Laserform Help Guide version LaserForm. User Guide. Version Product help. REV NH

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1 LaserForm User Guide Version Product help. REV NH 1

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3 Disclaimer Advanced Legal is satisfied that the information contained in this document is correct at the time of production. Advanced Legal does not accept responsibility for any loss of profit, loss of data or any indirect, special or consequential damages resulting from its use. As the software changes continuously, it is important that you always check the current position with Advanced Legal. All information, text, images and layout are the exclusive property of Advanced Legal and you are only permitted to print, copy, download or temporarily store extracts from this document with prior permission. Any attempt to damage this document or act in contravention of these Terms and Conditions may lead to legal redress. Advanced Legal is a trading name of Advanced Legal Solutions Limited which is part of Advanced Computer Software Group Limited. Registered in England under number at Ditton Park, Riding Court Road, Datchet, Berkshire, SL3 9LL. Advanced Legal Solutions Limited, Jan All rights reserved. 3

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5 Contents Welcome to Laserform (9.7.3)... 1 Setting up Laserform... 3 The Laserform Configuration Wizard... 3 File paths... 3 Document management system integration... 4 Enable Laserform database retrieval... 5 Installing forms for the first time... 5 Maintaining practice details... 6 Maintaining clauses... 9 User options Using Laserform Using the Forms Explorer Opening forms Opening old form versions Navigating forms Entering information on a form Inserting practice details Selecting a court Selecting a solicitor Selecting a client Forms of execution Optional text selection Selecting clauses Calculations and numerical fields Formatting forms Field colours Inserting a text box Inserting blank pages Legal numbering Lform expandability v

6 Paragraph properties Screen notes Strikeouts Spell-checking Finding text in a form Saving forms Forms bundle Form update notifications Keyboard shortcuts Status bar Custom form templates Creating custom form templates Updating custom templates Word expandable forms About expandable forms Using expandable forms Printing and sending forms Printing a form PDF proof document Send To function Faxing a form Databases Database overview Editing the Laserform database The Practice database The Laserform database Administrator guide System administrator Automatic form updates Migrating Laserform data to a new server Forms library online verifier Administration toolkit Forms report Organiser vi

7 The Organiser Maintaining client and solicitor details Maintaining practice details Customising the forms explorer Forms explorer configuration Retaining customisation Technical information Registry settings Installing PDF995 (optional) Upgrades Change support address Contact information Technical support ing technical support from within Laserform Attachments Accounts team The Laserform Information Service (LIS) Terms of use Index vii

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9 Welcome to Laserform (9.7.3) Welcome to the online help for Laserform 9.7.3, the market leading Legal Forms package, with a library of over 3000 automatically updated forms. Laserform introduces enhanced functionality and many new features: Expandability, including the ability to add additional rows into tables and duplicate pages Automatic calculation capabilities and fax directly from individual forms Full text editing, including autotext feature and spell-checking Forms preview screen Ability to create form templates Facility to forms in PDF format Ability to group multiple forms together Facility to verify and update the forms library via the Laserform Website All the new features are documented fully in this Help file which also explains how to install, use and maintain the system. In the event of any problems, you can contact our trained and experienced technical support team. 1

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11 Setting up Laserform The Laserform Configuration Wizard The System Configuration Wizard allows you to customise system settings. This feature is only available to the system administrator. 1. Select Admin: Setup Wizard... from the main menu. Click Next 2. Choose the Document Management System Integration. Click Next. 3. Select the File Paths. Press Next to continue. 4. Choose if you want to Enable Laserform Database Retrieval. Click Finish. 5. Click OK to re-start Laserform with the new configuration. File paths Path Description Lforms LForms path (Lforms Folder *.lpw): Location of the combined layout and print files used by Lforms, one for each form. Expandable Forms path (the Expandables Folder *.dot): Laserform Custom Templates (Templates *.xft): Laserform Data Files path (LFData Folder *.xfd): Location of the Word template files for Word Expandable Forms. Location of saved custom form templates. Location of saved form files. 3

