Chapter 10 - Check Designer
The following information is covered in this chapter:
Check Designer utility
One of the most powerful features of the payroll program is the Check Designer. While other computer programs require you to use specific pre-printed checks, the Check Designer allows you to create your own customized checkform templates that include graphics and your choice of fonts or you can modify any of the sample templates that come with the program to fit your needs.
The Check Designer includes templates that print paychecks identical to those that are printed out of QuickBooks.
Sample checkform templates
Several sample checkform templates have been included with the program. Their names indicate the style of check (e.g., Payroll Checks,QuickBooks Laser,Aatrix AML-2) and the type of printer it was created for (e.g., Laser). Any template that includes the name Aatrix has been designed specifically for the pre-printed check stock you can order through Aatrix Software.
To see illustrations of examples of the preprinted checkstock, please click this link . The graphic will open in a separate window. All are available as Laser Printer or Continuous Feed checks. Under each illustration are the names of the templates that were created for that particular style of check.
Using the Check Designer
From the Payroll Navigator window, click on any window except for Pay Employees, for example the Company Information window, to access the Check Designer, select Utilities > Check Designer. Use the commands in the menu bar at the top of the window and the graphic tools to either create your custom checkform templates or edit existing ones.
To become familiar with the features in the Check Designer, you may wish to edit one of the sample checkform templates. Use the sample templates to practice adding, moving, aligning fields, etc. After experimenting, you can close the template without saving changes and the fields will return to their original positions.
Graphic tools
On the left of the Check Designer window is a palette containing tools for drawing lines, boxes, or circles. These tools are similar to the tools you would find in any paint or draw program on your Macintosh. By moving the mouse pointer onto the gray bar at the top of the palette, you can drag and drop it to any location on the screen.
Following is a description of each tool.
The Object Selection tool
Use this arrow-shaped tool to select and drag fields that appear on the check template. It is automatically selected when you enter the Check Designer.
The Rectangle tool
This tool is shaped like a rectangle. Use it to draw rectangles (boxes). To make a rectangle, click the Rectangle tool and the pointer changes to a cross hair (+). Mouse over to the approximate spot on the checkform you want to place the rectangle. Then click and hold the mouse button down to draw and shape the rectangle. After obtaining the proper size and shape for the rectangle, release the mouse button. To move the rectangle around on the form, first click the Object Selection tool and then click the shape and, holding the mouse button down, drag the object.
The Circle tool
To make a circle, click the circle tool (shaped like a circle) and the pointer changes to a cross hair (+). Mouse over to the approximate spot on the checkform you want to place the circle. Then click and hold the mouse button down to draw and shape the circle. After obtaining the proper size and shape for the circle, release the mouse button. To move the circle around on the form, first click the Object Selection tool and then click the shape and, holding the mouse button down, drag the object.
The Line tool
This tool, shaped like a diagonal line, is used to draw lines. One such use is to separate fields and columns on the pay stub. Use it the same way the Rectangle and Circle tools are used.
Viewing checkform templates
When a checkform template is too large to fit completely on the screen, select File > View and slide the cursor to the desired size to reduce the checkform to 75%, 66%, or 33% of its actual size. To return to the form's regular size, click the close button/box in the upper left corner of the screen.
You cannot edit the form while you are in view mode.
Display Options
The Check Designer utility comes with many built-in display options. To access them, select Edit > Display Options.
Use these options to save time and effort in designing or editing your checkform template. As you make your choices, a checkmark ( √ ) will appear next to each selection.
Snap to Grid
This feature lines up the print fields on the checkform by automatically snapping the field into an exact grid location. This is useful when lining up a number of fields in a row or column. The grid is invisible and does not show up on the screen.
Show Grid
This option actually shows the checkform grid on the screen, allowing more accurate drawing and positioning of fields. The grid will not print on your checks.
Grid Size
This feature allows you to change the size of the grid squares appearing on your screen. When selecting this option, a dialogue window opens in which you can adjust both the vertical and horizontal lines of the grid by entering the number of spaces, in pixels, desired. Certain lines on the grid can be darkened, giving a more detailed reference point and making the alignment of different fields easier.
