Invoice Template Sample - Using Handwriting Signature in Your Invoices

Online-Only Article

Online-only articles are documents that are not included in the help file of the current version of Excel Invoice Manager. However, they provide useful information and may be included in the next version of Excel Invoice Manager.

Do you want to use your handwriting signature in your invoices? It?s easy to implement in Excel Invoice Manager, the billing software/invoice software based on Microsoft Excel.

The principle is very simple: create an image containing your handwriting signature, and then add it to your invoice template. Of course, you only need to do all the customization work once - after adding the signature, all the invoices you create will include the signature.

Here are the detailed steps for customizing the invoice template.

  1. Prepare your handwriting signature in a format supported by Microsoft Excel, such as JPG or GIF format.
  2. Copy the standard invoice template (INVOICE.xls) or your customized version, name the new file HandwritingSignature.xls.
  3. Open the HandwritingSignature.xls invoice template in Microsoft Excel.
  4. Unprotect the Invoice worksheet by clicking Excel menu Tools -> Protection -> Unprotect Sheet.
  5. Switch the invoice template into design mode by clicking the Design Mode button on the Control Toolbox toolbar. If the Control Toolbox toolbar is not displayed, click Excel menu View -> Toolbars -> Control Toolbox.

    In design mode, Excel Invoice Manager does not react to the click events on the ActiveX objects, allowing you to move, resize, add or delete ActiveX objects in the invoice template.

  6. Click the Image button on the Control Toolbox toolbar. Click the location where you want to place the signature. An image object is added.

    Sample invoice template - using handwriting signature -1
    (Click to enlarge)

  7. Right click the newly added image object; click the Properties command on the menu.
  8. In the Properties box, enter oknWidget_signature in the Name property. When you extract/email an invoice, all ActiveX objects will be removed from the extracted invoice, except those with the oknWidget_ or oknUser_ prefix in their names. For example, the Save As New Customer button will be removed from the extracted invoices, but the LOGO image will be leaved there. To make sure your signature image is included in the extracted invoices, it must have a "oknWidget_" or "oknUser_" prefix in its name.

    Sample invoice template - using handwriting signature -2

  9. Browse to and click the Picture property. Click the "..." button near the property. This opens the Load Picture dialog box. Select and open your signature image file.

    Sample invoice template - using handwriting signature -3Now you are returned to the Properties window. You can see the signature image was added to the invoice template.

  10. In the Properties window, set the BackStyle property to 0-fmBackStyleTransparent, and set the BorderStyle Property to 0-fmBorderStyleNone.

    Sample invoice template - using handwriting signature - 4

  11. You can resize and move the image object as needed. To resize the image object, click image to select it, hover your mouse on the border or corner, and then drag your mouse. To move the image, click any point except the border or corner of the image and then drag and drop it to its new location.
  12. If you prefer, you can also add a text label near the signature image, such as "Signature:".

    Sample invoice template - using handwriting signature - 5

  13. When finishing your customization work, exit design mode and protect the worksheet again.

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