12 The Laserform Form Group path (Explorer Folder): Location of the Forms Explorer. Logos (Images Folder *.bmp): Location of practice logos. Form Help Files: Location of the form help files. Auto-FLOV Report Files (Reports Folder): Location of reports on the forms that have been updated by the automatic form updates feature. Document management system integration In the second stage of the System Configuration Wizard, you can select an option for Document Management Integration. If you have no Document Management System (DMS) or you do not wish to integrate Laserform with your DMS, then accept the default selection No Document Management System. Otherwise select ODMA Compliant Document Management System. The Front End Profiling option determines whether or not you will be asked to profile each new form you create, at the time of creation. If you do not select this option, profiling takes place when you first save the form. NOTE Before you can use Laserform with your Document Management System you will need to configure the DMS itself. Further information on this is located in the Documentation folder with your download, or on your CD. Alternatively it can be viewed on the portal: 4

13 CHAPTER SETTING UP LASERFORM Enable Laserform database retrieval The System Configuration Wizard gives you the option to disable links to the Laserform databases. Ticking Enable Form Database Retrieval allows the details of courts, land registries and so on to be automatically filled in when you open a form for the first time. Unticking this option means that there are no links to the Laserform databases and forms will have to be filled in manually. Installing forms for the first time Laserform will ask you if you would like to install forms now. Select either Install forms using the Forms Library Online Verifier or Install forms from CD (or network location) If you want to install from CD or network location, select that option and browse to the location of your CD drive. If this is a standalone install, you will need to do this on each machine. If it is a server install you will only need to install the forms on one machine. Standalone Install 1. When Laserform is launched for the first time, a dialog box will open, asking you to install forms. Select Yes. 2. Select the location of the forms to be installed. This will either be on a CD, or another location. Click OK. 5

14 3. All forms included will be automatically download to the appropriate directories and the forms will be available to use in the Forms Explorer. Server Install Installing forms on a Server installation differs in two distinct ways from a standalone installation: Forms cannot be installed directly via the Server Installation option. Instead, the forms should be installed from a client PC after a Laserform Client installation. Forms only need to be installed from one PC, as all other Client PCs should be viewing the same source files and databases. To install them: 1. When Laserform is launched for the first time, a dialog box will open, asking you to Install forms. Select Yes for the first PC only, for all subsequent PCs select No. 2. Select the location of the forms to be installed. This will either be on a CD, or another location. Click OK. 3. All forms included will be automatically download to the appropriate directories and the forms will be available to use in the Forms Explorer. Maintaining practice details NOTE This function is only available to the system administrator. Information about your own practice is stored in the Practice database and is automatically inserted into forms where such 6

15 CHAPTER SETTING UP LASERFORM information is required. Multiple sets of practice information can be stored, and you will be prompted to select a set of practice details (own presenter details) when a relevant form is selected. This is useful if you work for more than one department or in several locations. Laserform allows you to add, edit and delete practices. TIP A video showing use of this feature is available to view at Adding practices 1. Select Admin: Organiser from the main menu, and click the Practice tab. 2. Click on Add. You can then enter the department, practice name and address (including DX if appropriate), telephone and fax numbers. In addition, you can specify your Land Registry Key number, LAA Supply number, and - for Scottish practices - an FAS number. Note: When editing Practice details, to start a new line in a multiple-line field, use Ctrl+Enter. Pressing Enter on its own will close the dialog box. Practice Footer Text If the field is filled in, it will be used to populate the "Printed by... under licence from Laserform International Limited", and "Supplied by... under licence from Laserform International Limited" footers which appear on some forms. If it is left blank then the name of the practice will be used. 7

16 Practice Logo Some forms can display your company logo on the form when opened in Laserform. You can upload a logo for the practice using the browse button. The image must be a bitmap (.bmp) file. An image size of around 40x40 mm is recommended as otherwise it may be re-sized to fit the allocated space on the form. Laserform will upload the image into the Laserform Images folder and add a date and time stamp to the filename. NOTE The image previewer in this screen may crop the image if it is too large to fit; however the full image will be displayed on the form. Editing practices 1. Select Admin: Organiser from the main menu, and click the Practice tab. 2. Select the practice you want to change. 3. Click Edit. 4. Edit the details as required. You can also edit the Practice Footer Text and Practice Logo. Deleting practices CAUTION Deleting a practice will remove all information for that practice. 1. Select Admin: Organiser from the main menu, and click the Practice tab. 2. Select the practice you want to delete. 3. Click Remove. 8