Note that the Grid Size option affects fields differently depending on whether the fields were created using the Snap to Grid option.
Show Rulers
This option displays rulers at the top and the left hand side of the Check Designer window. Use the rulers to line up fields with the mouse. To turn the rulers off, select the Show Rulers option again. The rulers will not print on your checks.
Hide Tools / Show Tools
The Hide Tools option removes the tool palette from the window display. To re-display the tool palette, select Show Tools.
Form Setup options
The first thing to do when setting up a checkform template is to establish the size of the checkform you will be printing. To access the Form Setup window, select File > Form Setup.
Enter the size of your form
Measure the exact size (in inches) of the form, including check and any accompanying stubs, from top to bottom and side to side. Use decimals to express your form length and width (e.g., 8.5, 3.8).
Fit as many as possible on a sheet of paper
This option is primarily designed for checkstock that contains two, three, or four checks on a sheet of paper. If you need to use this option, enter a page size that represents the amount of space each paycheck will use.
If you are using checkstock that contains more than one check per sheet, the size of your checkform must be set up appropriately in order to print multiple checks per sheet.
Understanding Fields
This section provides instructions for the three different types of fields you can add to your checkform templates.
The term field identifies any item that is placed on a checkform template. Examples of some fields you may want to place on a template include check amount, payee name, check date, memo, and stub information (e.g., tax and deduction amounts). The position in which the fields are placed on a template is where they will print on your checks.
There are three different types of fields you can place on a checkform template:
Text
Picture
New
Both text fields and new fields may contain data in text or numeric format. Text and numeric formats are designed to align differently.
For example, text fields are aligned so they are left-justified. That is, they are aligned according to the first letter of the field as shown below, where the F in Federal and the N in ND Tax are properly aligned.
Federal Tax:
ND Tax:
Numeric fields are aligned so they are right-justified. That is, they are aligned according to the last number of the field as shown below, where the 4 and the 7 are properly aligned.
329.94
13.97
Text representing a field will often appear to override text for another field. This happens because the actual string used to identify a field, such as Social Security (15 letters in the name), is longer than the actual number that prints on the check, such as 469-08-0001 (10 characters including the hyphens).
Adding a text field
Text fields are fields that contain written text. They are used primarily for headers and as labels identifying other types of fields. Text fields print on your checks exactly the way they appear on the checkform.
Some standard text fields are Memo, Pay to the order of, and DOLLARS. If you are using pre-printed checkstock, you won't need to add them to your template.
1. Select Fields > Text Field.
2. In the dialog that appears, enter the text you want printed in the field you are creating.
3. Click the OK button.
The text you entered appears in the upper left corner of the template
5. (Optional) Change the font and font style of the Text field using the Font and Style menu commands.
To enter multiple lines of text for such things as an address, do so one text line at a time. Enter one line of text in the text field, Click the OK button, then choose the Text Field command again to enter the next line.
Adding a Picture field
Picture fields contain graphics, such as your corporate logo or your signature. They are a nice feature in that you can customize your checks with unique designs that identify your company. It is recommended that you add picture fields after all other fields have been added, positioned and tested.
1. While in a paint program or graphic viewer, copy your PICT Art or graphic into the Clipboard. (If needed, see your Macintosh reference manual for instructions on using the Clipboard).
2. Open the checkform template to which the Picture field will be added.
3. Select Fields > Picture Field.
The Picture Field command is grayed out if there is no picture in your Clipboard.
4. Move the picture field to the desired location on the checkform.
If the picture field is placed on top of a text field, use the Edit > Send to Back and Edit > Bring to Front commands to re-position the fields correctly.
To make text visible over a picture, select the text field and change the Style to Outline. This will white out the center of the text and make it visible on a black background.
Adding a New field
The New Field option allows you to add data fields onto your checkform. These may include such items as deductions, employer paid contributions, extra income, and any other items you have set up in your payroll program.
