File Type $53 (83)
Auxiliary Type $8002

Full Name: Graphic Disk Labeler Document
Short Name: Graphic Disk Labeler document

Written by Matt Deatherage (March 1990)

Files of this type and auxiliary type contain label documents for Graphic Disk Labeler.


Graphic Disk Labeler is an Apple IIGS application which mixes text and graphics to create labels for 3.5" floppy disks. It imports most popular graphics formats and prints in color.

For more information on Graphic Disk Labeler (GDL), contact:

Triad Venture, Inc.
P.O. Box 12201
Hauppauge, New York 11788
Attention: GDL Technical Support
(516) 360-0797

The GDL file format is copyrighted (C) 1990 by Triad Venture, Inc. and is printed here with permission.

File Structure

GDL documents contain the information for GDL to produce a label. A label is composed of three TextEdit records, a palette, and an optional picture. This information is in the data fork. The resource fork is reserved and should not be used.

The File Format

The data fork of GDL files contains the following data:

PicFlag (+000): Boolean Long
If this flag is TRUE, the next 5600 bytes contain a bit-mapped image of the graphic for this label. If this flag is FALSE, the next field is not present.
BitMap (+004): 5600 Bytes
If PicFlag is TRUE, this is a bit-mapped image of this label's graphics. The rectangle is 100 pixels high by 104 pixels wide in 320 mode; this is also the size of the entire label. This field is not present if PicFlag is FALSE.

The remaining fields are present in every GDL document. They start at an offset referred to in this Note as "n". If there is no picture, "n" is 4; if there is a picture, "n" is 5604.

TERecGDL1: GDLText
GDL-style TextEdit record for the text on the back of the label.
TERecGDL2: GDLText
GDL-style TextEdit record for the text on the spine of the label.
TERecGDL3: GDLText
GDL-style TextEdit record for the text on the front of the label.
Palette: 32 Bytes
Standard QuickDraw II Palette for this label.

The GDLText fields are defined as follows:

StyleLen (+000): Long
Length of TextEdit style information (TEStyle info) for this TextEdit record.
Style (+004): StyleLen Bytes
TextEdit style information. There are StyleLen bytes in this field.
TextLen (+StyleLen+4): Long
Length of the text in this TextEdit record.
Text (+StyleLen+8): TextLen Bytes
Text for this TextEdit record. There are TextLen bytes in this field.

Further Reference


This and all of the other Apple II Technical Notes have been converted to HTML by Aaron Heiss as a public service to the Apple II community, with permission by Apple Computer, Inc. Any and all trademarks, registered and otherwise, are properties of their owners.