Here are the basics steps involved in setting up an invoice using a Word template — along with a sample template you can download and customize.

When it comes to performing calculations in a Word document, we tend to think of embedding or linking an Excel worksheet — but this can be overkill. Sometimes, a better approach is simply to insert a table in a document and perform the calculations in it. Word tables have a number of applications: staffing rotas, timetables, pricing charts, quotations, and the one I use most, invoices.

It’s easy to create an invoice that includes your business details, contact information, and logo, along with a table that itemizes the costs, parts, and labor; automatically calculates the totals and taxes; and presents a total amount payable. You can even include Fill-in fields to automatically prompt for customer information. Once you set up this invoice framework, save the blank form as a template, and you’re in business.

To generate an invoice, you just create a new document using the template, fill in the customer information, and enter the invoice amounts in the table. You can then update the fields that calculate tax and totals and print the invoice. To help you get started, I’ve created a sample invoice template that you can customize to fit your needs. Let’s look first at some template-building basics; then, I’ll explain how to modify and use my sample template.

Laying out the heading

The first step in building an invoice template is to design the heading you want to use for it. Once you’ve created a heading, save it so you can use it for other marketing material, such as flyers, price lists, and announcements.

AutoText tip

One convenient way to preserve an element such as a heading is to save it as AutoText. Just select the items that make up your heading and press [Alt][F3]. When Word presents the Create AutoText dialog box, enter a name and click OK. Then, whenever you need to insert the heading in a document, just position the insertion point marker where you want the heading to appear and type the AutoText name. By default, Word will offer to auto-complete the name, and you can press [Enter] to insert the heading. If this feature is turned off, just type the AutoText name and press [F3].

Creating the body of the document

Think about the wording you’re going to use in your invoice. Be careful not to fall into grammatical errors that can make you and your business look unprofessional. In my template, I used an automatic Date field so that each invoice I create from the template will be correctly dated.

Planning and inserting the table

When you’re ready to add the table to your template, display the Tables And Borders toolbar. As with the other toolbars available in Word, you can switch on this one from View | Toolbars. Most of the table options can be reached from this toolbar.

Decide how many rows and columns you need in your table. You can always insert extra rows, but it is nice to start out with something you don’t need to alter too much. Once you have planned the layout, click on the Insert generic cialis 10mg Table button. You will see a dialog box where you can select the number of columns and rows in your new table.

Entering the calculations

Look at the Tables And Borders toolbar. There’s a funny symbol at the bottom-right. This is the AutoSum button. By clicking in an empty cell below a column that will contain values, you can use this button to perform simple addition. When you click AutoSum, Word will insert the function { =SUM(ABOVE) }.

Should you wish to add a calculation for sales tax or VAT (UK), insert a formula field. First, click in the next cell down and choose Field from the Insert menu. Then, click the Formula button and enter a multiplication expression. For instance, to apply a 4 percent sales tax, enter the formula =B6*1.04 , as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

The formula multiplies the total, which, in this example, is in cell B6, by 1.04. You can alter this formula for use in your locality by changing the figure after the * symbol. For example, to apply the UK rate of sales tax (VAT, or Value Added Tax) of 15 percent, your formula would be =B6*1.15.

The cells in a Word table work in the same way as those of an Excel worksheet. The drawback is that the table does not display column and row labels. Remember that the columns are represented by letters, from left to right: A,B,C, etc. The rows are numbered from the top down. Figure B shows a table with those labels superimposed, to help you visualize this layout.

Figure B

Saving the template

When you save your invoice document, remember to save it as a Word template, with a .dot file extension. (Go to File | Save As and choose Document Template (*.dot) from the Save As Type drop-down list.) This will make it available from the File | New command.

Modifying the sample template

To put my sample invoice template to work, first open it and replace the heading and company information with your own. (To open the template for editing instead of creating a new document, you’ll need to right-click on it and choose Open.)

You might find it useful to work with field codes displayed so that you don’t accidentally delete any fields. You can toggle the display on and off for the entire document by pressing [Alt][F9]. Figure C shows the sample template with field codes displayed. Notice the Fill-in fields that prompt for an invoice number and customer information. Nice to have, but not essential when you create your own template.

