Customizing Forms

There is no way to customize the invoice template so that it shows up below the main invoice window exactly like the amount column.

Adding a subtotal item to the last row of the Estimate items subtotals the Invoice amount column and does not subtotal the desired "Estimate Amt" column.

In order for the Estimate Amt column to total, place a subtotal item on the row immediately under the last item row of the Estimate. Then when you convert the Estimate into an Invoice the Subtotal line will carry over.

You can import a customized form template that was created in another QuickBooks company.

1. If necessary, export the customized template.
2. Open the company file that you want to import the template to.
3. Go to the Lists menu and click Templates.
4. Click Templates at the bottom of the list and then click Import.
5. elect the template you want to import. The file contains the template name followed by a .DES extension. Click Open.
6. Name the imported template. You can keep the original name or change it now.
7. Click OK.

The new template appears in the Templates list and is ready to use in the new company file.

To change the appearance of an invoice, estimate, or sales receipt, you can modify an existing template or copy an existing template and make changes.

1. Go to the Home page and click any of the following: the Estimates icon, the Invoices icon, or the Sales Receipt icon.
2. Display the Manage Templates window. Click the Customize drop-down arrow, then choose Manage Templates.
   • Click the Customize drop-down arrow, then choose Manage Templates or
   • From the Basic Customization window, click Manage Templates.
3. Click each template name to preview that template.
4. To create a new template based on the selected template:
   • Click Copy.
   • (Optional) Edit the template name.
5. Click OK to go to the Basic Customization window.
6. Use the Basic Customization window to make simple changes such as adding a logo, changing the color scheme, or changing the font size and style.
7. From the Basic Customization window, click Additional Customization to view additional options. You can click the tabs to view the options for adding or removing fields on different parts of your form.
8. Preview your changes in the window or click Print Preview to see a larger preview.
9. To change the location of any fields in the form, click Layout Designer.
10. Click OK.

The new template appears in the Templates list and is ready to use in the new company file.

A template is the foundation of the forms—the invoices, estimates, credit memos, sales orders, purchase orders, sales receipts, statements, packing slips, and pick lists—you use to track your company's purchases and sales.

The template defines what shows onscreen when you fill out the form and what shows on the form when you print it. Templates determine the structure of the form, such as which fields and columns are on the form. They also determine how the form looks—the visual elements of the form, such as the fonts that are used, and any graphics, lines, or borders.

In short, everything that shows on the form, from start to finish, is defined in the template. By editing the template, you can create a form that's customized just for your business. For information on creating your own customized forms, see Customizing your forms.

QuickBooks comes with many templates that you can use for your forms:

• Predesigned templates from the QuickBooks Templates Gallery: Probably the fastest and easiest way to use a professional-looking form is to download a predesigned template for free from the QuickBooks Template Gallery (requires Internet connection).

The Template Gallery contains over 100 templates, many with watermarks, remittance slips, rounded corners, and other special touches. In addition, we've created some special examples for common industries. And if you use forms with Intuit window envelopes or want to e-mail a form that's small in size but big in style, we have templates for those too.

Because these templates are already set up for different businesses with different graphics and colors, you can use them as-is or customize them even more. Take a look in the Template Gallery—you may find one that's just what you want.

• Regular templates can be customized for your business needs. These templates are already in your Templates list.
• Predefined (standard) templates allow some customization, though not nearly as much as the other templates. Like the regular templates, these templates are already in your Templates list.

You can use any of the templates immediately or you can customize them further. You can save your customizations and use the template when you fill out that type of form. You can also create one master template that you use for creating other similar forms. Once saved, the new templates appear in your Templates list with the other templates. This gives you a lot of freedom to create and use just the right form—when you want and how you want it.

Open this video for instructions on how to add a logo to your forms.

You can add a custom field to an Item, add this custom field as a column to your form templates and then you can add this custom column to reports.

On a document, you can record data in the custom column for each item you enter on the form. You must enter the data manually, QuickBooks will not enter anything in these custom columns for you. Once the document is saved, you will be able to see the data in reports.

Set up the Custom Field:

1. From the Lists menu, select Item List.
2. Double-click any item to open the Edit Item window.
3. Click Custom Fields and then click Define Fields.
4. Add a new field named Service Date in the Label field.
5. Click OK three times, and then repeat Steps 2 through 4 for additional custom fields that you may wish to add.

Add the custom field to a Template:

1. From the Lists menu, select Templates.
2. Double-click the desired form to open the Customize [Form] window.
3. In QuickBooks 2007 and QuickBooks Enterprise Version 7 only, click Additional Customization.
4. Click the Columns tab
5. Clear the checkbox for SERVICED (QuickBooks provided field). This field will no longer be used.
6. Select Service Date (The custom field created above).
7. Click OK to save your changes.

Add the Custom Field to your report:

1. Display the report and click Modify Report.
2. In the Columns box, scroll down and place a check mark next to your custom field.
3. Click OK.
4. Click Memorize to save this report for future use.

This error can happen if the QuickBooks file and/or the logo file is stored on some form of removable storage, such as a USB ZIP drive or a solid-state memory drive. To resolve this issue, move the QuickBooks company file and/or logo file to the computer hard drive.