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.
Reverts to a "normal" cursor, with which you can select text boxes and other items.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Choose between normal text and three levels of headings for the selected text box.
Choose a font for the selected text box.
Choose the size of the font for the selected text box.
Turns text bold in the selected text box.
Italicizes the text in the selected text box.
Underlines the text in the selected text box.
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.
Select the color for the text within the selected object.
Select the background color for the selected object.
Select the color of lines or shapes.
Aligns text within the selected text box along the left margin.
Centers text within the selected text box.
Aligns text within the selected text box along the right margin.
Justifies text to align to both left and right margins.
Makes the current line of text a bulleted item. Applies only to rich text boxes.
Decreases the indentation of the paragraph, moving text to the left. Applies only to rich text boxes.
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.
Adds a new invoice or statement format via the Format Wizard.
Closes the current format. Practice CS gives you the option to save or discard changes before closing.
Saves the current custom format.
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.
Opens the Format Wizard, where you can make changes to the information included in the custom format.
Turns the grid in the designer background on or off.
Locks the layout so objects cannot be moved.
Aligns objects to the background grid.
Aligns multiple selected objects along their left edges.
Aligns multiple selected objects along their horizontal centers.
Aligns multiple selected objects along their right edges.
Aligns multiple selected objects along their tops.
Aligns multiple selected objects along their vertical centers.
Aligns multiple selected objects along their bottoms.
Makes multiple selected objects the same width.
Sizes the selected object to fit upon gridlines.
Makes multiple selected objects the same height.
Makes multiple selected objects the same size (both width and height).
Creates even horizontal spacing between the selected objects.
Increases the amount of horizontal spacing between the selected objects.
Decreases the amount of horizontal spacing between the selected objects.
Removes the horizontal spacing between the selected objects.
Creates even vertical spacing between the selected objects.
Increases the amount of vertical spacing between the selected objects.
Decreases the amount of vertical spacing between the selected objects.
Removes the vertical spacing between the selected objects.
Centers the selected object horizontally within the current layout.
Centers the selected object vertically within the current layout.
Places the selected object on top of all other objects.
Places the selected object behind all other objects.
Related topics
Custom formats overview