Navigation:  Key Concepts > Management Topics > Legacy Reports >

Printer Forms

Previous pageReturn to chapter overviewNext page
Show/Hide Hidden Text

This is a listing of "Direct To Printer" forms which is one of three types of designable forms. The other forms are Windows and Report Writer. Windows forms are designed to be printed on inkjet or laser printers. Direct To Printer forms are designed for receipt printers and legacy full-size dot-matrix printers. (see: Legacy Windows Forms)

Direct To Printer Forms

These pre-designed forms should meet most of your needs.  They can be modified to a degree to customize them for your business use.  The forms listed here are layouts for invoices, orders, service orders, and quotes.  These forms are selected on a per workstation basis on the Printers Tabs of the Station Settings window.

Select Receipt/Dot Matrix Printer as your Default Printer, from the choices of printers allows you to print directly to the printer  You must choose the Windows Printer Driver, Physical Printer and the form number appropriate to the task and the printer.

 

invdp1

 

PrinterFormsDirect

POSitive allows you to modify these forms to include or exclude specific details, reposition information, and enhance the look of the form. This will require some work and you may prefer to have your dealer do this customization for you.

Editing the Direct To Printer Forms

You will not be allowed to edit any forms numbered 1 to 100.  These forms are reserved for standardized use of POSitive.  These forms will be altered from time to time by POSitive Software and will be available to you in future updates of POSitive.

You may create or customize your own forms numbered from 101 to 255.  These forms will remain untouched by future POSitive updates.

Be advised that creating or customizing your own forms requires close attention to detail and that it is not a quick project.  The simpliest method is to make a copy of an existing form which is close to your desired end product and then make modifications to this cloned form.

Tools

At the bottom of the Printer Forms screen are some buttons or tools to help in editing and creating your own froms.

printerformtools.zoom25
Tools for Editing Forms

Select - Only active when linked to another entry screen.

Add Edit Delete  -  For editing existing entries.  This will NOT create a new form for you.

Import - Export - Strictly for copying in or out the fields and positions of POSitive forms.  This will not be able to read other types of files.  These tools are used mainly for generating reports to be transferred to other installations of POSitive.  These are also used for Advanced Printing.  For more information, contact your dealer.

Detail - Hides or Opens the panel at right.

Clone - Copies the highlighted form to a new form number.  This is a required step when creating/editing forms.  It is recommended that when cloning forms you number the new form to show the originating form layout.  For example, if I clone form number 5 I would name my new form number 105.

CopyFormTo

You will then be given the option to clone all or parts of the form.  TIP:  It is best to clone the Entire Form and edit elements until you become more proficient at designing your own.

Entire Form
Header Only
Body Only
Footer Only

Your new form will be highlighted and you can proceed making changes to it.  See below.

Print Grid - used for Advanced Printing to understand the elements being printed and how they will line up on your form.

Header, Detail, Footer

The positioning of and links to contents of the highlighted form are displayed under each tab.

Add,  Edit, Delete - for editing positioning and contents of line items.  NOTE: you will not be able to modify forms 1-100.  These are locked.  You may clone the form and then edit your cloned copy. Contact POSitive support for more information.

Edit PCL Objects - (contact your dealer for assistance)

Print - prints a text form of the assigned row contents

How To Customize Your Own Invoice Form

1)  Go To Reports and on the far left select Receipt Layouts

2)  Highlight a form which is "close" to the form you want.  TIP:  The Print Grid button is designed to print a grid or row and column numbers over a copy of a pre-printed form and may help you see how things are currently designed.

3)  Click on the Clone button.

4)  Enter a form number. It is suggested that you name it as a variation of the form being cloned for example, if you clone form 11 then name your new form 111.

5)  Enter a title which readily defines the purpose and format of the form.   Note the names of POSitive forms 1-100 include the paper type, module, and printer type.

6)  Click OK.  Choose Entire Form.  (When you become expert at form design, you may wish to use the other options.) POSitive will save your selection and highlight it.

Important Note:  You are now ready to edit the Header, Detail and Footer sections of the form.  After you have finished the edit, you need to assign the new form number as appropriate on the Printers Tab of each Station Detail.

