PDF Templates
The PDF Templates module allows you to create customizable document templates for your SuiteCRM records.
These templates can be used to generate PDF documents or emails, automatically populating data from SuiteCRM during the merge process.
This functionality is particularly useful for creating consistent, professional documents such as quotes, invoices, contracts, and other business correspondence.
Creating the PDF Template
To create a PDF template:
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Navigate to the PDF Templates module
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Click Create PDF Template from the module menu
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Fill in the following fields:
- PDF Template
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The name of the template being created.
- Assigned to
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The user who will be assigned to this template.
- Type
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The type of document to be created based on this template.
By default, the system provides template options for: Accounts, Quotes, Invoices, Contracts, Contacts, and Leads.
When adding a new item to the combo box list pdf_template_type_dom, the name of the
key to be added must match the module name. In the following example,
the item Prospects is added to the list.
Detailed information on adding a new element to the combo box is described in the
Developer Tools page.
- Load Sample
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The system has several options for ready-made templates, if necessary.
- Active
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An option that determines whether the current template will be offered in the list of templates when creating a document (see the section below, Creating PDF Documents Based on a Template).
- Page Size/ Orientation
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If necessary, select the size and orientation of the template page. Then default is A4 size and portrait page orientation.
- Inserting into a Field
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This option allows you to add the necessary variable to the template, which later (in the process of creating a document based template) will be replaced with the necessary data from the SuiteCRM
- To insert a variable:
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In the first dropdown, select the module from which you want to get information.
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In the second dropdown, select the name of the field of the selected module, then the name of the necessary variable corresponding to the selected field, so it appears in the right field.
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In the text of the template, specify the place where the selected variable should be added and click the
Insertbutton
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The following picture shows an example of adding the variable $aos_invoices_number, which, when creating the document based on the current template, will be automatically replaced with the invoice number.
If it is necessary to add data in the template, for example, listing positions in the Offer or Invoice, then such data should be arranged in a table:
Creating Headers and Footers
At the bottom of the Template create and edit view are two fields that allow you to customize the header and footer for the current template:
Footers are able to use special variables:
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{PAGENO}, Showing the current page number.
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{DATE D.m.Y}, Showing the current date in the required format
Setting Page Parameters
Under the header and footer there are several fields that allow you to customise different page parameters, such as the size of the indents from the page edges of the header and footer fields:
Creating PDF Documents Based on a Template
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When creating a PDF document for modules Accounts, Quotes, Invoices, Contracts, Contacts, and Leads use the menu item Print as PDF from the action menu of the View module of the corresponding module:
After selecting from the action menu, a list will appear of all the PDF Templates created.
Once the template is selected, a PDF document will be generated based on the selected template and the data from the record and will download.
A note record is also created in the system with the attached generated PDF document, and the name of the note is the same as the name of the generated PDF document.
Bulk PDF Generation
If you need to create several similar documents for several module entries at once, select the necessary entries in the list view and then use the Print as PDF from the bulk action menu:
This will create one merged PDF document for all selected records, and the name of the generated PDF document will be the same as the name as the PDF Template record.
An individual note record will be created for each selected record with the attached generated PDF document, and the name of the note will be the same as the name of the generated PDF document and with the selected record as the related record.
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When creating a PDF document for Quotes, Invoices or Contracts, the item Email PDF is also available.
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This will create an email with the PDF document attached and parsed based on the selected record.
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A note record is also created in the system with the attached generated PDF document.
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Manage PDF Templates
- In the module you can perform the following actions:
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Search Templates - utilise Filters or advanced filters in the module list view.
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Export templates, for this, select the necessary records in the list.
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Editing or deleting information about several templates at once, use this Mass update.
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View detailed information about the template, to do this, click on the name of the template in the list view.
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Data editing, to edit the record click on the
Editbutton, or directly in the list view, click the button to the left of the record being edited. You can also perform Quick Edit. -
To duplicate a template, in the action menu select the
Duplicatebutton. Duplication is a convenient way to quickly create similar records, you can change the duplicated information to create a new template. -
To delete a template, click on the
Deletebutton. -
You can track changes to the entered information, to do this select the
View Change Logbutton in the form of viewing. If the journal needs to change the list of controlled fields - do it in Studio by setting the parameter Audit corresponding field.
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