17 CHAPTER SETTING UP LASERFORM 4. Click Yes to delete. Maintaining clauses NOTE This function is only available to the system administrator. Clauses are segments of formatted text that can be inserted into any field on any form. Many Clauses will be designed to suit a particular form or series of forms, but may be used on other forms in the system if the same formatting is required. You can: Add clauses Add clauses directly from a form Define the scope of the clause Edit clauses Rename clauses Find clauses Delete clauses TIP A video showing use of this feature is available to view at 9

18 Default clauses Laserform provides a number of pre-configured and assigned Land Registry clauses (the Land Registry s Forms of Restriction clauses) to speed up form completion and demonstrate the Clause functionality. Adding clauses 1. SelectAdmin: Organiser from the menu, and click the Clause tab. 2. Click Add. 3. Enter the text of the clause, and format it appropriately. TIP you can format text in a different application, such as Microsoft Word, and paste it into the text field. 4. Click OK. 5. Enter a name for the clause. We advise that you choose a name that allows you to easily identify the clause. Click OK. 6. You can now Define a Clause s Scope. Adding clauses directly from a form Clauses can also be added directly from a form by highlighting the required text, right clicking and selecting Create New Clause. Defining a Clause s Scope Clauses are available for addition into any form, but first must be made available to either a specific form (e.g. N1), a group of forms (e.g. Claim Forms) or all forms. This is referred to as a scope. 10

19 CHAPTER SETTING UP LASERFORM Note: If a form is open while Clauses are being added or amended, or there scope is being altered, you will need to close and re-open the form before the changes become visible. To define the scope for the selected Clause, drag the Clause from the Available Clauses list in the right hand pane, to the form group or form you want to associate it to in the left hand pane. The clause will then be shown under the form group or form with its name and the icon. You can also add them to the Forms level of the tree so they are available for all forms. A Clause s scope may be changed at any point by dragging it from one group to another, or from a group to a form. Clauses cannot be inserted into forms outside their scope. TIP Use the << button to add the selected clause to a form or group, and the >> button to remove the selected clause from a form or group. Editing clauses 1. Select Admin: Organiser from the menu, and click the Clause tab. 2. Select the clause you want to edit. 3. Click Edit. 4. Edit the text of the clause. 11

20 TIP you can format text in a different application, such as Microsoft Word, and paste it into the text field. Renaming clauses 1. Select Admin: Organiser from the menu, and click the Clause tab. 2. Select the clause you want to rename. 3. Click Rename. 4. Edit the name of the clause. Finding clauses 1. Click Find. 2. Enter the form name in the Find What field. 3. Click Find First to search. Deleting clauses CAUTION Deleting a clause will remove all information for that clause. Any saved forms that have already had that clause inserted are not affected. If you want to remove a clause from a form or form group, see Defining a Clause s Scope. 1. Select Admin: Organiser from the menu, and click the Clause tab. 12

21 CHAPTER SETTING UP LASERFORM 2. Select the clause you want to delete in the Available Clauses list. 3. Click Remove. 4. Click Yes to delete. User options The Options dialog allows you to specify how Laserform handles various events. 1. Select Tools: Options from the main menu. 2. Edit the settings on the tabs: General File Paths Field Colours Spell Check Options You can also edit the Spell-checker using the Spell Check Options... button, and maintain the dictionaries using the Dictionaries... button. 3. Click OK to save the changes and close, or Apply to apply the changes without closing the dialog. 13

22 General Field Description Font Name: View and modify the default font for use on all forms. This may be overridden on individual forms. Size: Change the default font size used on all forms. This may be overridden on individual forms. Reset to Default Font: Rests to the default font of Courier New, size 10. Total number of recent file list items: Select the amount of files are shown in the list of recently used files in the File menu. Show notifications of form updates: NOTE This is only (available if the system administrator has configured Laserform for automatic form updates and enabled notifications. Laserform may be configured to automatically update the forms library automatically. Tick this option to be notified when forms have changed. Duplex Printing Printer Controlled (default): Laserform relies on the printer driver to control all duplexing, specifically manual duplexing. Normally this should not need to be changed. Laserform Controlled: This should only be used when a printer refuses to duplex manually despite settings to the contrary. Once enabled this setting forces the printer to use Laserform Please note that for printers that have their own manual duplexing routine, this option should not be selected. 14