The Printer Forms Screen

On the left hand side is a listing of all existing forms.  Each has a unique form number.  The Description field defines as precisely as possible the design and purpose of the form.  You may not edit forms 1-100, but a form can be cloned and the copied form can be edited.

The right hand side displays the components of the invoice form and their positioning on the form.  The three tabs provide access to the main sections of the form.

Header - This is the top of the form.  This section typically includes the customer name, invoice number, date of invoicing, and shipping information.
Detail - This is the body of the form.  This section lists the inventory line items, notes, and prices of items on the invoice.
Footer -  This is the bottom of the form.  This section totals the purchases, reports how payment is made and includes policy statements.

 

printerformediting.zoom25

All forms consist of components which are positioned on lines and columns of the paper print out.  A component is either text, a calculated field, or a specific POSitive field.

Displayed Information

For easy reference, the display on the right side shows the following elements of the form.

Line - All forms have printable lines which are counted from the top of the form.  Line numbers start with 1 as the first line of the section of the form.  When you are designing or editing a form, the line number positions the component from the top of the section.

A line number can and should be used more than once.  Depending upon the length of the line, more than one form component can be positioned on it by setting well spaced column numbers.

Clmn - Each line has a set number of columns or number of characters per line.  A standard 8 1/2 wide sheet of paper has 80 printable columns or characters.  A 40 column receipt printer has only 40 columns.  When you are designing or editing a form, the clmn number positions the component from the right margin of the form.

Lngth - Each component has specific number of characters required to print the contents of the component.  When you are designing or editing a form, the Lngth will reserve a set number of characters for the component.  If you choose a length which is shorter than the component, only the first characters of the component will be printed.

Field Name/Text - POSitive has several pre-set field names which are components of all invoice forms.  Some are appropriate to one project form and not appropriate to others.  You will select field names as needed.

Line Text - This is a blank line wherein you type a word or phrase you want printed on the form.  Not all Field Name components give you the option to type Line Text.

Edit A Component Entry

When you edit a component entry, you will see and be able to edit the Line, Column, Length, Field Name, and Line Text fields as described above as well as these additional settings

Justification - The component will be left, centered, or right justified on the column position.

Line Font - The component will be printed with the selected font.

Move Up If Space Above Blank - If checked, the component will be moved up to eliminate gaps in the form.  For example, if a customer address does not have a 2nd address line, then the next component City/ST/Zip would be set to move up to fill in the gap.

Move No Higher Than Line - This limits how high a component will be shifted up if there are blank lines above.

Field Required - This controls conditions under which the component will be used.  The Field Required is often defined as an equation.

 

Field Names Available For Inclusion on Receipt

The following fields can be added to a customized Receipt Form.

HEADER TAB OPTIONS

Begin Balance

Cashier ID

Company Address

Company Address 2

Company City/ST/Zip

Company Fax

Company Invoice Line

Company Name

Company Phone

Company Receipt Header

Consign Agree #

Consign Date

Consign Time

Current Date

Current Time

Customer Account

Customer Bill Addr1

Customer Bill Addr2

Customer City

Customer City/ST/Zip

Customer Cmpny/Name

Customer Contact

Customer Lookup (Code)

Customer Phones

Customer UDF 1

Customer UDF 2

Customer UDF 3

Customer UDF 4

Customer UDF 5

Customer UDF 6

Date

Date Due

Decimal Code

Drivers License

EndOfLine (CR/LF)

EndOfLine (LF)

Invoice Number

Invoice Prompt 1

Invoice Prompt 2

Invoice Prompt 3

Invoice Prompt 4

Invoice Prompt 5

Item Description

Item Line Total

Item Long Desc.

