How do I customize invoice template after update?

Hello, Jay.

I'm here to share update about the issue you're getting when printing customized invoices in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

Are you experiencing issues where you are only receiving blank invoices or only the logo and signature when printing customized invoices? If so, we have received similar reports from other users. Our product engineers are actively working to resolve this problem as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, I suggest contacting our Support team o they can include your information in our notification list. This will assist our engineers in assessing the number of users affected. Rest assured, once the issue is resolved, you will receive an email notification.

Here's how to reach them:

1. In QuickBooks Online (QBO), click the Help (question mark) icon at the top right,
2. Select a suggested option, or type a question or topic you need help with.
3. Tick Contact Us and choose a way to connect with us.

To check for our Support hours, please refer to this article: QuickBooks Online Support.

I'm also adding this article that tackles fixing printing issues in QBO for future reference: Test sequence for PDF printing issues.

Please let me know if you have follow-up questions about this or anything else. I'm always here to assist. Take care.

I appreciate your response, but my concern isn't related to receiving blank invoices or logo/signature issues.

I'm encountering a different problem.

What I'm trying to convey is that the new invoice format after the recent update is proving to be very inconvenient and less effective.

I'm looking to customize the invoice template, similar to how I did it before the update, but it appears that the current interface doesn't provide me with that option.

I've attached an image for reference.

The image on the left depicts the invoice template before the update, while the one on the right is the template after the update.

The blue box in the customer information and invoice details area is significantly larger now.

This alteration results in invoices often extending beyond one page, which makes record-keeping challenging.

My question is, is there a method to customize the invoice template after this recent update?

Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your response, Jay.

I understand how important it is to use the invoice format that you prefer. The new invoice format may be challenging due to its changed appearance and altered interface positioning compared to the old version. Rest assured that I can guide you on customizing the invoice template and sales form styles. You can also go back to the old layout whenever you want. 

To customize sales form styles, here's how:

1. Click the Gear icon.
2. Select Custom Form Styles.
3. Select New Styles on the top right of the page and choose Invoice.
4. Start customizing everything, rename the template, and hit Done.
5. Open or create an invoice you wish to customize.
6. Select Manage.
7. Under the Design tab, select the invoice template you customized earlier under the Other templates section.
    
8. Now go to PDF View in the ribbon tabs to download the PDF and review before you send.

For more details about customizing sales forms, refer to this article: Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts in QuickBooks Online.

Feel free to visit this article to learn how to print packing slip:

Create and print a packing slip

Let me know if you have any other concerns about the customization of invoices. I'm always here to help. Have a great day!

Steps 6 through 9 do not exist

Hi Dawn,

Thank you for getting back to us here regarding the steps above. Allow me to chime in and clarify things about customizing invoice templates in QuickBooks Online.   

The steps above only apply to users using the new layout for invoices. For the old view, select a template through the Customize option at the bottom and the Print or Preview option for the PDF view.

See sample screenshots below for your visual reference:

Also, did you know you can split an estimate into as many invoices as you need in QuickBooks? I have a link here you can check out for more information about the feature: Set up and send progress invoices in QuickBooks Online.

Reach out anytime you need more help with the invoices or templates in QuickBooks. We're always ready to lend a hand. Have a great day.

Hello, going through this process does allow the invoice to print out and look how it did before. However, my invoice template looks different for me when I enter it. The older view of the invoice template when I entered it was so much more user friendly and I need to stay with what I am familiar with. How can the template look the way it used to for me when I enter an invoice?

Hello, @JBluePI.

I appreciate you following the steps provided by my colleague to print out an invoice and make it look how it did before. I know that software updates sometimes come with changes to the user interface and functionality. Rest assured, I'm here to assist you in switching back to the old layout that you are familiar with.

If you still have the option to switch to the old layout, you can follow the steps below.

1. Click the + New button.
2. Select Invoice.
3. At the upper-right corner of the screen, click the Old Layout button.
4. Read the prompt that will pop up on your screen, then click Leave.

However, if you don't have the option to switch back, I suggest sending feedback to improve your experience with QuickBooks Online (QBO). Our developers will read your inputs and consider them for future improvements in the program.

Here's how to do it:

1. Click the Gear icon, then select Feedback.
2. Enter your comments or product suggestions. Then select Next to submit feedback.

I'll leave this article with more information on the new layout for you to check out: See what's new with estimates and invoices in QuickBooks Online.

For future reference, you can browse this article on recording your customers' payments in QBO: Record invoice payments in QuickBooks Online.

Please reach out if you have follow-up concerns regarding the new layout. I'm just one post away to help you out.

Thank you for your response. I do not have the option to click "old layout". I will reach out and provide my feedback. 

I have the same issue and have invested countless hours designing the available templates in order to get a printed version that has the headers in the right place to mail, As well the invoices do no not print as shown after saved. The online support, after 4 hours informed me I had to upgrade from simple start. None of the plans indicate at what level you can actually design an invoice that you can will actually print as it appears online.

I have had no luck and have given up. It seems we would have the option to stay with what we are comfortable with. I'm trying to just used to the new version, but I am not happy with it at all. I really hope they take note and offer a solution for us to go back to what we used to see. 

I have had no luck and have given up. I am trying to get used to it but I cam not happy. I really hope they take note and offer us an option to go back to what we know and like. It's hindering my productivity. 