23 CHAPTER SETTING UP LASERFORM Strikethrough option Select the pattern used when you select the strikethrough function. There is a choice of single, double or crossed strikethrough. Form Opening and Saving When you open or save a form you can choose between: Use default folders: Always use the default Laserform Remember last folder: Use the last location a form was opened from, or saved to. Show FormHelp Only on Request: Select this option to only show FormHelp when you press F1. Otherwise it will always show. Note: This option is only available if Admin Mode is enabled. Form Calculations Turn Calculations Off: Many forms, e.g. IHT400+, perform calculations on the values entered in fields e.g. to display totals. Turning calculations off means you have to do the calculation yourself and enter the results in the relevant boxes in the form. Navigation Index: Dock Right: Allows you to change the position of the navigation index in forms. Use Local Explorer Cache (Local Override): Select whether or not to save files locally. 15

24 File Paths The System Configuration Wizard allows you to amend the file paths to the various Laserform folders. For a typical (standalone) installation you can accept the default paths. NOTE If you are configuring a Client installation then the paths should specify network locations and not a local drive (for example C:) The paths used by Laserform are as follows: Field Description Data: Expandables: Location of saved form files. Location of the Word template files for Word Expandable Forms. Custom: Location of the saved form template files, or.xft. Explorer: Location of the Forms Explorer. LForm Files: Location of the.lpw (combined layout and print files used by Lforms) files. Logos: Location of practice logos. Form Help Path: Location of the context sensitive help library folder. Form Help URL: Location of the context sensitive help library virtual folder (if required). Auto-FLOV: Where reports produced by the automatic Forms Library Online Verifier are created. Override Data Path: Allows you to specify the default location where to save your forms. 16

25 CHAPTER SETTING UP LASERFORM Change Error32 Log Path Allows you to change the location of error logs if their policy does not allow them to write to the default path. Field Colours Display and amend the colours of fields and text. Colours can be set for Fixed Fields, Expandable Fields and Strikeout Fields. Click on the colour sample to activate the colour picker and select from a choice of 48 pre-set or 16 custom colours Classic Colours Clicking the Classic button will reset your field colours back to the classic scheme which uses vibrant colours. Reset Colours Clicking the Reset button will reset your colour scheme back to the default colours. Spell Check Options You can choose how the spellchecker works, and the main language used. The Wspell ActiveX Spellchecker is copyright 1997 by Wintertree Software, Inc. Dictionaries Select the dictionaries that should be used by the Spellchecker. You can add or remove existing dictionary files, or create a new dictionary file of your own. 17

26 You can select a custom dictionary used by another product, such as Microsoft Word. 18

27 Using Laserform Using the Forms Explorer The Forms Explorer allows you to view and launch forms, and opens when Laserform is opened. To open the Forms Explorer from Laserform, select View: Forms Explorer. The Explorer window is divided into two panes. The left-hand pane displays a list of all the form groups and subgroups. When a form group is selected, the in the right-hand pane. forms in that group are listed Form types Each form type is identified by its own icon: Standard Lform. Icon where older versions are available. Lform Custom Template. Word Expandable Form. Previewing forms Click to show a preview of the front page of the selected form. This makes sure the correct form is selected, and is useful where a document management system is in use and input is required before the form has been opened. A read only image of the complete form will be displayed, which can be resized or printed. 19

28 NOTE It is not possible to preview any Custom Form Templates. Searching for forms You can search for a form by name, number or description. 1. Enter your search term into the box at the top of the Forms Explorer. 2. Press Enter or the Go Search button. The results will be shown below in the right-hand pane. 3. To clear the search results, click on a folder in the left-hand pane. To narrow down your search click the use the parameters to help locate the forms. Find button. You can then Customising the Forms Explorer You can choose how the form files are displayed: View Large Icons. View Small Icons. View in List. View in Report: Shows the version number, description and date of each form, as well as its number. The Forms Explorer can also be tailored for individual company needs. See Customising the Forms Explorer. Frequently used form shortcuts Forms you use frequently can be added to the Laserform shortcut toolbar. Right-click on the form in the right-hand pane. The form will be added to the toolbar on Laserform. 20

29 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Opening forms Opening new forms 1. To open a new copy of a form, select that form from the Forms window and double-click the form name. 2. You may be asked for additional information, such as the Administrative Area and Presenter Details when the form is first opened. You should select the appropriate options, and they will be entered into the form. These can be changed by selecting Tools: Insert Form References. See also Form hints. 3. You can now Enter Information on a Form and format the forms. TIP Laserform tracks the 6 most frequently used courts and local authorities so they can be quickly selected in forms. When a form is launched requiring such a selection the 6 most used selections will be shown at the top of the list in descending order of use. They will also display in bold. Opening existing forms 1. To open a form that you have already saved, select File: Open. 2. You will not be asked for any form references as they will already have been set. To change them, select Tools: Insert Form References. 3. You can now Enter Information on the Form and format the forms. TIP The main Laserform screen has a recent files list under the File menu. 21

