area on the right side.
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In the modal that displays, select Text Input Box, then click Create.
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Double-click anywhere in the Data Entry Form window to open another modal.
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Click a form element in the left panel, then set the Object name to the Benchling label keyword.
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Repeat steps 1-5 for each element populated with Benchling data.
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Click Save and save it under location Librarian.
Use the same Benchling keyword multiple times in one template
You may need to display the same Benchling keyword multiple times in the same template. For example, you might need a container barcode as both a QR code and as text on the same label.
When adding the same Benchling keyword to a label you’ve already added it to, an error will display when entering the Object name. To nullify the error, change the Data Sources settings for the additional label element.
To change the Data Sources settings:
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On the right side of the Data Sources panel, click the third button Change Data Source Type.
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Select Object Value, then click Next.
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On the next screen, select the object that used the keyword first.
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Click Finish, then click Close.
Converting ZPL templates
If you already have a library of label templates in Benchling they are stored as .zpl files. Unfortunately, .zpl files can’t be imported into BarTender. To use these templates, they must be recreated manually in BarTender.