Formatting Blobs using Informix Online 5.0

I am attempting to write an ace report to print the first 60 columns of a text blob field. After some reading I have discovered the only way to extract only 60 columns is by using subscripts in the select statement. TEXT blob data items cannot be used in arithmetic or string operations. However I get a 607 error in my select statement. The description of the error is as follows: -607 Text/Byte subscript error. This statement refers to a TEXT or BYTE value using substring notation: numbers in square brackets following the name. However, the substring is not correctly written. Review all uses of substrings and make sure that in each the first number is greater than zero and not greater than the length of the value; the second number is not less than the first; and the numbers are separated by a comma. The problem appears to be related to the actual size of the blob field. Since I am parsing the first 60 characters it requires that the blob TEXT data item is at least 60 characters in length. Is there anyway I can parse 60 or less characters in ace since I am not sure that the field is 60 characters in length? Mahendran