30 Form hints Some forms provide you with hints and prompts when the form is opened, closed or printed. Select Admin: Form hints and prompts Tools: Options and untick the hints you do not want to view. The hints will reappear once you exit and re-launch Laserform. Opening old form versions In order to respond to changes in legislation that amend forms, Laserform regularly release Form Updates. These updates invariably include changes to the form layout or even introduce a completely new form superseding the old one. Once a form has been updated (or replaced) any older versions of that form are deemed obsolete. This can become an issue when attempting to retrieve previously saved form information that is based on one of these obsolete versions. When this occurs, Laserform will display different options depending on the specific circumstances. Opening a LPW form file When new versions of LPW-format forms are installed, the existing versions are automatically backed up and retained on the system. It is possible to create new forms based on any of the previous LPW files that are available. This might be necessary, for example, when a recent change in legislation has resulted in a form update but a pre-existing case requires that the form previously in force is used. Where there are alternative versions of the LPW available, the Forms Explorer will display a different icon for the form: Standard Lform. 22

31 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Icon where older versions are available. To access the other versions: 1. Right-click on the form and select Open older version. All available versions will be listed, ordered with the most recent at the top. 2. Select the required version. You can also use this on forms added as Shortcuts. Opening a saved XFD/ LPD form file If the Form installed has been updated Laserform will offer the following choice: Attempt to import the data from the saved form into the updated form layout Open the form in read only mode using the old form layout However, if the Form is not currently installed Laserform will advise you that the form is obsolete then open the form in read only mode using the original form layout. NOTE If the saved form is a Forms bundle then the above choices must be made collectively for all the obsolete forms in the bundle. If required a list of which forms in the bundle are actually obsolete can be displayed once the bundle is open. Navigating forms When you open a form, the scroll bar will only show you the current page. To move through the pages, use the navigation buttons on the toolbar, or select the page from the drop-down list. 23

32 Option Description << Go to the first page. < Go back a page. > Go forwards a page. >> Go to the last page. Entering information on a form When you Open a form, the system may have completed some fields using the information that has been entered in one or more of your databases, or form selections made. You may amend this, if necessary, by over-typing the text that has automatically been added. You can: Insert practice details Select a court Select a solicitor Select a client Add forms of execution Use the optional text selection Clauses Expandability in forms 24

33 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Calculations and numerical fields If a document management system (DMS) is in use, you may be prompted to enter details for each form when you first save it. Refer to your DMS vendor instructions for further information. See also Document Management System Integration. Inserting practice details You can insert Practice Details into a field by right-clicking and selecting Insert Practice. You should choose the appropriate option for the chosen field. If more than one Practice is available, then the data will be inserted for the last selected practice, if that is not available, the first practice entered. The current field must be large enough to accept the selected data otherwise a warning message opens. This is especially important for Address data as it is displayed on multiple lines and so the current field must be vertically long enough as well as wide enough. TIP If there are no practice details available, to option will be disabled. Selecting a court Where court information is required for a form, you will be presented with a screen that allows you to select the appropriate court. The court information is stored in the database, and can be maintained by the system administrator 25

34 You can filter the list by jurisdiction type using the drop-down list at the top of the dialog. For courts other than county courts, you must select the division appropriate to the case. Divisions not available for the selected court will be greyed out and cannot be selected. Selecting a solicitor When information about the other party s solicitors is required for a form, you insert it automatically. This option is only available when there are solicitor-related fields on the form. The link to solicitor details is held in the form layout file, and cannot be amended. 1. Choose Tools: Insert Solicitor s Details and you will be asked to select the appropriate solicitor. 2. Click on the subject name to highlight it, and click OK. The relevant information will be inserted in appropriate fields on the form. This information is stored in the Practice Database, and can only be maintained by the system administrator. Selecting a client When client information is required for a form, you insert it automatically. This option is only available when there are client -related fields on the form. The link to client details is held in the form layout file, and cannot be amended. 1. Choose Tools: Insert Client Details and you will be asked to select the appropriate client. 26

