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Customize form templates in QuickBooks Desktop for MAC

SOLVED•by QuickBooks•9•Updated September 25, 2023

Learn how to create templates and use the Layout Designer to customize forms in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

The Layout Designer helps you create form templates in line with your brand. It is a built-in feature that launches when you open or edit a template in the form window. We’ll show you how.

  1. Look for the Current Template list at the top of a form.
  2. Choose an existing template and select Edit Current Template, or choose New Template.
  3. Make your changes, and select File, then Save or File.
  4. To save your template, select Save as.

Note: You can't edit the sample data on the template in Layout Designer.

Add form fields

You can simply add or remove fields that apply to each of your sales forms. Here’s how.

  1. Select Fields, then choose any of the field options.
  2. Select the Print box if you want the field to appear on the printed form.
  3. Select the Screen box if you want to see the field on your computer screen while filling out the form.
  4. If you need to move a field, select and drag it on the form.
  5. To save your changes, select the File menu and then select Save As.

Resize form columns

You can change the width of columns on a form, so it's easier to see the contents.

Hover your cursor over the column edge, and when the cursor changes to a bar with an arrow (double-pointed arrow cursor), select and drag it.

Customize your form template

Create sales forms that are professional, presentable, and speak your brand. Here’s a list of other things you can do with the Layout Designer.

  1. In the template window, select Add Image on the toolbar.
  2. Choose the image you want to add, then select Open.Tip: You can add PDF, GIF, TIF, JPG, BMP, PICT, and PNG images.
  1. In the template window, select the text you want to reformat.
  2. In the Formatting Palette, change the horizontal alignment, vertical alignment, color, or font of the text.
  1. In the template window, select the Text, Text Box, Box, or Line button on the toolbar.
  2. Draw the object in the template window, then use the Formatting Palette to customize the way the object looks.

You can select anything in your template. You can drag a corner handle to make the object bigger or smaller. Move multiple objects at once by holding down the Shift key when you select it.

In an invoice template, select Format, then Document. Select the Alternating row box and pick a color.

Layout Designer has guidelines that can help you align the objects on your form.To do this:

  1. Go to View, then select Smart Guides to turn on guides that move with the object.
  2. Select Insert, then select Guides to insert vertical or horizontal guidelines you can position on your page. Guidelines do not appear on the form when you print.
  3. Select Grid in the Layout Designer toolbar. You can then use the Grid bar that appears below the toolbar to set the size of the grid squares and units.
  4. Turn the grid on and off, then set the Snap to Grid.

Envelopes settings

QuickBooks Desktop for Mac has a default envelope layout for you to choose or you can create a new layout from scratch or customize an existing template.

  1. Go to QuickBooks, then select Settings.
  2. Select Envelope.
  3. Choose an envelope from the pop-up menu.
  4. Close Preferences window.
  1. Select the form type you’d like to customize, like an invoice or sales receipt.
  2. Select the Current Template ▼ dropdown menu, then select New Template or Edit Current Template.
  3. Select File, then select Open.
  4. Select Envelope, then select an envelope template and select Choose.
  5. To save your changes, close the window and then select Save.
    To print the envelope, select Print Envelope.To save your form changes, select the File menu and then select Save As.

FAQs

To create templates that work with your own pre-printed forms, select File, then select Print Without Labels to print your template without field labels.

This lets you see the labels in the Template window. You can create your template and the labels won't appear on your printed form.

To change the paper size, select File, then select Page Setup to choose a different size or orientation.

When you change the paper size or orientation, the Template window canvas size changes too. Save this page setup with the new template setting. If you use this template, all transactions will be in this format.

Templates created in older versions of QuickBooks Desktop for Mac will work in 2023 and later. You can continue to apply the template to transactions and print it, but you won't be able to edit it.

No, QuickBooks Desktop for Windows saves templates in a different format and can’t be converted for use in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

By copying and pasting fields and other objects to another template, you get the same template formatting of the objects. However, you can't paste fields into a different form type. For example, invoice fields into a purchase order, you can't paste any fields that don't apply to purchase order.

A template can only have one set of columns, you can’t copy and paste columns into a template that has a set of columns.

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