Custom formats toolbars

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To access the Custom Formats toolbars, choose Setup > Custom Formats to open the Custom Formats screen.

The Custom Formats screen provides three toolbars that are not used elsewhere in the application:

To show or hide a toolbar, right-click on the toolbar area and select the toolbar from the context menu.

Toolbox toolbar

The Toolbox toolbar provides commands for selecting items or creating a variety of objects in the workspace. Click a button name below for information on that button.

Computer mouse icon    Select

Reverts to a "normal" cursor, with which you can select text boxes and other items.

Letters A and B    Textbox

Places a new text box within the layout. Click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse pointer until the text box is the desired size, then release the left mouse button.

To enter text, double-click the text box or click the More More button button in the OutputValue field of the Properties pane. In the OutputValue Formula dialog, type the text that you want to appear in the text box.

Note: You can drag fields from the Fields pane into a regular text box.

Rich Text Box button    RichTextBox

Places a new text box within the layout that supports rich text editing such as varying font colors and sizes, bullets, manual line breaks, and so on. To enter text into the box, double-click the rich text box, and then type your text. To start a new line, press CTRL+ENTER.

Note that field data cannot be inserted into rich text boxes.

An easy way to enter text into a rich text box is to copy it from another editor such as Microsoft Word and paste it into the box.

The letter A icon    Label

Places a new text box within the layout in which you can enter simple text. After you insert the label into the layout, type the text in the Text field in the Properties pane.

Diagonal line    Line

Places a new line within the layout. Click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse pointer until the line is the desired length, then release the left mouse button.

Rectangle icon    Shape

Places a new shape within the layout. Click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse pointer until the shape is the desired size, then release the left mouse button.

Mountains with a sun icon    Image

Places a new image within the layout. Click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse pointer until the image box is the desired size, then release the left mouse button. You can select an image to fit within the image box using the Attributes pane.

Chart icon    Chart

Places a new chart within the layout. Click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse pointer until the chart box is the desired size, then release the left mouse button. You can double-click the chart box to customize the chart using the Chart Wizard dialog.

Formatting toolbar

The Formatting toolbar provides commands for customizing the look of text, lines, and shapes. Click a field or button name below for information on that item.

Normal written in a drop down field    Style

Choose between normal text and three levels of headings for the selected text box.

Arial written in a drop down field    Font Name

Choose a font for the selected text box.

Ten written in a drop down field    Font Size

Choose the size of the font for the selected text box.

Bold icon    Bold

Turns text bold in the selected text box.

Italic icon    Italic

Italicizes the text in the selected text box.

Underline icon    Underline

Underlines the text in the selected text box.

Border icon    Border

Opens the Format Border dialog, where you can choose line style and color for the border around an object. You can also choose which sides of an object will have a visible border.

Underlined A icon    Foreground Color

Select the color for the text within the selected object.

Paint bucket icon    Background Color

Select the background color for the selected object.

Paint brush icon    Line Color

Select the color of lines or shapes.

Align Left button    Align Left

Aligns text within the selected text box along the left margin.

Center button    Center

Centers text within the selected text box.

Align Right button    Align Right

Aligns text within the selected text box along the right margin.

Justify button    Justify

Justifies text to align to both left and right margins.

Bullets button    Bullets

Makes the current line of text a bulleted item. Applies only to rich text boxes.

Decrease Indent button    Decrease Indent

Decreases the indentation of the paragraph, moving text to the left. Applies only to rich text boxes.

Increase Indent button    Increase Indent

Increases the indentation of the paragraph, moving text to the right. Applies only to rich text boxes.

Layout toolbar

The Layout toolbar provides commands for controlling alignment, spacing, and size of objects, as well as saving and closing a custom format, turning the background grid on or off, and locking the layout. Click a button name below for information on that button.

Note: To select multiple objects, hold down SHIFT or CTRL while clicking the objects you want to select. Alternately, with the Select cursor, click and hold the left mouse button while drawing a box around the objects you want to select.

Document with green plus   Add Document

Adds a new invoice or statement format via the Format Wizard.

Folder with an arrow pointing up    Close

Closes the current format. Practice CS gives you the option to save or discard changes before closing.

Save icon    Save

Saves the current custom format.

Magnifying glass   Preview

Enables you to preview the custom format using an invoice or statement from your firm’s data. Opens the Preview Custom Format dialog, where you can select the invoice or statement to preview.

Wizard wand   Format Wizard

Opens the Format Wizard, where you can make changes to the information included in the custom format.

Grid    View Grid

Turns the grid in the designer background on or off.

Lock    Lock Controls

Locks the layout so objects cannot be moved.

Align to Grid button    Align to Grid

Aligns objects to the background grid.

Align Lefts button    Align Lefts

Aligns multiple selected objects along their left edges.

Align Centers button    Align Centers

Aligns multiple selected objects along their horizontal centers.

Align Rights button    Align Rights

Aligns multiple selected objects along their right edges.

Align Tops button    Align Tops

Aligns multiple selected objects along their tops.

Align Middles button    Align Middles

Aligns multiple selected objects along their vertical centers.

Align Bottoms button    Align Bottoms

Aligns multiple selected objects along their bottoms.

Make Same Width button    Make Same Width

Makes multiple selected objects the same width.

Size to Grid button    Size to Grid

Sizes the selected object to fit upon gridlines.

Make Same Height button    Make Same Height

Makes multiple selected objects the same height.

Make Same Size button    Make Same Size

Makes multiple selected objects the same size (both width and height).

Make Horizontal Spacing Equal button    Make Horizontal Spacing Equal

Creates even horizontal spacing between the selected objects.

Increase Horizontal Spacing button    Increase Horizontal Spacing

Increases the amount of horizontal spacing between the selected objects.

Decrease Horizontal Spacing button    Decrease Horizontal Spacing

Decreases the amount of horizontal spacing between the selected objects.

Remove Horizontal Spacing button    Remove Horizontal Spacing

Removes the horizontal spacing between the selected objects.

Make Vertical Spacing Equal button    Make Vertical Spacing Equal

Creates even vertical spacing between the selected objects.

Increase Vertical Spacing button    Increase Vertical Spacing

Increases the amount of vertical spacing between the selected objects.

Decrease Vertical Spacing button    Decrease Vertical Spacing

Decreases the amount of vertical spacing between the selected objects.

Remove Vertical Spacing button    Remove Vertical Spacing

Removes the vertical spacing between the selected objects.

Center Horizontally button    Center Horizontally

Centers the selected object horizontally within the current layout.

Center Vertically button    Center Vertically

Centers the selected object vertically within the current layout.

Bring to Front button    Bring to Front

Places the selected object on top of all other objects.

Send to Back button    Send to Back

Places the selected object behind all other objects.

Related topics

Custom formats overview

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