Database Print Templates
ILLiad 10.0 introduces database print templates. Instead of maintaining Word template files in a folder on every workstation (or a shared path), templates can be stored centrally in the ILLiad database and managed from the ILLiad Web Client. This makes templates easier to distribute, update, and keep consistent across all of your client installations.
ILLiad 10.0 also introduces a new mail merge system that does not require Microsoft Word to be installed on client machines. See Mail Merge Without Microsoft Word below.
The new Web Client prints exclusively from database-stored templates. The desktop ILLiad Client can continue to use file-based Word templates (see Configuring Print Settings and ILLiad Default Print Templates).
Benefits
- No per-workstation template files — templates are stored centrally and accessed from the database.
- Simplified distribution across multiple client installations.
- Centralized management of template content, description, and printer type.
- Required for Web Client printing — the Web Client uses database templates only.
Managing Templates in the Web Client
Database templates are managed from the Print Template editor in the ILLiad Web Client administration area, which displays a grid of all templates for your site with the following columns:
- File Name
- Printer Type
- Description
- Last Changed Date
- Last Changed By
From this screen you can:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Add | Upload a new template file from your computer. |
| Edit | Update an existing template's file, description, or printer type. |
| Delete | Remove a template from the database (you will be asked to confirm). |
| Download | Download the selected template file to edit it locally, then re-upload it. |
On shared server installations, templates are stored per NVTGC. The editor manages templates for your currently active site, and you can only access templates for sites you have permission to.
Uploading a Template
- In the Print Template editor, click Add.
- Choose the template file to upload. Supported file types are
.doc,.docx,.dot, and.dotx. - Optionally enter a Description and select a Printer Type. Available printer types are Document (default), Label, Receipt, and Other.
- Save. The template is stored in the database and immediately available to the Web Client.
- Only one file may be uploaded at a time.
- The file name may not contain
/or+characters. - Templates are limited to 2 MB by default.
- Uploaded files are validated as Word documents; invalid files are rejected.
Permissions
Viewing and downloading templates is available to staff users. Adding, editing, and deleting templates requires Staff Manager-level permission.
Mail Merge Without Microsoft Word
In previous versions, ILLiad relied on Microsoft Word's mail merge engine to populate and print templates, which required Word to be installed on each workstation.
In ILLiad 10.0, ILLiad performs the merge internally, so:
- Microsoft Word is no longer required on client machines to merge and print documents. (Word is still useful for editing template layouts.)
- Printing is no longer affected by Microsoft Word update issues.
The desktop Client retains a legacy (Word-based) mail merge option; see Configuring Print Settings → Enabling Legacy Mail Merge Functionality.