1. Open the checkform template you want to add New fields to.
2. Select Fields > New Field.
The new field dialog allows you to select any variable in the payroll program and place it on your checkform template.
When you select an option from the top pop-up menu, the middle pop-up menu displays the categories associated with the option selected in the top pop-up menu.
As you choose categories from the middle pop-up menu, the third pop-up menu will display the categories associated with your selection in the middle pop-up menu.
What does "Text during layout" do?
The text in the "Text during layout" text box defaults to the name of the item selected in the bottom pop-up menu. This text helps you to recognize the fields on your checkform; it does not print on your checks. You can change the text by placing the cursor in the textbox and typing the text you want.
4. Click the OK button.
The new field appears in the top left corner of the checkform template.
5. Move the field to its desired location.
6. Continue adding as many new fields as you need to complete the checkform.
"Field Is" pop-up descriptions
This section describes many of the options available in the new field dialog. In most cases, what you select in the top pop-up menu controls the selection of options that become available in the other two pop-up menus.
Accumulated
An Accumulated field allows you to create a calculated field to add up other fields you have already placed on the form. You can combine up to fifty (50) different fields for your own customized calculations. When you select the Accumulated field, the following dialogue will appear.
The Accumulator field dialogue allows you to select items from the left list and assign them to the accumulated fields on the right side.
The items you select will be added together to produce the accumulated variable. For example, an accumulation can be used to create a total deductions field that adds up the total deductions for the pay period.
After assigning your fields to the right side, click the close button/box in the upper left corner. Enter a title in the Text during layout textbox for your "accumulator" field. Keep the title short if possible, in order not to clutter up the form template.
When you Click the OK button, the field will appear on the checkform character next to it signifying that the field is an accumulated field.
Prompted
A Prompted field allows you to enter information for paychecks (e.g., memo) just before printing them. When you select this field type, the following dialogue appears.
The Prompt for this field is a way of reminding yourself what the field is for when you actually use the checkform to print checks. For example, the prompt could be "Enter memo". This text will appear when you actually use the checkform to print checks. The Default text can be something you always want to appear for this field such as "Have a Good Day!". Use the Default field if the prompted information never or rarely changes.
When you Click the OK button, a "¶" (paragraph mark) character is displayed alongside the prompted field as an identification mark. Move the prompted field where you want it to print.
When you use this checkform to print checks, a dialog such as the following will appear.
Notice that the prompted text "Enter memo" displayed at the top of the dialogue to remind you what this field is for. Enter the text you want printed on the check. If this text will be the same for all the employees, mark the Save for all subsequent checks check box. The program prints the text on the checks. If you don't save, different text can be entered for each paycheck.
Pay Rate
Prints the employee pay rates on the paychecks.
Hours
Prints the YTD and Fiscal YTD Hours on the paychecks.
Applicable wages and tips
Prints the amount of applicable wages or tips applied to whatever you select in the bottom pop-up menu.
Overtime
Prints the employee's OT and Double OT hours and amounts for the pay period.
Normal (Year to Date, Fiscal YTD and Hours)
Because there are so many possible combinations for the Normal, Year to Date, Fiscal YTD and Hours field types, only the Normal type will be illustrated as well as some options that need further explanation.
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Paycheck Data
The following illustration shows what options are available in the bottom pop-up menu when the Paycheck Data option is selected in the middle pop-up menu.
• Use the Adjusted Gross field only when you are sheltering deductions. It is the actual gross pay that the deductions were based on.
• The Net Pay field prints with the characters you set up in Preferences (such as *** asterisks), while Net pay [plain] prints without any characters and is generally placed on the pay stub portion of the check.
• The Stub detail fields, when placed on a checkform, automatically calculates employee income, deductions, and employer contributions.
Normal/(Income Sources, Deduction Types, Emplr.Cont.Types)
Using this will automatically add any new items onto the checkform for you.
When you select either the Income Sources, Deduction Types, or Emplr.Cont.Types option from the middle pop-up menu, the bottom pop-up menu will list your "available" payroll items.
