The cover page is the first thing you and your customers see when opening a report, making it essential to create a professional and informative cover page. In Desktop Report Writer, customizing your cover page is a straightforward process. This article will guide you through editing, adding or removing information, using merge fields, and creating multiple cover pages for different report types.
Cover Page Information
Most of the information on the cover page is brought in from other locations in the software. If you are only wanting to change the information being displayed, you may not need to edit the cover page itself.
Customer's name: you can edit the Customer's name that displays on the Cover page on the Customer tab of the software. If they already have a HomeGauge Account associated with their email address, this will not change the name on their account that you will see on the Dashboard.
Report Address - The report address displayed on the cover page can be changed under the Report Info tab of the software. If you started this report from an appointment, changing it here will not change the address for the appointment on the dashboard.
Inspector Contact information for a specific Report - Under Report Info, click the Current Inspector button towards the bottom, then edit the inspector information to your liking. You can edit the inspector's name, Company Name, Address, phone number, and email for the report that is open. This will not affect any other reports.
Inspector Contact Information for Future Reports - go to Options -> Inspector & License. Here you will be able to edit your contact information for future reports. Your Inspector Name and Company name are locked to your Software Activation. If you need to change your Inspector name or Company name, contact HomeGauge Support for assistance.
Locate your Current Cover Page
First, you will want to check the cover page that you are currently using in order to make edits to that specific cover page.
1. Click on Publish at the top toolbar
2. Click edit to the right on your print document settings
3. Your cover page will be listed to the right of the cover page text box. This will be the document you look for in the next following steps.
Add/Remove Information from the Cover Page
From the top-level menu, click Office > Edit Report Docs.
Click to highlight the cover document, then OK to open it.
Place your cursor where you wish and type new info or delete info that you no longer wish to be shown. You may also insert a merge field. More on that below.
Click the Wrench Icon in the top toolbar to preview your cover page (the preview will not show images or logos).
Click the X in the upper right to close the document. Desktop Report Writer will prompt you to save - click Yes.
Using Merge Fields
Merge fields are a great way to let Desktop Report Writer insert info automatically on your behalf based on what you had already input from other sections within the report. This info is usually names, addresses, dates, etc., but it could be more detailed, like price info.
A merge field can be identified by some combination of words, usually with a period in the middle, all surrounded by asterisks (*). Examples include *reportinfo.fulladdress*, *client.fullnames*, or *print.logo1*. It's saying where the info is coming from, or what it's doing, and then what info is being pulled in. Nothing more complex than that.
To use a merge field, follow these steps:
Put your cursor wherever you want info to appear
Click the Insert Merge Field drop-down
Select which merge field you want to add
There are lots of options to choose from, all separated by category. Look through and find the desired merge field and insert it into your document.
Create and Use Multiple Cover Pages
Having different cover pages for various inspection types can enhance your reports. Follow these steps to create multiple cover page options:
From the top-level menu, click Office > Edit Report Docs.
Click to highlight the cover document, then OK to open it.
Click the white Save As floppy disc icon in the upper right. Enter a unique file name (such as "Re-inspection Cover"), then click OK.
Make the changes desired to customize the new cover page.
Click the X in the upper right to close the document. Desktop Report Writer will prompt you to save - click Yes.
Create a Print Document with a Different Cover Page
Suppose you want to use different cover pages for various report types (e.g., regular inspections, mold inspections, re-inspections). Follow the instructions covered in Desktop Report Writer: Add, Edit, or Delete Print or Upload Document Settings