Set Up Forms Custom Print

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Use a custom print to control how your form results look when downloaded as a PDF or sent by email. Instead of Assignar's default layout, results will use your own branded Word, Excel, or PowerPoint template.

Before you start

  • Custom prints are set up once per form template. All results for that form will use the template when downloaded.
  • Need an overview of how custom printing works? See Custom prints overview first.

 

Part 1: Configure your form settings and note your variable codes

The variables available in your custom print depend on which options are enabled in the form Settings panel. Open Settings first, then switch to the Custom Printing tab to see all available variables.

  1. Go to Field Data > Forms and click the Templates tab.
  2. Click the title of your form to open it in the Form Builder.
  3. Click Settings (top right) and scroll to Associate with.
  4. Tick the options relevant to your form: Client, Project, Asset (Equipment), Worker, and/or Supplier.
    • Only options you tick will appear as variables in the Custom Printing panel.
    • Ticking Project automatically ticks Client as well.
    • For example, if Client is not ticked, the {$client} variable will not be available.
  5. If your form needs geolocation, tick Activate Geolocation.
    • This makes latitude, longitude, and Google Maps link variables available.
  6. Click Custom Printing in the right panel to see all available variable codes.

Global variables appear at the top. Your form questions appear below, labelled Q1, Q2, etc. Note the codes for each field you want to include in your template.

Left: the Settings panel with Associate with options and Activate Geolocation ticked. Right: the Custom Printing panel showing the full list of available variables, question-specific codes, and tablerow syntax.

 

Group 1: Always available

These variables are available on every form regardless of what is selected under Associate with or Activate Geolocation.

What it represents Variable code Example output
Result ID {$id} 12345
Form ID {$form_id} 160
Form title {$title} Machine Pre-Start
Form description {$description} Daily pre-start check
Date of submission {$date} 30/04/2026
Submitted by (full name) {$submitted_by} Jane Smith
Submission origin {$origin} Mobile
Current form status {$status} Completed
Order ID {$orderId} ORD-001
Order PO number {$orderPo} PO-2026-01
Order WO number {$orderWo} WO-2026-01

 

Group 2: Available when Associate with is enabled

Each option under Associate with enables its own variable. Ticking Project automatically ticks Client as well, giving you both {$project} and {$client}. All other options are independent.

What it represents Variable code Example output
Client Name (tick Client, or auto-enabled when Project is ticked) {$client} ABC Corp
Project Name (tick Project) {$project} Site A Upgrade
Project ID (tick Project) {$projectId} PRJ-001
Asset (Equipment) Name (tick Asset) {$asset} COM001
Worker Name (tick Worker) {$worker} Jane Smith
Supplier Name (tick Supplier) {$supplier} Smith Hire

 

Group 3: Available when Activate Geolocation is enabled

These variables only appear when Activate Geolocation is ticked in the form Settings.

What it represents Variable code Example output
Geolocation latitude of submission {$latitude} -33.8688
Geolocation longitude of submission {$longitude} 151.2093
Google Maps link of submission {$google_map_link} maps.google.com/...

How geolocation works

When Activate Geolocation is enabled, the worker's current location is captured and stored at the moment the form is submitted.

Submissions from the mobile app use the device's GPS. Submissions from the dashboard may show a different location depending on the worker's internet provider.

If a worker denies location permissions on their device, these fields will be blank in the form result.

 

Group 4: Question-specific codes

Each question in your form has a unique code. These are shown in the Custom Printing panel next to each question label. Question codes follow this pattern:

What it represents Variable code Example output
Question answer (text, number, date, etc.) {$id1} Worker's typed answer
Multiple choice: Choice 1 {$id1_0} Tick if Choice 1 selected
Multiple choice: Choice 2 {$id1_1} Tick if Choice 2 selected
Multiple choice: Choice N {$id1_N} Replace N with the choice index
Image / signature question {$id1} Use with insert_image syntax

Multiple choice codes

Each choice in a multiple choice question gets its own code using the suffix _0, _1, _2, etc.

For example, a Yes/No question with code {$id2} would use {$id2_0} for Yes and {$id2_1} for No.

In your template, place each choice code in a separate cell (e.g. the Yes column and No column). Assignar will print a tick mark in the correct cell based on the worker's answer.

 

Part 2: Build your template

Build your template in Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), or PowerPoint (.pptx). Word is recommended for most forms, especially those with photos, signatures, or checklists.

Tip: use tables in Word

Tables are the best way to lay out form data. They keep fields aligned, handle variable-length text well, and produce a professional result.

See Images on a custom print and Tablerow, listrow, and foreach in custom printing for advanced layout options.

 

Step 1: Create your layout

Build the document structure you want. Add your company logo, headings, and table layout for the form fields. Leave data cells empty at this stage.

An Accident / Incident / Hazard Reporting Form template built in Word. Table cells are empty at this stage.

 

Step 2: Insert placeholder codes

Copy the placeholder codes from the Custom Printing panel and paste them into the cells where each answer should appear.

The same template with placeholder codes inserted. {$worker} for worker name, {$date} for submission date, {$client} for client, and {$id1} for Question 1.

 

Multiple choice questions in templates

Place each choice code in the cell for that option. For a Yes/No question, put {$id2_0} in the Yes cell and {$id2_1} in the No cell. Assignar prints a tick mark in the correct cell.

Multiple choice answers print as tick marks in the correct column.

 

Step 3: Save as .docx

When your template is ready, save it as a .docx file. The file size limit is 25 MB.

Using Google Docs?

Go to File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx) to save in the correct format before uploading.

In Google Docs: File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).

 

Part 3: Upload and save

  1. Go back to Field Data > Forms > Form Templates and open your form.
  2. Click Custom Printing in the right panel.
  3. Drag and drop your file into the upload area, or click select a file to browse.

    Drag your .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx file into the dotted upload area. Maximum file size is 25 MB.
  4. Optionally tick Export as PDF if you want results to download in PDF format using your template.
  5. Click Save.

What happens next

The next time you download a result for this form, it will use your custom template instead of the default Assignar layout.

To download a form result, go to Field Data > Forms, open the result, and click Download PDF.

If the output does not look right, check that the placeholder codes in your template exactly match the codes shown in the Custom Printing panel.

 

Things to know

  • The custom print applies to all results for that form template. You cannot apply different templates to individual results.
  • File size limit is 25 MB for the uploaded template.
  • Accepted file types are .docx (Word), .xlsx (Excel), and .pptx (PowerPoint).
  • To update the template, upload a new file. The previous template will be replaced.
  • If a placeholder code does not match exactly, that field will be blank in the output. Copy codes directly from the Custom Printing panel to avoid typos.
  • Client, Asset, Worker, and Supplier variables each require their own individual tick under Associate with. Ticking Project automatically enables Client as well, so both {$project} and {$client} become available.
  • Geolocation variables only appear when Activate Geolocation is ticked in form Settings.
  • Automated docket emails require a custom print. If email notifications are turned on for a docket but nothing is being sent, check whether a custom print has been uploaded to that docket template.

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