Invoice - Custom Design Header for No. 9 Double Window Envelope

[John R. Sowden]

I went through this about 15 years ago, but I wrote the billing program 
(in FoxPro/DOS) so I controlled where the data went.  What I did was 
design the invoice/statement using a word processor.  We print the 
statements using the word processor, then we run the printed statements 
through the billing program.  We also use CO165 envelopes, but instead 
of paying 45/500 from Office Depot, I found an internet supplier for 
about 15/500.  Back to the statement.  You might try printing your data 
from you invoice generating program onto a blank piece of 8.5x 11 bond.  
Then design a statement around the data.  The only issue is where the 
name and address are printed.

John

On 03/19/2015 08:50 AM, L. D. James wrote:
> On 03/19/2015 10:31 AM, Mike or Penny Novack wrote:
>> On 3/19/2015 9:42 AM, L. D. James wrote:
>>> Does anyone know of some way, plugin or workaround for Invoice 
>>> design that will correctly place the company return address and the 
>>> customer's address for a No. 9 Double Window Envelope (CO165)?
>>>
>>> If nothing else, hopefully someone might have some knowledge of how 
>>> the style sheets are stored so that I can try to manually edit the 
>>> specification.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments.
>>>
>>> -- L. James
>>>
>>
>>
>> This is precisely the sort of thing that you don't (or shouldn't) 
>> want inside the accounting package. What you do is produce the output 
>> from gnucash as a file and then process that file through a "batch 
>> editor". For crying out loud, if you had a large volume to mail out, 
>> you'd be wanting them presorted and batched  by zip code. Expect THAT 
>> from inside the accounting package?
>>
>> Those of us who worked (or still work) in the cypher mines will tell 
>> you, keep things as independent as possible. If next year you have a 
>> slightly different envelope window placement you DON'T want to have 
>> to touch an accounting program to make the necessary adjustment. The 
>> folks in the "print room" who are going to do things like testing the 
>> fit into envelopes don't require access to the books!
>>
>>
>>
>> Michael D Novack, FLMI
>>
>> PS: If you give it a little thought, you will probably be able to 
>> come up with a whole bunch of other things you might want to do. 
>> Split off those longer overdue and/or larger amounts for a special 
>> insert? Split off large/important customers for a special insert? 
>> That presort by zip separating out the zips for which you can get a 
>> lower postal rate by batching?
>>
>> PSS: It's the "batch editor" where you should be doing things like 
>> changing fonts, inserting logo graphics, etc.
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> I appreciate the input.  I've been using Peachtree for 20 years. I'm 
> doing the best I can with making this transition.  I have spacial 
> invoice paper (kind of expensive) that I can't currently use do to 
> this software change.  If I could learn how to start out with 
> something like what I've described above, I'll use the same technique 
> to proceed to custom design to use my invoice stock paper.
>
> I'm not a large business.  So I don't fully understand everything 
> you've described about the problems or how to use workarounds to 
> produce the preferred formated invoices.  I'll continue to study your 
> message and try to understand the tip.
>
> But in the meantime, I can't understand how having a method for custom 
> designing reports can have such a negative effect on a business.
>
> I'm currently using the insert workaround that you referenced.  I 
> understand that I'm not the best authority, but I have a few problems 
> with this (which I understand is most likely, just me). But I try to 
> minimize the size of the package.  Having an extra insert is possibly 
> giving the receiver more junk and adding an extra print.
>
> It appears that most (if not all) of my vendors has headers that 
> matches the envelope... the electric bill, cable bill, gas bill, and 
> other big companies.  Having address headers that matches the envelope 
> window appears to be more professional (to me).
>
> For my modest company, spending a lot of time (hours, days, months) to 
> get a template of this time would save a lot of time in the end. From 
> your comment, it appears that this isn't going to be an easy task.  
> But hopefully someone with some knowledge of the details of accessing 
> the templates can help me with where to start.  If nothing else, just 
> the request might inspire the developers of gnucash to feature a more 
> diverse style editor for the various reports.
>
> Thanks for the comment on the "batch editor".  Being new to gnucash, 
> this might be where the desired template/feature exist. I'll be 
> studying the details of what that is in meantime.
>
> -- L. James
>