How To Use Quick Printing Features

Using Quick Print

Wherever you are in Collect! you can click on the Print pull down menu to access Quick Print to obtain an expedient, ad hoc method of outputting data. Whether you are on a single record, a list, or a tagged list of records, this method will allow you to extract information for use or further spreadsheet manipulation outside of Collect!. It can also be the output of choice after you have created an ad hoc query using the Edit Search Criteria window accessible from any list.

After you have clicked \Print\Quick Print to display the Print Report popup and made your choices of output format, then clicked the Print button to generate the output, you will be asked whether you want to "Print all details in the report". Your response to this depends on what degree of detail you want to output.

If you select Yes to all details, your Quick Print report will contain all data that the system is capable of outputting for the record type you are currently viewing. If this is a debtor list, it will include all demographics/ phones/financials. If it is a Contacts or Transactions list, the output will include all defined fields for that record type.

If you select No to all details, your Quick Print report will output a limited number of output columns.

We recommend experimenting with both to familiarize with what your data output options are in this category of ad hoc report query.

The fields which are output in All details or Not all details versions is hardcoded into the program. If either output contains information that you do not wish to have in your report, use your spreadsheet or text editor program to delete that column from the output.

Once you have the output, you can sort/sub-sort by the criteria of your choosing, remove or reorganize the order of the columns, add sub-totals or grand totals using auto-sums and other spreadsheet functions to make the report exactly as you need it without having to obtain custom programming.

You can also add your logos or other company information to personalize and stylize your reports even further.

Another form of quick Printing is accessing the Print drop-down menu while on an individual debtor or client or Anywhere in the system with the objective of rendering a specific report or letter. By clicking \Print\ Reports and Letters, you gain access to the list of reports you are able to launch from wherever you are currently located in the system. To launch any report or letter without the necessity of a "Letter" contact event, find your report in the list, highlight the entry and click to select. When the Print Report popup window appears, select your desired output format and click the Print button to generate the document.

If you are looking for a report and can't find it, that may be due to the document's "Start On" screen being specific to a record type and your current location in the system is not within that record. Example: if the report or letter Starts On "Debtor", then you must be on a debtor list or individual debtor screen to see the document in the Print Menu list of available reports/letters.

Customizing List Views

When you Browse and select a record type such as Debtor, Client, or Transaction, OR, enter into a Tab on a Debtor or Client screen, you are presented with a List of items displayed under a series of labeled columns. This row of titled columns is referred to as the list "view" and is modifiable on levels of global for all users or individual, views on a per user basis.

By right-clicking on any labeled row of column names displaying a list, you will get a popup that invites you to Insert or Remove fields, as well as Move fields or Restore Default settings. This flexibility allows you to have the information readily accessible that is most important and relevant for your job function.

It is also possible to re-size list columns to make them wider or more narrow, to allow additional columns to be inserted. By clicking into the column title, move your mouse until it is hovering over the connecting divider line between columns to widen or contract a column width.

Print Via Browser

If you need to view or preview a print output in HTML format, Click \Print\Settings\ Report and Printer Setup, then click the Printer Setup button in the lower right corner to reach the Printer Setup window. Click the box beside Print Via Browser so that is checked into the ON position. Then press Exit and you will be back at the Print Report screen. Now you will see a Print Preview choice that wasn't there before. Choose this and click the Print button to view your Print output results in HTML format.

Using Batch Printing

You can print batches of letters and reports whenever you are viewing a list. When you display a list and then select a report to print you will be asked if you want to print only One record or All records in the current list.

ONE prints the report or letter for only the current record you are on, or is the first record at the top of a list you are viewing that has no tagged records.

ALL prints the letter or report for all records in the list where no list is tagged or for only the tagged records when you are on a full list but have tagged.

CANCEL cancels the print request.

Some reports already perform looping. If you select to print All records, the report will try to run the report 1x for each record in the tagged list. This will result in output that appears that the report is in an endless loop. It is not - it is doing what you told it to: run the report 1x for every record in the list. If you have 2778 debtors tagged, it will try to run the report 2778 times. If you are operating with a tagged list, choose ONE record as the system will view "1 List" as One record.

Printing Totals

If a field's result data is too wide in the print totals, it will display as ######. Update your report to display more positions or contact Technical Services for assistance at 250-391-0466 option 2.

See Also

- How To Print A Sample Report Or Letter
- How To Get Started Creating Reports and Letters