Item Mfg. Code

Item Mfg. Number

Item SKU

Item Tax

Item UDF 1

Item UDF 2

Item UDF 3

Item UDF 4

Item UDF 5

Item UDF 6

Large Text (paragraph of static text)

Last Name, First

Line

PO Number

Page

Pause

Prompt

Quantity Shipped

Register Number

Sales ID

Sales Name

Service Serial Desc

Service Serial Nmbr

Ship Via

Ship-To-Line 1

Ship-To-Line 2

Ship-To-Line 3

Ship-To-Line 4

Ship-To-Line 5

Ship-To-Line 6

Tax Amount 1

Tax Number

Terms

Terms Description

Text

Time

Total (No Tax)

Warranty Labor (Y/N)

Warranty Parts (Y/N)

Work Done: Heading

Work Done: Line 1

Work Done: Line 10

Work Done: Line 2

Work Done: Line 3

Work Done: Line 4

Work Done: Line 5

Work Done: Line 6

Work Done: Line 7

Work Done: Line 8

Work Done: Line 9

Work To Do: Line 1

Work To Do: Line 10

Work To Do: Line 2

Work To Do: Line 3

Work To Do: Line 4

Work To Do: Line 5

Work To Do: Line 6

Work To Do: Line 7

Work To Do: Line 8

Work To Do: Line 9

Work To Do: Heading

Yes/No Prompt

Instructions (Options)

Print Always

Spread

Reprint

 

DETAIL TAB OPTIONS

AR Balance

AR Date

AR Date Due

AR Discount Available

AR Discount Given

AR Invoice Number

AR Original Amount

AR Payment

AR Reference #

BackOrder Qnty

Consign Item Dsc.

Consign Item Qnty

Consign Net

Consign Sell Price

Consign Store Comm

Consignment Item #

Cost

Decimal Codes

Deposit Amount

Deposit Date

Deposit Time

Deposit Total

Deposit Type

Deposit VAT Amnt

Discount

EndOfLine (CR/LF)

EndOfLine (LF)

Invoice: Note

Line Item Tax Amount

Line Item Tax Rate

Line Number

Line Total

Line Total w/Tax

Long Description

Margin

Markup

Note - Date

Note - Sales ID

Note

Price

Price Based On Total

Price w/Tax

Prompt

Quantity

Regular Price

SKU

Separator

Serial Numbers

Service Serial Desc

Service Serial Nmbr

Service: Work Notes

Service: Other Left

Shipped Qnty

Short Description

Taxable Item

Taxed (Y/N)

Text

Transaction Note

Warranty Labor (Y/N)

Warranty Parts (Y/N)

Instructions (Options)

- Print Always

- Item Backordered

- Item Discounted

- No Price If In Package

- No Line Total If In Package

- From Service Order

- Item Is Part of Package

 

FOOTER TAB OPTIONS

AR Balance

AR Credit Balance

AR Owed Balance

AR Reference #

Balance

Balance Due

Balance Fwd.

*** NOTE: Credit Card Information is no longer an option because of PCI Compliance

CCard 1 Nmbr (xxxx)

CCard 1

CCard 1 Amount

CCard 1 Approval #

CCard 1 Expire

CCard 1 Name

CCard 1 Number

***

 

Cash In

Change Due

Check

Check No.

Company Address

Company Address 2

Company City/ST/Zip

Company Fax

Company Invoice Line

Company Name

Company Phone

Customer Account

Customer Bill Addr1

Customer Bill Addr2

Customer City

Customer City/ST/Zip

Customer Cmpny/Name

Customer Contact

Customer Lookup (Code)

Customer Phones

Date

Decimal Codes

Deposit Made

Discount Days

EndOfLine (CR/LF)

EndOfLine (LF)

Finance Amount

Finance Company

Form Feed

Gift Balance

Gift Cert. Balance

Gift Certificate

Invoice Number

Item Count

Large Text

Less Coupons

Less Credits

Less Deposit

Line

Non-Taxable Amount

On Account

Order Credits

PCL Place Marker

Points Awarded

Points Balance

Points Balance (Current)

Policy Statement

Prompt

Refunded

Reset

Round Net

Rounding Amnt

Settlement Disc Amnt

SubTotal

TaxAmount1

TaxAmount2

Tax Desc. 1

Tax Desc. 2

Tax Rate 1

Tax Rate 2

Taxable

Tear-Off

Tender Info

Tender Infor 40 Col.

Terms

Terms Description

Terms Full Desc.

Text

This Payment

Time

To Account

Total

Total Non-VAT Sales

Total Paid

Total Shipped

Total VAT Sales

VAT Amount

You Saved Amount

Instructions (Options)