Print it to a file.

You can set the system to automatically print to File instead of paper. Then, if you need to check the journal for any reason, you can view it from the printouts screen. Open Sage Desktop and go to Common Tasks --> Tools --> Options and then select the tab for Journals. You can select the checkbox for Automatically Print to File and you can also define how you want the files to be named and/or organized. I like to use a folder listing to include Year (so I can delete all the journals at the end of a year), then month, then day and then application of origin. The file name can contain any selection of fields like Task, user name, etc.  You can change this setting later if you're not happy with the structure you set up. Just be aware, if you don't include all fields in a folder or a file name, you may overwrite the files.

Thanks Kathy!  Is this an all or nothing thing?  I need my payroll reports to print out, as we keep hard copies on hand. 

It's a global setting. Payroll can be a challenge - you can always print the payroll journals from the printouts folder, but a bigger consideration is that other users have access to that folder and can see the payroll journals. I suggest you have the payroll person interrupt the process to change the printout from default (to the printouts folder) to the printer. After entering Time, processing payroll, printing checks, etc., just click the "Printer Setup" button and unclick the "print to file" checkbox. 

Ok. I am the Payroll Person so that might just work!  thank you so much!

Nice!

Amorton,

You may already understand this, but I wanted to add to the conversation to hopefully clarify a couple points for anyone else reading.

First, I usually recommend not getting to granular when creating your Journal Folder structure, but I too recommend starting with the Year, but might only go one or two more subfolders from there.  In addition, to ensure that you do not overwrite any previous journal you simply need to include the Time field in the Journal File structure.

Second, in regards to Payroll, it is during the process of Print Checks, or Generate Direct Deposit, that you want to click on the Printer Setup and then Select File to change where the Check/Direct Deposit register will be placed if in a different folder (not after you've already printed checks).  You can then secure this different folder using Windows Security if desired/needed.

Additionally, I like to create a specific folder for your printouts (either called Printouts or Journals, but you can choose what works for you) and then add that folder in File Locations for Printouts so that when you go to File Printouts it starts in that specific folder.  This will eliminate the subfolders created by the Journals configuration being created directly beneath your company folder.  If you want that "Printouts" folder to exist directly within your company folder, you can simply add .\Printouts (as an example) in File Locations.  That method will keep your company folder better organized when viewing it using File/Windows Explorer.

I hope that helps.

Thanks Todd! I changed our set per your advice, created a Printouts folder and added the 'time' field to the journal file structure!

Is this setting specific to each individual login? If I change it, will it be changed for all our users?

It is for each login. Choosing to print to file or printer is based on the user. It is not a global setting. All "Customize" settings are user specific. All "Options" setting under Tools are Global.

Just to clarify. Choosing to print to file or printer is based on the user. It is not a global setting. All "Customize" settings are user specific. All "Options" setting under Tools are Global. Sorry :-)

Question on how Commitments work. When i create a new commitment and i hit Finish/Start, I would expect the print to file to work the same way, to print the commitment journal to my Printouts folder I set up. But it's not. It's requiring me to pick a path and name it myself.  Why is it doing that?

I'm totally confused now. I'm running a payroll and it's doing the same thing.  I turned off the 'auto print to file' in Options, as I want all the payroll reports/direct deposit checks to print out. But it's still taking me to the Printouts folder where i have to save it with a name before it will print out.  please help!

LinetteS,

The automated Journals is set up through Tools > Options so it is a global setting, but only impacts Journals (printouts created after completing a Task).  Regular Reports and Inquiries that are printed are still managed by the setting under Customize which is in individual setting.

Amorton,

When printing payroll Notifications (Checks or Direct Deposit), you have the ability to specify whether you want the Notifications printed to file or to a printer.  When you complete that process, it will retain that option as the default until you change it.  To change it, simply select Checks/Direct Deposit Notifications and change the Printer settings to print to paper.  It should then default to that going forward.

To change the default for the Register, you simply click the drop-down and change the "focus" to Register and set your Printer Options, it works the same.

But that is what I did. I went into Tools/Options and turned off the 'Auto print to file' box.  But when I proceeded to run my payroll, including my direct deposit checks, it kept bringing me to my Printouts folder where it required me to type in a name for the file to save it. Only after I did that did it actually print out. 

Amorton,

After turning off the Auto print to file in Options, you would still need to reconfigure the next time in Payroll when printing checks.  After that it should default to your last selection when printing checks again.

Remember the original idea was to automatically save Journals everywhere by default, but that would require in payroll when print checks/direct deposits you either:

• Allow the Register to print to file, then access/open it and print a hard copy
• Manually change the Register to print to file (or change the location the file will be saved to) each time you print checks/direct deposit.

The actual checks/direct deposit notifications should always follow the default based on your decision the last time you printed checks/direct deposits.

Ok but what about my issue with Commitments.  Why when I finish/start on a commitment is it bringing up my Printouts folder and requiring me to create a name for the file vs. just printing the commitment journal like all the other journals that print out>?

Commitments are similar in that you have two documents created each time you complete a Commitment - a Journal, and a Purchase Order Document/Subcontract Document.  You have the same ability to click on the drop-down button/arrow and switch between the two documents.  After you have Journals automated, the Journal Document should already have a folder/location and file preselected, but if you select the other document, which creates a PDF document, it will prompt you for a location and allows you to specify a file name, but will append the filename with Document #-Document Name-Date-Time.  Even if you don't use the automated Journals, your Journal will follow your Customize setting (whether you print to file by default or to a physical printer) and will still print your Document to PDF.

e.g. I created a Purchase Order and assigned a PO # of 20210623 and named it "Test of the Journal Option".  When completing the Purchase Order/Commitment, I assigned the file name "1".  The system then created a PDF called "1-PO-20210623-Test of the Journal Option-06-23-2021-10-30-22.PDF".  Based on my Journal settings, it also created a printout (PRN) file called "Commitments_23_10_30_3.prn".

I hope that helps.