35 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM 2. Click on the subject name to highlight it, and click OK. The relevant information will be inserted in appropriate fields on the form. Forms of execution Certain forms allow for the flexibility of optional attestation clauses known in Laserform as Forms of Execution. In Land Registry forms, the recommended Land Registry versions are included in Laserform, with the option for a custom version as well. CAUTION If you change your Forms of Execution setting after data has been input on the current page of the form, you may lose some or all of the data you have entered. 1. Forms of Execution are selected directly from within the form, either by double clicking on the text labelled *** Double-Click to Select Forms or Execution ***. The Forms of execution dialog opens. 2. By default, you can then select the 2 signature types required. Single click the format you require under Forms of Execution 1 and then scroll down to do the same for Forms of Execution Each party who is required to execute the document must have a separate Form of Execution. As standard, Laserform offers two Forms of Execution. If you require more than two, click Append as many times as required. You can remove an appended signature that you no longer require by clicking Remove. 4. Click Close when you have finished adding Forms of Execution. To edit your Forms of Execution selections, right click at the top of the Forms of Execution section and select Show optional groups. 27

36 To remove any of the three default selections click on the S button that prefaces the particular Form of Execution and the S button will change from blue to yellow. Optional text selection In order to speed up form completion certain forms offer selections of pre-determined text to insert into forms. The various options are displayed in a drop down format and the desired text can be selected by double clicking on it. At any point the drop down list of pre-determined text can be accessed by right-clicking the field and selecting Select Default Text. Selecting clauses There are two methods for inserting Clauses into a form, Manual Insert and Auto Text. NOTE Only the system administrator may add, edit or delete Clauses. Manual Insert 1. Select Insert: Clause... and a list of all available Clauses for the current form will be displayed. Using the tick boxes provided the list can be filtered: Form - Show Clauses only associated with a particular form (e.g. N1) 28

37 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Form and Folder - Show Clauses associated with a particular form or form folder it resides in (e.g. N1 or Claim Forms) Global - Show Clauses specifically associated with the Form Groups folder (and not simply all Clauses) You can select more than one Clause at a time, hold down the [Shift] key and click on the last Clause. To select individual Clauses, select the first one and then hold down the [Ctrl] key when selecting others. 2. Click OK. If you have selected more than one Clause on the list, your selected Clauses will be inserted in the order in which they appear on the list. TIP Click the Show button to check the contents of the selected Clause. AutoText Regardless of its scope any Clause can be inserted into a text field using the following syntax: <<test1>> (where test1 is the name of the Clause as it appears in the Organiser screen) The text will automatically be inserted into the field when the final > is typed. This function can also be combined with Custom Templates. 29

38 Calculations and numerical fields Some fields, primarily currency fields, will only accept numeric characters. By default these fields remain blank until data is entered in them. A zero can be inserted by right-clicking the field and selecting Display Zero. Unrestricted access to numeric fields can be gained by right-clicking the field and selecting No formatting. Fields with no formatting will still be included in calculations provided the data in the field is in numeric format. A field with no formatting can be restored to the default setting by right-clicking the field and selecting No formatting again to remove the tick next to the option. Some currency fields contain totals, which are automatically calculated using information that you enter on the form. If a change is made to any field involved in the calculation, then the total is automatically recalculated. NOTE If you believe that a particular field should be calculated, but no calculation is present, or any calculations are incorrect please contact the Laserform Technical Support team. Overriding Calculations By default it is not possible to edit fields which contain calculated results. Access to these fields can be gained by right-clicking the field and selecting Unlock data. You will be asked to confirm this selection and warned that the calculations will be affected by this action. 30

39 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM An unlocked field can be recalculated by right-clicking the field and selecting Lock data to remove the tick next to the option. Formatting forms You can format forms using the following: Field colours Inserting a text box Inserting blank pages Legal numbering Lform expandability Paragraph properties Screen notes Strikeouts Field colours Fields within forms are colour coded to indicate the type of field and whether or not the field is selected. The background colour will change as each field becomes current when you move through fields on the form, either by using the tab key or by positioning the cursor using the mouse. 31

