Report Designer: Printout Template Customization

Report Designer: Printout Template Customization

Overview

Printout templates are used to generate item-based documents such as invoices, credit notes, quotes, and other printable patient sale records. A printout  is generated from the context of a specific item (for example, from a Credit Note or Quote via the Print action). 
Info
Standard (built-in) templates are read-only and cannot be modified directly.
Customization is done by duplicating an existing standard template and modifying the copy to match clinic or company requirements.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Custom Printout Template 

  1. Go to Environment settings → Print settings → Printing templates. 
  2. Locate the required standard printout template (for example, Credit Note [Basic]). 
  3. Open the three-dot menu next to the template and select Duplicate.

    A new custom template is created and listed separately. 
  4. Make the required layout and formatting changes. 
  5. Save the template. 
The custom template is now available for use when printing the corresponding items. 

Editor Structure and Navigation

Report Bands (Layout Structure)

A printout layout consists of bands. Bands define where controls appear and how often they are printed on the document. You can view, select, and manage bands using the colored panel on the left side of the report canvas.


A report layout consists of bands that contain report controls and define their location on document pages.
Commonly used bands include:
  1. Top Margin / Bottom Margin
    Printed once on every page. Typically used for page numbers or static footer text.
  2. Report Header
    Printed once per document. Used for unique item information such as document number, date, patient details, or clinic information.
  3. Group Headers
    Used when data is grouped (for example, grouping line items by category).
  4. Detail Band
    Displays repeating data from the dataset. This band is printed once for each record (for example, each product or service).
AlertBand Usage Rules
  1. Place unique item data (invoice number, date) in header bands. 
  2. Place repeating data (products, services, payments) in detail bands. 

Report Designer Interface Overview



When editing a printout template, the Report Designer interface consists of the following main areas: 

(1) Left panel – Toolbox
The Toolbox contains controls that can be added to the printout layout:
  1. Label 
    Displays static text.
  2. Picture Box 
    Used for images such as clinic logos.
  3. Table 
    Displays structured, tabular data such as line items.
Info
To add a control, drag it from a Toolbox and drop it onto the report canvas.

(2) Upper panel - Document Viewer Toolbar
Provides standard actions such as:
  1. Cut, copy, paste
  2. Undo / redo
  3. Zoom and scaling options

(3) Right panel – Configuration Tabs
The right panel contains four tabs used to configure the printout:
  1. Properties
    Displays settings for the selected element, such as title, formatting, alignment, borders, and size.
  2. Expressions 
    Used to define calculated or formatted values based on existing fields. When editing an expression, the Expression Editor opens.
  3. Fields
    Displays all dataset fields available for use in the printout.
    Users can:
    1. Search for fields and drag them onto the canvas.
    2. Create calculated fields based on existing fields.
Alert
Do not modify or delete existing dataset fields.
  1. Report Explorer
    Shows a hierarchical view of all bands and elements, helping with navigation and selection.

(4) Center – Report Canvas 
The Report Canvas is the central area where the layout is visually designed.
You can position, resize, and align elements directly on the canvas.

(5) Preview mode 
Preview mode shows how the printout will look with real data before saving or using the template. It is recommended to preview changes after each significant modification. 

Understanding Printout Data 

Printout templates use predefined datasets. If certain information is missing in the template, it means the data is not provided by predefined queries.
Key points to understand:
  1. Only fields included in the dataset are supported.
  2. New datasets or fields (unless based on an existing field) cannot be created within template. Only calculated fields derived from existing data fields can be used.
  3. If required information is not available, the customer is advised to submit a request for the field to be added.
In many cases, datasets contain more fields than are shown in the default layout. These additional fields can be used in custom templates.

Step-by-Step: Common Customization Tasks

The following tasks describe the most common and supported customizations for printout templates.

Add a data field

  1. Open the Fields panel (1).
  2. Locate the required field in the dataset (2).
  3. Drag the field onto the Design Canvas (3).

  4. Adjust formatting using the Properties panel.
    Hint: It is often easiest to copy formatting from another field. Select an existing field with the desired appearance while the Properties panel is open, then select the new field and apply the same property values.
  5. Preview the printout to validate data binding.

Add table columns

  1. Select the table on the Design Canvas.
  2. Select an existing column.
  3. Insert a new column to the left or right.


  4. Drag a dataset field into the new column.
  5. Adjust column width and alignment.
  6. Preview the result.

Remove unnecessary elements

  1. Right-click the element to remove on the Design Canvas.
  2. Select Delete from the context menu.


  3. If removing table columns, resize remaining columns to maintain layout.
  4. Use Preview mode to confirm the result.

Add space on the Canvas

In most cases, you can create additional space in a printout template by expanding an existing band. 
If you need to introduce a new logical section for a larger amount of new information, you can also insert a new band.

Expand an existing band
Use this approach when you need more space within the same logical section of the printout.
  1. On the Design Canvas, locate the band where you want to add content.
  2. Hover over the bottom edge of the band until the resize handle appears.
  3. Drag the handle downward to increase the band height.
  4. Add or reposition elements within the expanded area.
Advanced: Insert a new band
Insert a new band only if you need a new logical section (for example, separating grouped data or adding a dedicated footer section).
  1. On the Design Canvas, right-click a band next to where you want to add space.
  2. Select Insert Band from the context menu.
  3. Choose the required band type (for example, Report Header, Group Header, or Footer).
  4. Adjust the band height and add elements as needed.

Adjust fonts, colors, borders, and background 

  1. Select the element to format.
  2. Use the Properties panel to adjust fonts, colors, borders, and alignment.
  3. Apply consistent formatting across similar elements.
  4. Preview the changes.

Add calculated field

  1. Insert a Label or Text control.
  2. Define a calculation using the Expressions panel.

  3. Preview to validate results.

  1. In the Toolbox, select Picture Box.
  2. Drag the Picture Box onto the Design Canvas, typically into the Report Header section.

  3. The Picture Box is selected automatically.
  4. In the Properties panel, locate the image source setting.

  5. Select the image to be use.
  6. Adjust size and position using drag handles or Picture Box tasks in the Properties panel.
  7. Use Preview mode to verify alignment.

Add specialist signature

You can add a specialist’s signature to a printout in two supported ways, depending on how the signature is stored.

Option 1: Use signatures uploaded in Environment settings
Environment Settings → Scheduler Settings → Specialists → Signature
  1. Add a Table to the report canvas with two rows.
  2. In the first (upper) row, enter a static label such as “Signature”.
  3. Open the Fields panel on the right.
  4. Expand jsonDataSource > specialist.
  5. Locate the signatureUrl field.
  6. Drag and drop specialist.signatureUrl into the second (lower) row of the table.
  7. Adjust size and alignment using the Properties panel.
  8. Use Preview mode to verify that the signature is displayed correctly.

Option 2: Upload a PDF signature from your computer
  1. Drag PDF Signature from the Toolbox onto the report canvas.
  2. Select the PDF Signature control.
  3. In PDF content tasks > Source, click the three-dot button.
  4. Browse to the required PDF file and click Open.
  5. Resize and position the signature as needed.
  6. Preview the printout to confirm the result.
More information about the underlying Web Report Designer framework is available in the developer documentation: Report Designer | DevExpress End-User Documentation.

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