Printing Tickets to PDF

Quotes, estimates, and repair orders can be printed to PDF by clicking the print button in the ticket toolbar at any time. In addition, repair orders can be printed to PDF when prompted to print during finalize.

When the Printing window appears, select the PDF option.

PDF options on the Printing window.

You cannot print to PDF (i.e., that PDF option does NOT appear on the Printing window) for

Configuring Print to PDF

Printing to PDF is built into R.O. Writer. No configuration is needed within the R.O. Writer application.

The PDF option appears on the printing window automatically.

Default Application to Open PDFs

When you open the PDF of the ticket from Windows Explorer, the PDF opens in the application you have set as the default application for PDF files on your computer.

If your computer does not have a default application for PDFs, a prompt appears asking you to select the application from your installed programs.

To Configure the Default Application to Open PDFs

Check your Windows configuration to see which application is currently assigned to open PDFs by default.

For instructions in Windows 10, see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4028161/windows-10-change-default-programs

Printing Tickets to PDF

Complete these steps:

  1. Open the quote, estimate, or repair order.
  2. Click the Print button for the quote or estimate The print estimate button in the ticket toolbar. , or repair order The print RO button in the ticket toolbar. . The Printing window opens.
  3. Check the PDF option.
  4. Click OK.
    • The ticket prints to PDF and is saved to the Reference tab as an Invoice.
    • The PDF is stored on the local hard drive.
  5. The PDF opens in the default application that opens PDFs on your workstation:
    • If you have a PDF reader installed, the PDF opens in that application.
    • If one of your Internet browsers is set at the default application for PDFs, the PDF opens in that browser window.

    The title of the PDF that appears is in the following format: “[RO or EST]_[ID#]_[Customer’s Last Name]”.

    The title bar of the PDF showing the RO number and customer name.

    If your computer does not have a default application for PDFs, a prompt appears asking you to select the application from your installed programs.

  6. While the PDF is open, you can save it to another location. However, R.O. Writer saves the PDF to two locations automatically.
  7. Close the PDF. The ticket window remains open.
  8. Click the Reference tab of the ticket.
  9. The PDF of the ticket appears as an attachment on the Reference tab In the Invoice section.

A PDF file in the Invoice tab of the reference tab.

The PDF is

PDFs Stored on the Reference Tab

A ticket that has been printed to PDF is added to the Reference tab in the Invoices section of the Reference tab automatically. When you open the ticket PDF in the Invoices area, that PDF opens in the standard R.O. Writer image viewer.

To Access Ticket PDFs on the Reference Tab

Complete these steps:

  1. Open a ticket that has been printed to PDF.
  2. Click the Reference tab.
  3. Click the Invoice button on the left. The PDFs saved to the ticket appear in the Invoice Images/Files section.
  4. Double-click on the PDF file. The R.O. Writer viewer opens displaying the PDF.

The PDF viewer showing a PDF opened from the reference tab.

Using the toolbar buttons, you can exit the window, print the document, save the document to another location, or delete it.

Where PDFs of Tickets are Saved on the Local Hard Drive

When PDFs are created, R.O. Writer stores a copy of the PDF in two different places on the local hard drive automatically:

C:\ROWriterData\Images

The PDFs stored here are the PDFs you see on the Reference tab.

PDFs in the Images folder.

R.O. Writer assigns the PDF file a name that is different from the name you see on the Reference tab.

The entire Images folder is zipped and included in the Local File Backup in R.O. Tray.

C:\ROWriterData\PDF

The PDFs stored here are the PDFs created when the PDF file is first printed and appears on the window.

The name is descriptive in the following format: “[RO or EST]_[ID#]_[Customer’s Last Name]”.

Printed PDFs in the folder in Windows Explorer.

WARNING! The C:\ROWriterData\PDF folder is NOT included in the Local File Backup in R.O. Tray.