Answers to common questions about printing and emailing from SeroBooks. For the full walkthroughs, see Printer Setup, Print Forms, Send Forms and Emailing invoices, statements and reports.
Printing
How does SeroBooks print?
SeroBooks prints straight to a printer installed in Windows, without opening the document first. Invoices, statements and other full-page documents go to the document printer chosen for this computer in File ▸ Printer Setup…; labels go to the barcode label printer. When you press Print and no document printer has been chosen, SeroBooks uses the computer's default printer.
Nothing printed, and a message says why
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| This computer has no printer set up. Add one in Printers. | Add the printer in Windows (Add a printer to Windows on the Printer Setup screen), then choose it in File ▸ Printer Setup…. |
| No document printer has been chosen. | Choose one in File ▸ Printer Setup…. This appears for automatic printing when a sale is saved. |
| The document printer is switched off. | The document printer is chosen but switched off in Printer Setup. Switch it on. |
| The document could not be saved for printing. | Try again; if it keeps happening, restart SeroBooks. |
| Invoice number did not print — reason | Windows reported a problem with the printer. Check it is on, connected and has paper, and print a test page from Printer Setup. |
Invoices print by themselves when I save them. How do I stop that?
In File ▸ Printer Setup…, turn off Print automatically when a sale is saved on the document printer ("Off — nothing prints unless you tick Invoice or press Print.").
The printed invoice does not look right
The layout comes from the template. Change the logo, columns, notes, terms and bank details in Lists ▸ Templates. See Templates and The printed invoice (PDF) explained.
How do I print a batch of invoices, statements or cheques?
Tick Print later on each form as you save it, then use File ▸ Print Forms…: choose the kind of form, tick the ones to print, choose a template, and click Print. SeroBooks then asks Did the forms print correctly? — answer Yes once they have, and they leave the "Not yet printed" list. For cheques, use File ▸ Print Cheques…. See Print Forms and Print Cheques.
How do I save a form as a PDF?
In File ▸ Print Forms…, tick the forms and use the save option; SeroBooks asks where to save ("Save forms as PDF") and says "Saved to path". On any report or list, Export ▸ PDF saves what is on screen. You can also choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
How are emails sent?
SeroBooks sends invoices, statements, forms and reports from its own mail service, with your business's name on the email and the document attached as a PDF. You do not need an email program on the computer.
"Emailed to address with the PDF attached."
The email has been sent. It includes the invoice as a PDF and a button to view or download it online.
"Server send failed (…) — opened your mail app instead."
SeroBooks could not send the email itself, so it opened your computer's email program with the message ready. Attach the PDF and send it from there, or try again later.
The customer has no email address
When you email a document to a customer with no email on file, SeroBooks asks for the Email address. To keep it for next time, add it to the customer. See Add or edit a customer.
How do I email many invoices or statements at once?
Tick Email later on each, then use File ▸ Send Forms…. Each form goes to its own recipient with the form attached as a PDF, and leaves the "Not yet emailed" list once sent. A form with no address is marked "Needs an email address". Edit default email… changes the standard subject and message for that kind of form. See Send Forms.
How do I email a report?
Click Email on the report. Type one or more addresses in To ("Separate several addresses with a comma."), check the Subject and Message, and choose ATTACH AS PDF, Excel or CSV. SeroBooks confirms "Report emailed to …". It sends exactly what is on screen, filters included. "Nothing to email — this report has no rows." means the report is empty. See Print, export and email a report.
"That does not look like an email: …"
One of the addresses is mistyped. Check for a missing @ or a stray comma.
"Sent n of m. Failed: …"
Some recipients were sent the email and some were not; the message names the failures. Check those addresses and send to them again.