40 Default Field Colour Definition Green Fixed data fields, unselected Blue Fixed data, selected Grey Expandable data fields,unselected Yellow Expandable data fields, selected Red Strikeout Field, unselected Magenta Strikeout Field, selected Magenta Fixed data field, with special print settings, selected With the exception of the fixed data fields with special print settings, field colours are completely customisable, see User Options for more information. Inserting a text box Text Boxes are user defined fields which may be added anywhere on current form page. They "float" above the page and so will mask any text or fields they overlap when printed. (If you wish to add non-printable text to a form please use the Screen Notes feature.) 32

41 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Please be aware that, because of the differences between the screen and print dimensions, when a form is printed the text box position relative to the rest of the form may not be exactly as it appears on screen. Therefore it may be necessary to adjust the positioning of the text box by trial and error to achieve the desired result. 1. From the menu, select Insert: Text Box. 2. When a text box is active it appears with a coloured background and a sizable border: 3. Type in the text you want to display and use the mouse pointer to move and re-size the text box as required. When you click away from a text box it becomes inactive and displays with a white background and solid border: NOTE The border displays on screen but does not print. Text Boxes and Form Expandability Note that it is not possible for text boxes and form expansion to coexist in the same form. Therefore adding a text box to a form will disable the expandability features in that form. Conversely, it is not possible to add a text box to a form which has already expanded. 33

42 The expansion status of the current (open) form is indicated in the status bar. Inserting blank pages A blank page can be inserted at the end of any form by selecting Insert: Page: Append Blank Page. The blank page may then be completed, printed and saved as part of the open form. NOTE It is not possible to print a blank page without printing all pages of the form. You can remove blank pages by going to that page, and selecting Insert: Page: Remove Current Page or clicking Delete the current (duplicated) page button. Legal numbering This feature allows text from any field to be edited using the advanced legal numbering feature within Microsoft Word. 1. Click the Word button when in a text field. 2. The text from the selected field will then open in a Microsoft Word document so it can be edited as required. 3. To return the formatted text to Laserform, close Microsoft Word, there is no need to save the document. NOTE Microsoft Word 2000 or later is required to use the feature 34

43 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Lform expandability Lforms provide expandability in three ways: 1. Field expandability Due to legal constraints we are unable to provide full expandability for all fields within our forms library, however where possible fields will expand to accommodate as much text as required. By default these fields are coloured dark green (selected) or grey (unselected) for ease of identification, although your system administrator can amend this (See Field Colours for further information). 2. Additional table rows When any field inside a table is selected an additional row can be added to the table using either the Insert Menu or the toolbar icon. 3. Duplicate pages Where applicable, a duplicate page can be added into the form using either the Insert Menu or the toolbar icon. Forms that include this feature are pre-selected and cannot be amended. If you believe that a particular field should be expandable or a specific page should be available for duplication please contact the Laserform Technical Support team. Paragraph properties Accessible from the Field menu, this option allows you to display and amend the alignment, line spacing and indentation of the current paragraph. Alignment Alignment determines the appearance and orientation of the edges of the paragraph: left-aligned, right- 35

44 aligned, centred, or fully justified. For example, in a left-aligned paragraph (the most common alignment), the left edge of the paragraph is flush with the left margin. Line spacing Determines the amount of vertical space between paragraphs (spacing) and lines of text (line spacing). The paragraph spacing you select determines the amount of vertical space between paragraphs whilst the line spacing will affect all lines of text in the selected paragraph or in the paragraph that contains the insertion point. Before The amount of space in millimetres, from the top of the current paragraph to the bottom of the previous paragraph. After The amount of space in millimetres, from the bottom of the current paragraph, to the top of the next paragraph. Single Line Accommodates the largest font in that line, plus a small amount of extra space. The amount of extra space varies depending on the font used. One and a half Line One-and-one-half times that of single line spacing. For example, if 10-point text is spaced at 1.5 lines, the line spacing is approximately 15 points. Two Lines 36

45 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Twice that of single line spacing. For example, in double-spaced lines of 10-point text, the line spacing is approximately 20 points. At Least Sets the minimum line spacing. Exactly Fixed line spacing that Laserform does not adjust. This option spaces all lines evenly. Multiple Allows the spacing to be amended by a percentage of the current spacing setting. Indents You can indent a single line in a paragraph to set it off from the rest of the paragraph. Left Specifies the amount of indentation from the left-hand margin (in millimetres). Right Specifies the amount of indentation from the right hand margin (in millimetres). First Line Moves the first line of a paragraph in by a specified distance but leaves the rest of the paragraph where it is. You can also create a hanging indent, in which the 37

