A/R Invoice and Statements Designer

Use the Report Designer feature in Accountingis a highly powerful tool that is used to customize and design layouts for the Accounts Receivable Invoices and/or Accounts Receivable Statements that your organization sends to its clients. The Report Designer provides you with the tools to design the appearance of the invoices that will be sent to your Accounts Receivable Clients. This tool lets you change the intricate details of each field on your report: size, position, separators, headers and footers, etc. This is a very involved tool and usually only used by those very familiar with customization and designing that have specific requirements.

When the software is first installed, there are layouts that are already included and available for you to use, such as Invoice — Payment Coupon , Simple Invoice, or Simple Statement, etc. The default layouts that come with Church Windows will all say [Template] and then the name of the layout. These templates cannot be modified or replaced, however they can be used as a starting point as long as you enter a new name when you save the layout. Any layout that you modify or create cannot have [Template] before the name of the layout. First, check to see if you like the way these layouts show the contents of the invoice or statement, if so you can disregard using these instructions. Otherwise, if you are interested in making changes to fit your needs, select one of the layouts, make changes to it, and save it under a different name of your choice (you cannot save over the original layouts without renaming). Or click the New button to start from scratch.

How to Use the Report Designer

The following provide you with the basic overall steps to use the Statement / Invoice Designer. The instructions break down the contents of the screen into five sections:

Step-by-Step Instructions

The steps below refer to the areas of the screen by the letters indicated in the screenshot shown above.

Click an item from the [B] Standard Controls Tool Box.
Choose whether you are putting the item in the [C] Header, the [D] Detail, or the [E] Footer.
For the item that you chose in [B], click and drag the mouse button in the area chosen — [C], [D], or [E]. This will trace the perimeter of the item you chose in [B] and add it to the form.
Click a desired option from the [A] Format Toolbar to format the appearance, size, and other characteristics of item added to the form.
Click the arrow on the selected item on the form, as shown in the image below.

Note:
In the image above, the arrow points to the left. When the item is selected, this arrow points to the right and the task menu does not show. Click the arrow, however, and you will get a menu like the one above to appear. This menu lets you apply characteristics that are only specific to the item selected on the form.

Repeat Steps 4 through 5 until you are satisfied with the appearance of the object. At any time, you can move the object around and change its size. You can also press the Preview button in the lower left corner of the screen to see a demonstration of how the item(s) added to the form will appear. If you want to add a new item from [B], Repeat Steps 1 through 5.

Note:
To move objects very precisely, you can hold down the CTRL key and use the arrow keys on your keyboard (←, ↑, →, or ↓) to move the object(s) very minutely. You can also hold the SHIFT key along with CTRL and the use arrow keys to either stretch or shrink the size of the object(s).

Finally, when you are finished, press the Save As button at the top of the screen. Enter a name that you would like your form to have and press the OK button. Your new layout will be ready for you to use.

Sections of the Report Designer

[A] Format Toolbar

The two toolbars at the top of the screen allow you to save the layout under a specific name and adjust the font size, font style, text alignment, as well as zooming further in and further out. Below is a complete list of the items from left to right, starting with the top toolbar and ending with the bottom toolbar. Both toolbars are separated into their own groups.

Top Toolbar

	Gives you the option to save the layout under a different name, especially if you have created a layout already and do not want it to be saved under the name that represents the already created layout.
	Updates the layout on which you are currently working.
	After you have selected any object or text, click this button to make a copy of the item to the clipboard while removing the item from the layout.
	After you have selected any object or text, click this button to make a copy of the item to the clipboard. When you click the button it will appear as if nothing has happened. This is because the function of copying the item to the clipboard is not visible to the eye when inside this layout. Note: To be reassured that the item was copied to the clipboard successfully, you will have to use the Paste button.
	Click this Paste button to place any item or text in the form that has been copied to the clipboard via the Cut or Copy button.
	Click this button to undo the last operation performed.
	Click this button to redo the last operation. For example, if you pressed the Undo button and changed your mind immediately afterwards, you can press the Redo button to cancel that operation.
	When you are selecting any item that has editable text for which you can choose different fonts, click the dropdown button and make a choice from this box. Fonts that you can use to change the style in which the text appears for your item selected can be chosen from this box.
	When you are selecting any item that has editable text for which you can choose a different font size, click the dropdown button and make a choice from this box. Font sizes that you can use to change the size in which the text appears for your item selected can be chosen from this box.
	Click this button to show in bold typeface any item that presents editable text.
	Click this button to show in italicized typeface any item that presents editable text.
	Click this button to show in underlined typeface any item that presents editable text.
	Click this button to align editable text of any object to the left margin.
	Click this button to align editable text of any object to the center margin.
	Click this button to align editable text of any object to the right margin.
	Click this button to align editable text so that it reaches both left and right margins with the spacing needed on each line to do so. In other words, if you would like to have text be equally aligned towards the left as you would like to have it aligned towards the right margin, press this button.
	Click this button to set the foreground color of the selected item.
	Click this button to set the background color of the selected item.
	This feature allows you to zoom further in and further out from the normal appearance of the layout. For instance, zooming in consists of making the objects bigger so that you can get a closer look at individual objects or text on the form without making size changes to any items. In the same respect, zooming out makes the items smaller in the same respect. Either use the dropdown box to choose a percentage, or click the (-) or (+) buttons on either side to zoom further out or further in.

