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PDS Reports Guide

Customize Reports

Change the settings, layout, and formatting of your report.

Note: The options available to you depend on the type of report you're customizing.

Configuring report settings

The Layout window, which usually displays when you click Next after the Select Printer window, shows the settings for your report.
  • If your report is a letter or statement, you'll see the Letter Layout window. Use the available options to change the letterhead, letter date, inside address, closing, and margin styles. You can also open the editor to modify the text of the letter or statement. For more information on each option, see Letter Layout Settings.

  • If your report is a listing, directory, form, certificate, or statistical report, you'll see the Listing Layout window. Use the options in this window to change the page and margin styles. You can also select which fields to print and modify the way they print. For more information on each option, see Listing Layout Settings.

  • If your report is a mailing label or envelope, you'll see either the Label Layout or the Envelope Layout window. Use the options in this window to select a label, envelope, or return address style. You can also modify the address text, and select options for how addresses and unlisted phone numbers print. For more information on each option, see Label and Envelope Layout Settings.

Adjusting margins

By default, letter and listing reports print using the *Smallest Margins option to provide the maximum amount of space for your data. You can change the margin style to another predefined option (such as 1/2" Margins), or create your own margin style.
  • In the Layout window, under Margin Style, select from the predefined options.

  • If none of the options meet your needs, click Edit Style. In the dialog box, click Insert Style, then enter a style name to describe the margins you're adding, and enter margins in inches for the top, bottom, left, and right of the report. For example, a half-inch margin would be 0.500. To print at the smallest margin allowed by the printer, you can enter a margin of 0.000. Click Save/OK, then select the option for the margin style you created.

    Example showing a new Margin Style called "My Margins" with Top and Bottom values set to 0.300 inches and Left and Right values set to 0.400 inches

    Note: If you edit an existing margin style, all reports currently using it will change. If you don't want to affect existing reports, insert a new margin style.

  • Preview your report to make sure the information displays as expected.

Changing font and font size

You can change the default font used for all reports or the font for a single report.
  • PDS reports are designed using Arial font, but you can change the font that prints on your reports. You can also change the base font for a single report if you want a particular report to print differently.

  • To change the default font for all reports: On the File menu in your PDS program, click Setup > Default Font for Reports. Click Set Font to select a font and size, or click Reset Default to change it back to size 10 Arial font. Save your changes, and you'll see the new font when you run your next report.

    Example showing the Default Font for Reports dialog box where you can select the font to use for all reports from a drop-down list

  • To change the font for a single report, run the report and go to the Layout window. Click Set Base Font. To select the font to use for this report, click Set Font. Save your change, and preview the report to make sure it looks the way you want it to. Any time you run this report after setting the font, the program will use the font you selected.

    Example showing the Layout window for a report with a button that says "Set Base Font", and when clicked, you can select the font to use for this report from a drop-down list

Adding elements like pictures

You can add elements in your letter, label, envelope, or form using the report editor. Elements may include rich text files, graphic images (including signatures), or symbols.
  • When you add a new report, the editor displays immediately. Or, if you're editing an existing custom report, you can click the Modify button in the Layout window to open the editor.

  • Place your mouse cursor in your report where you want to insert the element.

    Example of the Editing <Letter Name> dialog box with the cursor in the middle of the text editor form

  • At the top of the editor window, click the Insert menu, and you'll see options for Text file, Graphic Image, and Symbol.
    • Select Text file to insert a rich text file (.rtf) into your report. This is useful if you have a short piece of content, like an introductory paragraph or a footer, that you include in the reports you send from your parish. It displays with a line around the text, which will print in your final report.
    • Select Graphic Image to insert a bitmap image (.bmp), JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg), or PNG (.png). This is commonly used to insert a signature at the bottom of a letter or add a visual component to your report. Once inserted, you can right-click the image for more options.
      Note: Make sure your image does not exceed the 7 MB limit. If it does, you'll see red warning text in the Letter Layout window. For steps on fixing this, see Reduce Letter Size. Once the image is an acceptable size, the red text turns back to black, and you can continue running your report.
    • Select Symbol to insert a special character, such as an accented letter or copyright symbol. You can select the symbol's font to match your report.

  • Here's an example of what it looks like when you insert an image:

    Selecting the image to insertImage inserted into the letter
    Example of the Open file dialog box over the text editor form with an image file selectedExample of the text editor form with the selected image inserted into the letter where the cursor was previously placed

  • The PDS Office programs also offer a custom HTML email report. If you want to add pictures in that report, the steps are a little different. For more information, see Insert Images in HTML Emails.

Adding custom fields in listings

Want to include something in your report that isn't necessarily tracked in PDS? Maybe you want a calculation of two fields, or you want dates to show in a different format. You can do that with custom fields!
  • Adding custom fields requires a basic understanding of programming code logic.

  • To get started, copy an existing listing report, or add a new one. In the Listing Layout window, click Modify the List of Fields to Print. Then click Add/Edit/Manage Custom Fields.

  • Examples are available in the program to help you. From the Manage Custom Fields dialog box, click Show Examples. Each example shows the custom field calculation code that's needed to accomplish the task. Examples include:
    • Getting the initials for the head of each family
    • Getting member initials
    • Displaying gender as a single letter
    • Displaying birth dates in YYYY-MM-DD format
    • Adding the amounts of certain fund periods
    • Printing only the phone numbers that are marked as "Home"
    • Printing "Major Donor" for families who have a certain keyword

  • Click an example's blue code to insert it into the Custom Field Calculation text box. You can then edit the example code, if needed, to accomplish exactly what you need in your report.

  • For more information and steps, see Add Custom Fields in Listings.

  • Also see our video resources for custom fields. Click here to watch in the Video Library: Watch a Video

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Last updated: November 24, 2025