Custom reports: creating your own template

[EmilyTapestrySupport]

In this tutorial we'll look at how to add custom templates to use with our Reports feature.

The Reports feature should be enabled on your account by default, but if it has been disabled for any reason you will need to enable it before you can add a custom template. Enabling the Reports feature is covered in our tutorial on adding and editing reports. You can find a link to the relevant section here.

To begin adding a custom report template, click the 'Reports' tab at the top of the screen (1), then select 'Manage Custom Templates' under your reports templates (2).

 

 

If you have any custom templates or draft custom templates these will appear on this page (1). To create a new custom template, click the 'Add a Custom Template' button (2).

You can find a link to our tutorial on draft report templates here.

 

 

 

You will then be able to add a title for your report template (1). To start with, the only section your custom report will have is 'Media and Documents' (2), which will allow you to attach files. You will not be able to save your report until you add at least one more section. To do this, click 'Add Section' (3).

 

 

You will then be given a selection of template sections to choose from on the left side (1). Some sections will have fields that are automatically filled in using data from your Tapestry account (2). Once you have selected the type of section you would like to add, you will be able to select a section title (3). Click 'Add Section' (4) to add it to your report.

 

 

You will then be able to edit a section by clicking the pencil icon (1) or delete it by clicking the bin icon (2). If you have multiple sections you will be able to adjust their order by using the up and down arrows (3).

 

 

There are two more options in the left-hand column which you can see by using the scroll bar. The options are used to add your own custom sections to the reports and are called 'Custom Signature' (1) and the 'Custom Section' (2).

 

 

The 'Custom Signature' section allows you to add your own signature boxes in this section for staff and relatives, in conjunction with, or instead of, the standard signature sections provided. You can add your own title in the 'Settings' part of the 'Custom Signature' section (1) and by scrolling down using the scroll bar (2), you can also preview the signature boxes for relatives. If you are happy with the preview, you can click on 'Add section' (3) to add this section to your custom report template.

 

 

Once you have clicked on 'Add Section' to add your 'Custom Signature' section, you will be given the opportunity to add custom titles for your staff and relative signature boxes or fields. To add a custom title to the staff signature box, select 'Staff Signature' (1) and to add a custom title to the relative's signature box, select 'Relative Signature' (2). You can add more than one signature text box for staff and also for relatives in the 'Custom Signature' section.

Adding a custom staff signature box or field title is the same as the process for adding the relative signature title box or field, so we will just show you how to add the staff signature title field in the example below. You can add the custom staff signature title you want in the 'Title' box (1) and click on 'Add Field' to add this title to your report (2). 

 

 

At this stage, you can edit and delete the signature field names you have set up (1), edit the 'Custom Signature' section title (2) or delete the whole section if you wish (3). Once you are happy with the custom signature staff and relatives signature field titles, you can add the section to your custom report template (4).

 

 

 

There is also a 'Custom Section' which allows you to add your own section with custom text fields on the report, using your own titles for the information boxes. Like the 'Custom signature' option, this is on the left hand list of options when you chose to add a section, but you will need to scroll down to find this option. (1)

You will have the opportunity to add the title of the custom section on the report. In the example below, where we want to add a list of school trips, a custom title for this section on the report has been added (2). Once you are happy with the title for this custom section of your report template, select 'Add Section' (3) to take you to the screen where you can add titles for the custom fields you want.

 

 

Once you have chosen to add this section, you will be asked if you want to add a field (or box) on the report with a small amount of text (1) or if you want your custom field to be a larger field so that you can add more text (2). 

As an example, if you select 'Text Field (small)', you will be able to add the title of the custom field that you want on the report in the custom section (1), and when you are happy with the title, click on 'Add Field' to add this to the custom section (2).

 

 

When you have added the titles on the custom section, you will be returned to the section preview, where you will see the titles for the fields (1) (2). We have used examples to show you the difference in the filed sizes. At this stage you can add more fields (3), edit the 'Custom Section' title (4), delete the 'Custom Section' completely (5) or make any changes or delete the custom fields you have added to the custom section (6).

 

Once you have finished adding all your sections and finished your report template, click 'Save Report' at the bottom right of the page (1). If you would not like to enable your report yet, or would like to continue working on it later you can save it as a draft instead (2).

 

 

For more information on custom report templates, you can find our tutorial on draft templates here, and our tutorial on duplicating templates here.

 

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