Best program for creating forms?

[Rob 3,152]

Hi folks. Any thoughts on the best program to buy to create a form based on personal experience. Nothing clever, just a series of irregular size and shape boxes with a title in the top LH corner of each box. Unfortunately a simple grid won't do. Thanks.

[Nordle11 564]

Word might have everything you need? Have you looked into the forms they use or the macros you can set up to create forms?

I used to have to run various reports on word for different clients using the same raw data and I managed to set up the doc to pull the figures from an Excel sheet in a pre-defined location and then populate the rest of the document depending on who the client was. You can sort out the snap to grid features as well to allow more flexibility.

It might be relevant to your needs, but if it is you might save a few quid.

[Rob 3,152]

Thanks. This version doesn't appearf to come with forms and the macros bit is empty as well - was probably a cut down cheap version. I'll see if anyone round here knows what you mean. I thought Word was for writing letters or documents. Whatever, it isn't worth spending a huge amount of money on as the last print run of these forms lasted 26 years, hence the need for a cheap fix to last another 5 or 6.

[Peckris 579]

I take it you're looking for a form which will hold multiple fields (your different sized boxes) which can then be used for multiple records (e.g. coins, or whatever purpose you had in mind)?

Some kind of database manager is what you need, and there must be a cheap one out there, as your needs sound fairly basic. Unfortunately I don't have experience with databases for Windows PCs but after Googling...

list of databases:

http://download.cnet.com/windows/database-software/

(some may be free, others will offer a free trial)

And apparently the free OpenOffice suite has a database component in it:

http://www.download-4-free.com/listing/121698/Apache%20OpenOffice?did=11085&pid=1&ppd=search,48903763765,openoffice,e,,c,0,,,&gclid=CjgKEAjwzcWcBRCat43fy9e5i3ASJADXOBwuMOQjnFI4Kqv_YRoS3dZRdK6UKBipXj38VqxPN2oh-vD_BwE

[Rob 3,152]

No it is simpler than that. I need to make some service reports for when I do a repair job on the non-coins side of life. The details will be hand written as I do the job, so it just needs to be a load of boxes of varying size joined together, all printed on 3 part copy paper. So boxes for customer name and address, date, hours worked, parts used, description of work done etc. I've got a box of blank 3 part tractor feed paper and still use a dot matrix printer for my invoices. Just don't want to spend hundreds on a few thousand of these from a stationery printer.

The info in the boxes doesn't need to be stored on computer as it is quite straightforward to remember what job was done when and the detail of the job. This is really only to record it should my memory fail me.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Rob

[Peckris 579]

No it is simpler than that. I need to make some service reports for when I do a repair job on the non-coins side of life. The details will be hand written as I do the job, so it just needs to be a load of boxes of varying size joined together, all printed on 3 part copy paper. So boxes for customer name and address, date, hours worked, parts used, description of work done etc. I've got a box of blank 3 part tractor feed paper and still use a dot matrix printer for my invoices. Just don't want to spend hundreds on a few thousand of these from a stationery printer.

The info in the boxes doesn't need to be stored on computer as it is quite straightforward to remember what job was done when and the detail of the job. This is really only to record it should my memory fail me.

If it's a simple as that, you can do it all in Word.

[Rob 3,152]

Have to rethink this. Apparently Word didn't come as standard with XP which is what my computer is running with the dot matrix printer. Might have to see if I can cobble something together using the Sage accounts program. Thanks for the help anyway.

[azda 979]

Word does'nt come as Standard fullstop in Windows, you pay for the add ons, or Download it for free

Edited June 6, 2014 by azda

[Colin G. 147]

Do you have an existing copy, couldn't you just scan it in, or do you want to change the form?

[RLC35 288]

"Open Office 4.0" by Apache (formerly Sun Microsystems), is a Word/Excel look alike, and is free...that's right...free! It will recognize excel and lotus files, and will do everything Microsoft Office will do. It will work with all MS programs from XL through Win8. I use it all the time. It has all the features of MS Office. (excel, word,Presentation, Drawing, Database, and more)

[Rob 3,152]

Do you have an existing copy, couldn't you just scan it in, or do you want to change the form?

Good idea, though I'd have to draw another form because I've used them all up. Hopefully the XP computer will cope with the scanner.

"Open Office 4.0" by Apache (formerly Sun Microsystems), is a Word/Excel look alike, and is free...that's right...free! It will recognize excel and lotus files, and will do everything Microsoft Office will do. It will work with all MS programs from XL through Win8. I use it all the time. It has all the features of MS Office. (excel, word,Presentation, Drawing, Database, and more)

Thanks Bob. Like Azda and most others, I like the word free too.

[TomGoodheart 403]

Um ... have you thought of Paint Rob? Comes as standard on most Windows based systems.

Although sold as a (very) basic 'art' package, you can easily draw boxes in it. Cut them, paste them, resize them, move them around .. all fairly easy. Once the boxes are where you want them you can drop a text box over for any words you want to print too.

What I tend to do is when I have the first element right I save the result. Then resave after the second etc.. then if you completely mess it up it's not all lost.

Save the final result as a .jpg and you should be able to just print it as you would any other image file.

That's what I'd try first anyway ...

Edited June 6, 2014 by TomGoodheart

[TomGoodheart 403]

Did this in under two minutes using Paint:

[Rob 3,152]

Thanks. Looks promising. I was experimenting trying to insert a table and doing the same thing. Have to see how it goes as this is all new territory for me. I tend to delegate anything computer related to the kids, but they are in short supply at the moment - spend their entire life asking you to do things for them, then when you need them they're otherwise indisposed.

[Nordle11 564]

LOL @ Rob's Blobs

[Rob 3,152]

Sorted via a very circuitous route. Create a new form as a word doc, scan it in to get a jpg, copy to a stick and transfer to another computer. Print off multiple copies. Still looks crap printed with a dot matrix, but at least I have 3 part copies. Ta everyone.

[Peckris 579]

Congratulations Rob - the only computer user in Britain still using a dot matrix printer? I last used one in 1994!

Anyway, glad you got the problem sorted out.

[Rob 3,152]

Congratulations Rob - the only computer user in Britain still using a dot matrix printer? I last used one in 1994!

Anyway, glad you got the problem sorted out.

There's loads of them out there, because for in house printouts it is the cheapest way of producing them. No need for glossy paper, you can use fairly dusty recycled paper without hassle. Newsagents mostly print off the paper-round sheets on one for example - certainly their software is designed for them and I don't know any who use more sophisticated devices. It's cheap and cheerful when you need a simple list. I've had ink jets, lasers etc since the 90s myself and continue to have one for other printouts, but see no point in changing the accounts computer printer until I run out of 3 part tractor feed invoices. End of year reports are only for me, as are stock lists and valuations etc so it could be printed on bog paper for all I care. Incapable of being b******d by your truly, it's a Star NL-10 which has to be the most robust printer ever made. It was the one I got with the first computer in the 1980s and is almost completely maintenance free as I've only had to clean it out once when it jammed up with paper dust. Not bad for 28 years old.

[Colin G. 147]

I had one of those.......