Has anyone had any luck reverting back to the old invoice format?  I've lost the ability to include fields for shipping method, tracking number, and shipping date.  These fields are critical for our business and our customers.  I've spent hours on the phone with support and the only information I was given is that those fields are "not yet available" in the new format.  No date given for when it will be fixed.  Beyond frustrating...  The solution I was given was to add custom fields.  This workaround is unsatisfactory though because I you can only add 3 custom fields (and I'm using one already for the customer's PO#). 

Hello there, @Stollen1954.

I acknowledge the need to switch back to the old invoice layout since it has valuable features that your business needs. Currently, users of Simple Start and Essential will be moved to the new invoice experience and will no longer be able to revert to the old invoice experience.

In the meantime, you can utilize the custom field to input information regarding the shipping method, tracking number, and shipping date. Moreover, as these invoice features are crucial for you and your business, I suggest submitting a request to our product engineering team so they can consider adding these functionalities in the future updates. Here's how:

1. Click the Gear icon, then select Feedback.
2. Enter your comments or product suggestions.
3. Select Next to submit feedback.

You can refer to this article to learn about the latest updates regarding invoices and estimates: See what’s new with estimates and invoices in QuickBooks Online.

If you want to personalize your sales forms in the invoice layout, you can check out this article: Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts in QuickBooks Online.

Let me know if you have other questions regarding invoice templates by replying to this post. I'll be glad to help you.

We MAIL  our invoices. New templete does not align now for mailing with the pdf. 

Using old default templete now does not offer to use pdf save and print. 

This NEW design it seems is trying to force us to use email as delivery system. I do NOT want to save and download to print.. 

There is No good way around all the comments to this issue it seems.

Maybe QBO needs to undo the New but Not improved invoicing.  What a mess. 

I’d like to emphasize all the other frustrations voiced on this thread. The new invoice format is beyond frustrating. The font styles, page spacing, and inability to customize the form produce unattractive and unprofessional looking invoices. Jay, the images you provided of the side-by-side invoices were spot-on. The new headings take up way too much room, pushing all of the important billing information to the bottom, often to two awkward pages. 

PLEASE resolve this issue!

Just adding to the thread - QBO PLEASE HELP! The PDF format is horrific and even USPS told me the mailing capability is questionable since I print and mail in black & white (why pay more for color?). QBO, please understand there are a lot of individual states that have laws requiring the PRINTING AND MAILING of invoices. One such example is Colorado and the HB23-1137 HOA statute. All HOA members must receive a printed and mailed invoice monthly. QBO you have a large number of HOA clients and I know several software companies are trying to use this as another example of why QBO isn't a good solution. Please allow for a decently formatted, black and white pdf invoice, that shows the account transaction history and the current charges on the invoice form.

I understand the significance of customizing our invoices, @LOA HOA User. 

 In QuickBooks Online (QBO), editing our invoices with a black-and-white format is currently unavailable. However, we can download the transaction and use a PDF reader app to customize it according to our preferences. 

You can also check out this article for additional info: Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts in QuickBooks Online. 

Moreover, browse this article to learn about tracking your customer remittances in QBO: Record invoice payments in QuickBooks Online. 

For further concerns about personalizing your sales forms, drop a comment below. Stay safe! 

SO FRUSTRATED!

My invoices were working just fine and all of a sudden, all of my Gridlines/Boxes that separate information have disappeared! I cannot find anything about this anywhere... I have checked all my settings... please tell me this in not an UPDATE as it looks horrible and messy.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, but doing something outside of quickbooks isn't a great solution. Simply need QBO to allow for a black and white formatted invoice that is clear, easy to read, and also meets the needs of those individuals who are visually impaired (no color shading, etc). This isn't a big ask - simply need to do a few things like make white an acceptable background color and that would eliminate the shading issue. Ironically, invoicing is one of the most fundamental functions of any accounting system and should be case tested against scenarios such as visually impaired recipients and USPS mailing best practices. Thank you.

We understand how important it is for you to have gridlines/boxes on your invoice in QuickBooks Online (QBO), CPLIMAGING. Allow me to go into detail about this matter.

With the new invoice layout, gridline is currently unavailable. If you wish to see the grids, you can switch back to the old layout. However, if you're using Simple Start or Essential version will be moved to the new invoice experience and will no longer be able to revert to the old invoice experience.

To address your concern, LOA HOA User. As a workaround, you can change the color by customizing it.

Here's How: 

1. Go to the Gear icon, under Your Company select the Custom form styles.
2. Under Design, choose the Try the colors and choose black.
3. Click Done.

You can also send feedback by following these steps:

1. Go to the Gear icon, select Feedback.
2. Enter your comments or product suggestions.
3. Then select Next to submit feedback.

If you want to personalize your sales forms in the invoice layout, you can check out this article: Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts in QBO.

If you have further concerns about new invoice layout, feel free to come back here in the Community. We're here to assist you 24/7.

New Styles > Invoice just gives me the Old Style templates to edit.

Thank you for posting here in the Community, ssssssssc.

To assist you better, I'd like to ask for more details on what part of the invoice in QuickBooks Online (QBO) you want to edit.

Any additional information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

I'll be on the lookout for your response. If you have additional concerns or any other QuickBooks-related concerns, feel free to include them in the comments. I'll be glad to lend a hand.