Figure C

You may need to alter the calculation to reflect your own rate of tax, as discussed earlier. You may also want to modify the Fill-in field prompts to ask for different customer data. For instance, you might prompt for town, county, and post code rather than city, state, and zip code. With field codes displayed, simply edit the text that appears in quote marks within the Fill-in fields.

After you’ve modified the template, save it in the desired folder. If you want it to be listed with other templates when you create a new document, be sure to place it in your default location for templates.

Putting the sample template to work

When you want to raise an invoice for your personal services, open a new document using this template, fill in the customer information at the prompts, and enter the appropriate invoice charges. Select the table and press [F9] to update your calculations. Then, save and print the document and send it to your client. You can also copy the data into reminder letters, should your client fail to settle an account promptly.

Your e-mail signature says a lot about you. If text doesn’t get the job done, add a graphic, or an electronic business card. Fortunately, it’s easy to add a graphic daily dose cialis to your signature, even though the process isn’t exactly intuitive. To add a signature, complete the following steps:

When creating a new message, Outlook will automatically include the signature, including the graphic you added.

Bullets and numbers that are out of proportion to your slide text can be distracting and ugly. This simple trick will ensure that those characters are sized just right.

Do your bullets and numbers overpower the text on your PowerPoint slides? Or are they so small you can hardly see them from the back of the room? You don’t have to settle for characters that distract from your message. For example, suppose too large numbers distract from the text as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

To daily cialis improve their appearance, just follow these steps:

1. In PowerPoint 2002/2003, go to Format | Bullets And Numbering. In PowerPoint 2007, choose Bullets And Numbering from the Bullets And Numbering drop-down list on the Home tab.

1. Click the Numbered tab.

1. In the Size box, click the down arrow until 80 is displayed, as shown in Figure B, and then click OK.

Figure B

The numbers will now be 80% the size of the surrounding text, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C

If you repeatedly type the same text in the same field, you’re working too hard. See how to set up a combo box that will speed data entry and spare you a TON of tedious typing.

Do you find yourself constantly typing the same data in the same field? For example, say you work with an Employee Data form, and you find that you’re typing the same three Zip codes repeatedly. Since most of your employees live near your company’s three offices, you seldom need to type any other codes. By converting the Zip code text box into a combo box, you’ll eliminate the retyping. Follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Zip/Postal Code text box.

1. Move to Change To and click Combo Box (Figure A).

Figure A

1. Right-click the Zip/Postal Code combo box.

1. Click Properties (Figure B).

Figure B

1. On the Data tab, click the Build button in the Row Source field (Figure C).

Figure C

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1. Add the Employees table.

1. In the field list, double-click Zip/Postal Code.

1. Click in the Criteria box under Zip/Postal Code and enter Is Not Null (Figure D).

1. Close and save the query.

Figure D

Now you can simply select one of the three zip codes from the drop-down list in the combo box, as shown in Figure E.

Figure E

Creating printed forms can be a hassle if you can’t get those blank lines to cooperate. Learn one of the easiest and most versatile ways to set up your form: using underlined tabs.

Word users often create printed fill-in forms that include underlined blanks spaces for writing in form data. While you can press Shift + – (hyphen) repeatedly to create these daily cialis dose underlined spaces, it’s difficult to line up the lines. Leader tabs make it easier to create even lines, as well as saving keystrokes, but you’re limited to four underline styles.

Using the Underline button to underline tab characters gives you all the advantages of leader tabs with a wider choice of underline styles. For example, say you have used tabs to lay out your form, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

To create the lines, just follow these steps.

1. Select the first tab mark you want to underline, then hold down the Ctrl key while you select each of other tab marks (Figure B).

Figure B

1. Go to Format | Font, choose the thick underline style from the Underline drop-down list, and click OK. In Word 2007, go to the Home tab, click the Underline button arrow in the Font group, and select a style from the Underline style list (Figure C).

Figure C

All lines will be printed, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D