Bottom Toolbar

After having clicked on a control from the [B] Standard Controls Tool Box and having placed the control on the form, you can use any of the following buttons to apply formatting to the control. Eight of the twenty-five controls on this list can be used with at least one control. These controls have been marked in the list below with an (*) asterisk.

To use any of the rest of the seventeen controls on the bottom toolbar, you must first select at least two controls that have been already added to the form.

To Grid (*)	Align the positions of the selected controls to the grid.
Lefts	Left align the selected controls.
Centers	Align the centers of the selected controls vertically.
Rights	Right align the selected controls.
Tops	Align the tops of the selected controls.
Middles	Align the centers of the selected controls horizontally.
Bottoms	Align the bottoms of the selected controls.
Width	Make the selected controls have the same width.
Size to Grid (*)	Size the selected controls to the grid.
Height	Make the selected controls have the same height.
Both	Make the selected controls the same size.
Make Equal	Make the spacing between the selected controls equal.
Increase	Increase the spacing between the selected controls.
Decrease	Decrease the spacing between the selected controls.
Remove	Remove the spacing between the selected controls.
Make Equal	Make the spacing between the selected controls equal.
Increase	Increase the spacing between the selected controls.
Decrease	Decrease the spacing between the selected controls.
Remove	Remove the spacing between the selected controls.
Horizontally (*)	Horizontally center the selected controls within a band.
Vertically (*)	Vertically center the selected controls within a band.
Bring To Front (*)	Bring the selected controls to the front.
Send To Back (*)	Move the selected controls to the back.
	Click this button to make adjustments on the Appearance tab to adjust the colors and fonts of the columns and rows and then select the information to include on the Columns / Fields tab. * This field is only available when designing invoices.
	Click this button to choose the columns of information that should appear on the Statement. * This field is only available when designing statements.

[B] Standard Controls Tool Box

When any item from the list below is selected, you can place it anywhere in the [C] Header, the [D] Detail, and/or [E] Footer.

Note:
When you first enter the screen, the pointer object in the Standard Controls will appear as underlined. This is an example of what indicates the object as active and ready for you to use. And when you click a different item, that new item will then contain the line underneath it.

The following is an alphabetical list of all the fields inside the Report Designer. Most of these fields can be added to both statements and invoices. However, for those fields that can be added to either statements, or invoices, an indication has been made with an asterisk ( * ) next to the explanation specifying as to where the field can be added or found:

	The Balance field represents the ending balance, or the balance as of the date that the statement was printed. * This field is only available when designing statements.
	The Border object is a square that you can use to surround any items you wish to enclose.
	The Client Account Name field represents the name associated with the client being sent the statement or invoice.
	The Client Account Number field represents the number on the account associated with the client.
	The Client Comments field represents comments that are listed with the client information.
	The Client Name field represents the first and last name of the Accounts Receivable client.
	The Client Name and Full Address field represents the first and last name of the client with their address information. The address information only includes the address number, street, city, state, and zip code.
	The Due Date field represents the date on which the invoice is due. The date that this box will show is set on the Enter Invoices screen. If you try to print the invoice and notice that no due date has printed when indeed you have added this field to the form, it means that the invoice was entered without a Due Date. It also means that any other invoices that are entered with a Due Date, will show the date on the invoice, provided that this box is added. * This field is only available when designing invoices.
	The Global Memo field represents a message that will appear on all copies ready to print, according to one of the following screens: Print Invoices: If you are printing invoices, having this field appear in the Report Designer layout will provide space for a message that is to appear on all invoices listed. Print Statements: If you are printing statements, having this field appear in the Report Designer layout will provide space for a message that is to appear on all statements listed. Note: Do not place the actual text that you want the Global Memo field to print on paper, in the box inside the designer. Placing text in the field on the form from within the designer might cause confusion when, in the future, there might be a need to change the text.
	The Horizontal Line object represents a straight line that you can draw on the form that extends from left to right, and vice-versa.
	The Invoice Memo field represents the memo information recorded with any one invoice. If you add this field to the Report Designer layout, any information that has been entered in the Invoice Memo (Optional) box for any client shown on the Print Invoices screen will print on that invoice. * This field is only available when designing invoices.
	The Invoice Number field uniquely identifies the invoice by a number that is set either when you enter your first invoice, or when you enter a new Starting Invoice Number in the Accounting Settings screen. In order to identify each invoice as being different from another, this number increases every time you enter a new invoice. * This field is only available when designing invoices.
	The Label field represents a blank area that is available for any text that you would like to enter and have appear on every statement or invoice that uses the layout you are adjusting with the Report Designer. Sometimes, you can use this to enter a few set spaces between objects and fields. While at other times, you can enter text of your choice.
	The Logo or Image field is an object that lets you determine a place on the Report Designer layout to add a picture or design found on your hard drive. For example, if you would like to add a logo that your organization prints on most of its brochures, bulletins, etc, you can also add it onto your statements and invoices. To do this, however, your computer must have access to the logo, which must have already been created. Then, you can use the software to position it on the Report Designer layout.
	The Organization Info field will allow you to further customize the Organization Info you can click on the Statement Designer at the top to open the report design interface. Here, you can drag and drop the Organization Info field from the right, and when you let go of the mouse button, you can further customize which organization info fields and where you want them:
	The Pointer object is to be selected only for when you would like to move any object or field to any desired place on the Report Designer layout.
	The Shape object represents any symmetrical object that you wish to add to the form. Some of the available shapes include an ellipse, a circle, a pentagon, a hexagon, etc, which are available once the shape is added to the form. Note: First, click the Shape item from the list, then add it to the form. Once you add it to the form, click the arrow for additional details on the shape.
	The Starting Balance field represents the balance that was manually entered in the software, if entered, for any particular client. For any new Chart of Accounts created from scratch — not copied from any given year — The Beginning Balances screen allows for a place for a balance to be entered for your clients. This way, if any client has a pending balance when the Chart of Accounts is set up, you can enter the balance. This serves as the dollar amount that the statement will show, if you add this field to the form. * This field is only available when designing statements.
	The Statement Date field represents the date that the statement is printed. * This field is only available when designing statements.
	The Statement Memo field represents the information that was entered in the Statement Memo (optional) field for any client listed on the Print Statements screen. * This field is only available when designing statements.
	The Total Amount Due field represents the total dollar amount that the person receiving the invoice is to pay to your organization. * This field is only available when designing invoices.
	The Transaction Comments field represents the comment information that was entered into the software at the time that the invoice was prepared via the Invoice Accounts Receivable screen. Note: This field is different than the Invoice Memo and Global Memo items that you can add to the form. The information that this field will print on the invoice is only specific to the transaction that is entered in the Enter Invoice screen for any specific invoice. * This field is only available when designing invoices.
	The Transaction Date Occurred field represents the date on which the invoice was entered into the software via the Enter Invoice Accounts Receivable. * This field is only available when designing invoices.
	The Vertical Line object represents a straight line that you can draw on the form that extends from left to right, and vice-versa.

Once you have your layout completely setup, go up to the top left and click the Save As button to give it a Statement Layout name, so that you can select it the next time you wish to print your statements / invoices with a specific layout. Enter a name or edit the current name and click OK.

Note:
When naming a new report layout, keep in mind that you are creating a template which can be used for other reports with different data in the future, therefore names should NOT include specific dates or the search criteria you used to compile the report. Instead, the name should indicate what kind of information will be included in the report.

Exit out of Report Designer. The saved layout will now be listed in the drop box for use in the future and you will be returned to the Step 2 screen of Accounts Receivable Invoices or Accounts Receivable Statements where you can click Print to view a Print Preview and send the statements to your printer.