The following illustration shows an example of the options available in the bottom pop-up menu when Income Sources is selected from the middle pop-up menu.
Regular Pay Types
When you select the Regular Pay Types option in the middle pop-up menu, the bottom pop-up menu will list the Income items that are built into the payroll program.
Other Types
When you select the Other Types option in the middle pop-up menu, the bottom pop-up menu will list a variety of miscellaneous fields.
The Report Page Number and Report Period selections are not available in Check Designer and appear in gray.
Deduction Groups, Empl.Paid Groups
When you select either the Deduction Groups or Empl.Paid Groups option from the middle pop-up menu, the bottom pop-up menu will list all the "types" that a payroll item can be. Type fields, when placed on a checkform, total all the payroll items of the same type. For example, if you have two pension deductions, the Pension type field totals the amounts of both pensions.
Active Income Fields
The Active Income Fields will only print the extra income items that were used for this pay period. For example, if you have ten different extra income items, but only use four on a given pay period, only those four will print on the check. This way, you will not have to change your checkform each time you use different extra income items.
• An Excess Income field will subtotal all extra income items after your ninth one, in case you have more than nine.
• An Income Explanations field will place a legend or key on the checkform to detail what the extra income items represent. Be sure to leave adequate room for the legend at the bottom of your stub portion. The program marks each item with a lowercase letter. For example:
a) 34.43 b) 54.78 c) 50.00
• The Income Explanations field will specify what each letter stands for. For example:
a) Overtime; b) Training; c) Travel money
• The Inc.Expls.[inc.rts] field works the same way as the Income Explanations field, but it also provides the hourly rate for each extra income item, if applicable. In order for this field to work properly, you must have the Active Income fields on the checkform. The legend should be placed at the bottom of the check or stub and will look something like the following when it is printed out:
a) Overtime [8.75/hr]; b) Training [12.50/hr]; c) Travel money
Liability Checks
When you select the Liability Checks option in the middle pop-up menu, the bottom pop-up menu will list the fields that should be used specifically for liability checkform templates.
Field Maintenance
Once a field has been placed on your template, there are many things you can do to get it to print the way you want. For example, you may want to change the font or you may need to use the Align feature to properly align a column of data. Feel free to experiment with the different methods described in this section.
Selecting fields
To select a single field, click the mouse pointer anywhere on the text of the field.
To select multiple fields, hold down the SHIFT key while clicking the mouse pointer on the text of the fields. You can also "draw" a rectangle around the fields that you want to select as illustrated below. Note that you don't have to completely draw around the field, as long as the field is touched by the dotted rectangle, it will be selected. You will note that each item you select has "handles" on the corners.
Editing a field
Throughout the process of creating or modifying a checkform template, there will be times when you need to edit or modify a Text field or New field that has already been placed on the template.
1. Open the checkform template that has a field you want to edit.
2. Double-click the field (Text or New) you want to edit.
3. In the dialog that appears, edit the field as needed.
• If you are editing a Text field, type in the new text or edit the existing text.
• If you are editing a New field, select the appropriate options from the pop-up menus.
4. Click the OK button.
Deleting a field
There may be times when you need to remove a field from a template.
Listed below are two ways to remove a field from a template:
• Select the field(s) to remove, then select Edit > Clear.
• Select the field(s) to remove, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Duplicating a field
There may be times when you want to duplicate a field. All types of fields, including Picture and Text fields, can be duplicated.
Listed below are two ways to duplicate a field on a template:
• Select the field(s) to duplicate, then select Edit > Duplicate. The duplicated field appears on the template. Move the field where you want it to print.
• Select the field(s) to duplicate, then select Edit > Copy to copy the field to the Clipboard. Select Edit > Paste. The duplicated field appears in the top left corner of the template. Move the field where you want it to print.
Moving fields
Once a field has been placed onto a template, there are several ways to move the field into its correct position.
There are four different ways you can manually move a field.
• Click the mouse pointer anywhere on the text of the field. When the handles (four squares at the corners of the field, see below) appear, click the field while holding the mouse button down. Drag the field into the new position (a show box will show you where the field will be placed), and let up on the mouse button.
