I agree!! I use online and have spent more time trying to find/use features that they eliminated! 

We have several different kinds of estimates and/or invoices we use, and in Desktop could easily use that template. Here, there is very little choice, none of which really offer functionality. For one thing, why is fully 1/3 to 1/2 of the page at the top given over to logo and address and so on and not actual content?? This makes every estimate at least two pages long. And it's all one massive block of text - no gridlines, no shading. Took me forever to figure out how to even have a blank line (put a dot in description and assign a class to it, or you won't get your blank line). It's about as amateurish as if they just invented QB, when Desktop had so many features to choose from!

Online has charged more and taken away features, rather than offering more. 

I guess your Product Development Team isn't working THAT hard on dealing with this issue. Here we are in April 2022 and I still can't add shading on my estimates or invoicing.  I have 15 to 20 different line items with different pricing in my Estimates...AND IT ALL LOOKS A JUMBLED MESS!!!!!

I pay all this money EVERY YEAR for QB Pro. And QB can't resolve this simple issue??

Maybe somebody can recommend a different accounting software for me....

I totally agree! Can someone please recommend another accounting software?  I've been using QP pro for 15 years and this is the last straw!  

They want me to upgrade to QP Enterprise for some frigging shading feature....that we always had before!!!

SCREW THAT!!

Hello, @AlexxxG.

I can understand how useful this option is for the most of the program's users. The process of adding new features may take some time since they'll assess number of request. 

I invite you to provide input to our developers so that this feature can be added to future releases. Rest assured, I'll do the same on my end.

Here's how:

1. Select Send Feedback Online from the Help menu.
2. Click the Product Suggestion from the drop-down menu.
3. Fill out the on-screen instructions in the QuickBooks Feedback window.
4. After that, click Send Feedback.

Check out this article: Use and customize form templates to learn what modified templates can be exported and imported to QuickBooks.

You can discover a third-party program that supports sales form customization in our QuickBooks Desktop App Center. To filter the results, you'll just type a term into the search field or browse the categories.

For now, you can visit the QuickBooks Blog to check for new updates and features that we have. I also invite you to visit the Firm of the Future site. It contains resources and tips to help easily use QuickBooks.

Please let me know if you have any other queries concerning QuickBooks. I'm always happy to lend a hand in any manner I can. Enjoy the remainder of your day!

Thank you MaryJoyD, but the first half of your response is bogus. 

QB does not need to go through a process of creating and adding a new feature. It simply needs to put back an existing feature which it took away from the Pro platform about two years ago. This feature exists on the more expensive platform(s).

Very disappointed QB has yet to take ownership of this and just say, "Yes we took it away, we are not interested in bringing it back to the Pro platform, you have to pay $200 more per year for this feature now on the Premier version." (If it's even available on Premier, you may need Enterprise).

Its complete BS.

Another disappointed user here. It's really sad that a company with such a longstanding reputation would take away a feature like this and then feign that the only option is to "suggest a new feature" and wait for the product development team. The code is already written, just give us back the option.

You can not enhance what was there previously.  You took away something that should remain in place as a basic standard feature

I have enterprise and have the same issue cant print shaded lines

How is it possible that I can do the shaded lines in invoices but not in estimates. Why is this not an included feature? I need to add 5 blank rows between my line items on my estimates or everything looks like a big mess. Please bring back shaded lines on estimates  If your solution is "spend more money" I will spend my money with a new software company.

Hello there, @lazyturtle.

I can see that the change has caused inconvenience to you. I encourage you to submit feedback by clicking on the Gear icon and choosing Feedback. This way our engineers can consider making improvements in the process in future updates.

Here's how:
 

1. Choose to Send Feedback Online from the Help menu.
2. Tap the Product Suggestion from the drop-down menu.
3. Fill out the on-screen instructions in the QuickBooks Feedback window.
4. After that, hit Send Feedback.

Once done, you can visit our QuickBooks Desktop App Center to find a third-party application that handles sales form customization. Just enter a keyword in the search bar or browse through the categories to filter the results.

In addition, here's an article that will help you personalize your sales forms to match your business needs: Use and customize form templates.

Keep me posted if there's anything else you need aside from not seeing the Shade alternate table rows option. Just leave a comment below, and I'll get back to you.

Is there a way to print the grid lines and shaded group headers on reports as they appear on the screen?  Even when I check to print the report in color they do not appear.  A report of several pages and columns is hard to read when the grid lines do not print.  It is a lot of unnecessary work putting it Excel just to get the grid lines and shaded headers that are on the screen for every report.  Here's a snapshot of what I am referring to.

Thanks for joining in on this thread, @DSAcct.

I can see the relevance of being able to print reports in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) with shaded group headers so they would be more visible. Currently, this option isn't available in QBDT. We value your voices and aim to provide reliable services relevant to your business needs. That said, let me help you relay this brilliant idea to our Product Development team. They might consider your feature request and include it in our future software updates. To do that:

1. Go to Help and select Send Feedback Online.
2. Select Product Suggestion.
3. In the Type of Feedback dropdown, select Product Suggestion.
4. Select Reports in the Product Area.
5. Enter a brief description of your feature recommendation, and please click Send Feedback.

In addition, QBDT allows us to customize any report we generate. This way, we can filter the data, add or delete columns, and even personalize its style. 

Feel free to return to this thread if you need further assistance with reports. We're here to ensure that all your concerns are well-taken care of. Have a great day ahead!

Thank you for the quick response. I've submitted the feedback.

"Rest assured our Product Developer is always looking for ways to enhance QuickBooks and meet the demands of our users." Yeah but they didn't enhance it. They made if worse. I mean they enhanced it for Intuit, but not for the user.

I have the same Issue. I've been using QuickBooks desktop contractor edition, just upgraded to 2023 for $800 and they've removed this feature. What a shame... I don't think QuickBooks will be getting another dime out of me. Forcing customers to pay an additional $??? for alternating rows?.. Clearly all this company thinks about is $$$$$$$. 

My team switched us to Online when I was on mat leave, when I returned I cancelled it and spent 3 months moving all of our missed data back to Desktop - never again, the online version is horrid.  We use Premier Contractor and I cannot get the lines or shading as it's "not an option", so stupid as we have invoices that average two pages long and some of the customers are elderly - not very user friendly to have no option other than to "upgrade".

definitely not available on Desktop Premier Contractor....

This is absolutely ridiculous. I know I used to have the feature on my estimates and invoices and now it all just runs together in a blob. I just spent over an hour wasting my time looking over the options for customizing my templates for fixing the issue and was unable to find anything and honestly it looks like other options for customization has been taken away. Why is it that the program that I paid for is slowly being stripped of features. I'm about to stop my quickbooks desktop pro program from being able to access the internet so I don't have these forced updates that take features away. But I do need to still be able to access the internet so looks like my only other option would be to switch to some other product. Thanks quickbooks for nothing but suggestions that don't help.

It is absolutely ridiculous that 4 years later this has still not been resolved. I too have spent time online trying to find a way to do this. This is a BASIC feature of any free service and all spreadsheets. QB is very expensive to already, to pay more for a BASIC feature is unacceptable. So frustrating.

I know! I had given up and got the email alert of your reminder it has been 4 years. Insane that this is still an issue.