Help needed
Software question for those who know about these things.

I need a piece of software that I can make forms with - for quoting and invoicing (doesn't have to be accounting/invoicing software). Preferably, it would be something which can be easily (and extensively) personalised. I have some templates already from another program - but they are only on PDF and not easily edited or exported to other formats, so it's not ideal.

Any suggestions? (And anybody who knows some decent, non-Sage, accounting software as well, let me know).

Cheers
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 11:29, 9 replies, latest was 17 years ago)

Excel, since I assume you have it already
Quite easy to format and personalise to your heart's content, plus obviously you can set formulae to add up line prices for a total, add VAT etc. Then print each invoice/quote to pdf to send to customers.

If you want to get a bit more trick you can get into VBA and have the spreadsheet automatically save quotes in a database, recall previous ones and such.

The next level up from this is some sort of database with a front end that allows you to enter the info. Use Access if you're feeling particularly masochistic, or maybe a web browser based thing with SQL on the back end? Would need coding experience obviously but php/SQL is fairly easy to get into.

Don't go near Acrobat forms, they're a fucking nightmare.

Not sure re. accounting software as we're running a combination of bespoke systems and Sage here, although I'm moving away from Sage as it's an absolute cunt with importing/exporting data. Tbh you could do a lot worse than just running your books in Excel as well, if you're a fairly small company.

Gaz me with more details of what you're trying to accomplish if you don't want to publicise them, I'm sure we can work something out. I'm a programmer and we write pretty all our quoting/stock management etc software in house so I've got a fair bit of experience with this sort of thing.
(username1, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 11:46, Reply)

Username
you can't do PDFs in Excel.

flesh, I'm pretty sure you'll have to start from scratch, unless you get an adobe editor and change the format from there.
(Bert's other profile wants to wear your balls on a necklace, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 11:54, Reply)

Bertie
I don't think he wants to create pdfs and I get the impression that a different solution to the pdfs he currently has is what he's after.

If you've got a copy of excel use that otherwise I'd use openoffice calc. It'll do everything excel can do that you're likely to need for this task but it's free.
( Captain V, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:00, Reply)

I know he doesn't
his source files are PDFs, which unless I'm mistaken can't be imported into Excel.

Look at us, being all helpful and suchlike, anybody want to call each other a cunt?
(Bert's other profile wants to wear your balls on a necklace, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:02, Reply)

Another Vote for Excel
or even OpenOffice Calc if you don't have Ofice already.

As for accounting software take a look at Intuit's Quickbooks, relatively cheap and easy to use but still quite powerful.

Edit: Damn you Captain V, beat me to it!
(bill, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:03, Reply)

You can't open pdfs in Excel
But you can create them, the pdf distiller just appears on your system as a printer. I'd advise sending stuff to customers/suppliers as pdfs, but do the form layout and work in Excel.

He said he had pdf templates, it will be pretty easy to replicate those in Excel in half an hour or so. I find Excel easier to lay out forms and stuff for print than a lot of other programs!

Edit: I agree with the principles and intentions of open source software for sure, but I couldn't use Calc, it's fucking hideous if you're used to Excel.
(username1, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:04, Reply)

cunt

(Bert's other profile wants to wear your balls on a necklace, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:04, Reply)

u1
I agree with you entirely, I'm not a big fan of calc to use myself but only really because I'm used to excel.

Mind you I'll probably look at using calc for my quick and dirty work until resolver is a bit more snappy and has better GUI. Then excel will die a quick, cold death (unless I'm making spreadsheets for other people /cry)
( Captain V, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 13:11, Reply)

thanks everybody
I have the acrobat editor, and excel as well, but I was looking for a quicker solution than excel - something pre-prepared as it were.

What we send to the client is a secure pdf, and we have used the local version of sage to create our pdf template previously - but they can't be saved as anything useful from sage.

the accounting stuff is not so imnportant - just something to save time at the end of the month.

further suggestions are welcome.
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Fri 24 Apr 2009, 14:29, Reply)