• You can move any item or group of items by selecting them and using the arrow keys located at the bottom right corner of your keyboard to move the item(s). This will move the item 1/72 of an inch.
• Select the field(s) to move. Then while holding down the COMMAND key, use the arrow keys to move the selected field(s).
• Select the field(s) to move. Select Edit > Cut (the field will be cut to the Clipboard). Use your mouse to select the new location for the field(s). Select Edit > Paste to place the field(s) back on the form.
Aligning a field on a checkform
The Align feature allows you to align multiple fields to the left, right, top, or bottom of a checkform.
1. On the template, select the fields you want to align.
2. Select Edit > Align.
3. In the align dialog, choose the direction to align the selected fields horizontally or vertically.
You can align fields either by column or by row, but not by both column and row simultaneously.
4. Click the OK button.
Changing fonts and font styles
You can further customize your paychecks by choosing the individual font and size of each field on the checkform. All fields can be the same font and size, or each field can be different. However, make sure you use fonts that your printer will recognize.
To set the font or size of a field before you place it on the checkform, use the Font and Style menus to select the desired setting before defining the field. To change a font or size after a field has been placed on the form, select that field by clicking on it and use the Font or Style menus to change the setting. Use the Other command in the Style menu to set a font size that is not available from the menu.
Modifying a checkform template
If you decide to use one of the included checkform templates to print your checks instead of creating a new one, you may find that the template needs some modification so that it prints your checks the way you want, For example, you may want to add/remove fields or you may want to move a field so that it prints in a different location.
1. From the menu bar, select Utilities > Check Designer.
If the checkform you wish to modify appears in the Check Designer window, continue to the next step.
If an Untitled checkform or a checkform you don't want to modify appears, select File > Close, select File > Open, in the window that appears select the checkform you want, then click the Open button.
3. Modify the checkform template to fit your specific needs.
To delete a field on a checkform template, select the field to delete with the pointer tool, then press the DELETE key on the keyboard.
4. (Optional) Add a MICR line to the bottom of the checkform.
This document outlines the different fields you need to add to your checkform template and how to enable the MICR check printing feature in the payroll program.
5. Select File > Save As to save the modified checkform.
By using the Save As option, you maintain a copy of the original template. Once you name and save your template, you should use the Save command to save any further changes you may make.
6. Enter a descriptive name for your checkform that is recognizable should someone else need to edit the form.
7. Click the Save button.
The program automatically saves the checkform template to the Checkforms folder of the currently open company.
8. Select File > Return to Payroll.
When you've completed the checkform you want to use, select it in the Defaults section of the Company tab window. The program will default to the designated checkform when you print checks.
Test printing checkforms
After designing or modifying your checkform template, you will need to test print the template to verify the checkform is in alignment with your. This allows you to verify that the finished form prints exactly how you intended.
Test printing a checkform
1. If your checkform template is open, select File > Return to Payroll.
2. In the Pay Emploeey window, select an employee in the Employee List.
3. Click the Print Check button.
4. Make sure the checkform template you want is selected from the Checkform pop-up menu. Click the OK button.
5. In the Print dialogue that appears, click the Print button.
After printing be sure you do NOT record any of your test check printouts.
6. Hold the paycheck printout over one of your pre-printed checkstock sheets. Verify that all the fields on the paycheck line up with the fields on the actual pre-printed check sheet.
7. If needed, make any necessary adjustments (e.g., move or align fields) to the template by opening the template in the Check Designer and making the changes you need.
8. Repeat steps 2 to 7 until the check prints out as needed.
If you cannot get your check to print out as intended, you can try the following suggestions to correct the problem.
• Adjust the size of the template by selecting File > Form Setup.
• Change the checkform orientation by selecting File > Page Setup.
• If your checkform requires printing beyond the normal printer boundaries, you may try selecting the Larger Print Area option in File > Page Setup to see if that corrects your problem.
Changing to a different printer can cause significant variations in the output.
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