Print Template Family Settings for Circulation Notices and Receipts
If your library has enabled the Print Templates feature, you can create a custom list of print templates for use with:
Settings for Other Print Templates
You can also create print templates for other types of forms, such as purchase orders, hold and transit slips, and monographic labels. For information about print templates for output types other than circulation notices, see Print Template Settings.
When you create a list of preferred print templates, your choices are associated with your login and are enabled wherever you access Sierra with the same login. Notices and receipts based on these templates can be printed to a local printer or can be emailed to patrons. For more information, see Printing Circulation Notices with Print Templates and Setting Up Print Templates in Express Lane.
Print templates for circulation notices and receipts are grouped into template families. You can create a custom list of preferred template families, preview and modify template families, and save your template family settings.
How Template Families Work
A template family is a group of print templates that the system uses for the same purpose. Templates within a template family contain the same content, but differ by language and delivery method. A template family can contain a single template, or a separate template for each combination of language and delivery method available on your system. When you print notices or receipts using print templates, the system selects the appropriate template from the template family to use for the particular notice or receipt you are printing.
Creating a List of Preferred Template Families
To customize the list of preferred template families associated with your login:
- Select the notice or receipt type (for example, Overdue Notice, Due Slip, etc.) from the Output Type list. The system displays the Print Templates Settings options.
- Ensure that the Use Print Templates box is selected.
- Add to or remove from your list of preferred template families for the selected output type by doing the following:
Add to your list Select the template family in the Other Templates list, and click the left arrow. Remove from your list Select the template family in the Preferred Templates list, and click the right arrow.
To select multiple template families to move at the same time, hold down the Ctrl key while you select each template family.
Choose Only One Preferred Template in Express Lane
For receipts in Express Lane, you must define a single preferred template family in the Preferred Templates list. If you choose more than one preferred template family, or if your Other Templates list contains more than one template and you do not specify a preferred template, Express Lane does not allow you to save your settings.
Viewing and Modifying Print Template Families
You can view templates and modify custom template families as follows:
- To rename a customized template family or modify the template family's description, select the template family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list, and click Rename. For more information on template family names and descriptions, see Creating Customized Print Templates.
Default Templates Not Editable
The Print Templates feature is supplied with a set of default templates, which are identified by a leading underscore character in the template's name (for example, _Overdue in the list shown above). The system does not enable you to rename or modify default templates. For information on customizing templates, see Creating Customized Print Templates.
- To view a template, select the template's family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list. Click Preview. The View Template window appears. Select the template you want to view and click OK. The template displays in a separate window.
- To import a template into a new or existing template family, select the template's family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list, and click Import. For more information on importing templates, see Importing Print Templates.
- To export a template, select the template's family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list, and click Export. For more information on exporting templates, see Exporting Print Templates.
- To edit or delete a template or template family, select a customized template family from the Preferred Templates or Other Templates list, and click Edit. The system displays the Edit Template(s) in Template Family dialog box:
- To view a template, select the template, and click Preview. The template displays in a separate window.
- To change a template's language or delivery method:
- Select the template, and click Edit Attributes.
- Select a delivery method or language from the appropriate drop-down list.
- To save the template's new attributes, click OK. To return to the Edit dialog box without saving any changes, click Cancel.
- To delete a template, select the template, and click Delete. When you delete the last template in a template family, the system deletes the template family.
- To import a template into the family you are currently editing, click Import.
- To export a template from the family you are currently editing, select the template, and click Export.
- To return to the Print Templates Settings dialog box, click Exit. The system automatically saves any changes you have made to this list of templates.
Saving the Preferred Template Family List
To save your settings for both the current and subsequent sessions:
- Click Save Settings.
- To exit the Settings dialog box, click OK.
To save the settings for the current session only and close the Settings dialog box, click OK.