printing invoices with increasing unique counts

Bernardus · 03 Sep 2016

Anyone who can explain how I to set up invoices with a table or text box with updating numbers in Word?
For example a list of invoices with specific counts like page-numbers. (unique invoice numbers)
But I want them to be placed somewhere else in the sheets, not top or bottom (text box) and starting from a predetermined value. like 1000 and so on.

fireberd · 03 Sep 2016

I did that with tickets and MS Publisher. I had to create a table in Excel and link the ticket number box in Publisher to Excel.
I don't know if that will work with Word.

How to generate sequentially numbered documents using Publisher - TechRepublic

Bernardus · 03 Sep 2016

Thanks for the reply
Wow, that's something I have to workout.
Hoped to find an easy way by a macro.
It's pretty foolish that such an option is not build in with Word.
At least not that I'm aware of.

Ranger4 · 03 Sep 2016

What version of Office are you using. In Office 2013, you can get a lot of Invoice Templates to use with Word. To do that click on the Start Button & click on All Programs, scroll down & click on Microsoft Office, then click on Word & when that opens, there should be a lot of templates listed.

If you type Invoices in the search slot at the top & click on the search button a lot of Invoice Templates will be shown & you can download a template that could be suitable, or you could modify it to your needs.

Other versions of Office should work in a similar way.

Bernardus · 04 Sep 2016

Thanks for the reply.
I'm using Word 2010

What I found was publisher with a lot of templates, but still no option to implement a number-generator.
The purpose is to copy an existing invoice design and add a unique number to it.
Printing is quite expensive if you use it only occasionally.

MoxieMomma · 04 Sep 2016

Hi:

Just popping in to say "good advice", to @fireberd and @Ranger4. Good tips!

Cheers,
MM

Callender · 04 Sep 2016

As far as I know it should be possible to use an invoice template (or create on yourself) then import invoice numbers from an Excel spreadsheet using MailMerge in MS Word. You just select the fields to insert in your invoice and insert the invoice number in the correct position. Unfortunately I don't have MS Word on my home based machine and only use it at work. You'd need to save the merged Word document so that it loads the data from the spreadsheet when opened.

Also take a look here for other software that might be used to create invoices.

Windows Search: invoice

Ranger4 · 04 Sep 2016

You could also use Excel to create an invoice. The following website has some free invoice templates to use with Excel. You can the tailor it to suit your needs.

https://www.smartsheet.com/free-excel-invoice-templates

It might be easier to get Excel to increment invoice numbers, than in Word.

Bernardus · 06 Sep 2016

Thanks for the replies.
It's clear to use a textbox, but how do I update it every time I generate an invoice?
Occasionally (literately, selling some occasions LOL) you have to generate a unique invoicenumber.
So the sheet must remember the last used number.
I'm not that smart in these specific matters.
No problem to create tables or layouts. Nor formula's as debt and credit, total etc. (to a certain level).
I'm not a bookkeeper.
I know how to couple some data from Excel to Word, like addresses.

The sheet example you added contains a field with invoice numbers.
But it's unclear how the next sheet generates another incrementing number?

There is a difference between printing a list and couple that with another list in Excel.
Or just a single sheet at a time with a formula for numbers.

Barman58 · 06 Sep 2016

I have a slightly different method for the generation of invoices, but as I generate a low volume of invoices my method may not suit most others.

I use this method as IMHO, invoices just need to be Unique, and where stored in the same folder they should be ordered by ascending date order.

My Invoice numbers are the reverse of the issue date and a prefix/or suffix to ID other categories.

An example I wish to send an Invoice to "Fred" today The body of the number would Be 20160906 which I would Store in my Fred Invoice Folder, (or you could use a customer number or name as a prefix if you want to store invoices by Month or Year).

If I issued More that one Invoice to Fred today I would manually add -001. -002 ... Etc I then Save the Invoices in their folders Using the Invoice Number, any suffix Number, and usually a short note to ID the Invoice reason as the file Name.

EG.

Our first Invoice to Fred today would be 20160906-001 (001 only added if you are likely to issue more than one invoice today), and would be saved In the Fred folder as 20160906-001-Party at Hotel.docx or in a Single multi Client folder (date Based) 20160906-Fred-001-Party at Hotel.docx

This sounds more complex than it is but without needing any fancy footwork you have an invoice system that is fully searchable by date, Client, and basic type and will always produce Unique invoices.

Note. I Use the UK Date so your start point may be different but as long as the date is written as YYYMMDD It will sort correctly
If you are using non client folders It makes sense to incorporate some form of Client ID in the Invoice number to better ID the invoice over the Phone when I client Calls You.

Of course all this system could be Automated by a macro if needed but I find my Client Folder based Storage system and the fact that if I need to issue multiple invoices on the same day to the same day I can remember the last number to add the correct Suffix (I often would create the first Invoice, SaveAs then Modify the contents and details and SaveAS again Etc.

This system will work for most smaller Single trader type companies if you have multiple people, Many Clients, etc then you really need some form of dedicated Accounting package ether off the shelf or Bespoke