46 first line of the paragraph is not indented, but subsequent lines are. Screen notes Screen Notes allows forms to be appended with on-screen annotations. These are ideal for providing completion guidance if a form is circulated within a practice. The notes default to the centre of the screen but can be moved by clicking in the header of the note, and then depressing and moving the mouse. The Notes are resizable, and can display in different colours. By design the Notes do not appear when printed, either in Laserform s native XFD format or as a PDF. Creates a new Screen Note in the current form. Deletes the active Screen Note in the current form. Toggles displaying and hiding all Screen Notes in the current form. Strikeouts Some forms contain fields which must be 'struck out', or crossed out, if they do not apply. (For example, 'Mr/Mrs/Ms [delete as applicable]) A strikeout field overlays the text to be struck out, and will be filled with 'x's if a single 'x' is entered in the field. Strikeout fields are highlighted in red. 38

47 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM TIP You can type a strikeout using X or Shift-X. Strikeouts fields comprise a series of strikethrough characters on a transparent background. The default strikethrough is crossed (XXXXXXXX) but this may be changed to single or double line strikethrough in the Options; the option selected here applies both to pre-defined and user-defined strikeout fields. Inserting a Strikeout In addition to pre-defined strikeout fields, you can also add their own strikeouts to a page in order to strike out sections of form text. Please be aware that, because of the differences between the screen and print dimensions, when a form is printed the strikeout position relative to the rest of the form may not be exactly as it appears on screen. Therefore it may be necessary to adjust the positioning of the strikeout field by trial and error in order to achieve the desired result. 1. Select Insert: Strikeout. When a user-defined strikeout is active it shows with a sizable border: 2. Use the mouse pointer to move and re-size the strikeout as required. Multiline strikeouts may be created by increasing the height of the field. 39

48 When you click away from a user-defined strikeout it becomes inactive and displays with a transparent background and solid border. NOTE The border displays on screen but does not print. Strikeouts and Form Expandability It is not possible for user-defined strikeouts and form expansion to coexist in the same form. Therefore adding a strikeout to a form will disable the expandability features in that form. Conversely, it is not possible to add a strikeout to a form which has already expanded. The expansion status of the current (open) form is indicated in the status bar. Spell-checking You can spell-check all pages of the current form. Choose Tools: Spelling. Any words that do not appear in the standard dictionary (or the custom dictionary that you have specified) will be shown in the Spellchecker window, with options to ignore, add, or change. See Spell Check Options and Dictionaries to change how the spell checker works. The Wspell ActiveX Spellchecker is copyright 1997 by Wintertree Software, Inc. 40

49 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Finding text in a form Text that has been typed into any data entry fields in the current form can be searched for and located. 1. Select Edit: Find Text in Form and enter your search criteria. 2. Click Find Next to locate the first (and then each successive) instance of your selection. Saving forms See Custom Form Templates for creating your own form templates. You can save forms by clicking on the Save button. Selecting Save File As will allow you to save a copy in a different location or with a new name. If you are creating a Forms Bundle, then the selected files will be saved under a single name. NOTE If your system is set to use sub-directories, the default save directory will be a subdirectory of LFData. For example, if you are editing a copy of form 109, the file will be saved under LFData\109. If you are not sure whether your system has been set up to use subdirectories, check with your system administrator. If your system uses a Document Management System (DMS) then please refer to the vendor s operating instructions. (See also Document Management System Integration). 41

50 Forms bundle This feature allows multiple forms to be opened, edited, saved and printed as if they were a single form. See Updating Custom Templates for updating the custom templates included in the bundles. Creating bundles Opening bundles Switching between forms Saving bundles Printing bundles Deleting a form from a bundle Separating a form from a bundle Creating bundles 1. Open the first form you want for your bundle. 2. Select Forms: Add Form. The Forms Explorer will open, select the next form you want to add to your bundle. 3. You can add saved form files by selecting Forms: Add Data. 4. You can now Enter Information on the Forms and format the forms. 5. Click Save. The bundle forms will all be saved under a single name with an.xfd extension. Opening bundles 1. File: Open and choose the bundle file. 2. You will not be asked for any form references as they will already have been set. To change them, select Tools: Insert Form References. 3. You can now Enter Information on a Form and format the forms. 42

51 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Switching between forms When you open a bundle, a new toolbar will open, Forms in File, listing the forms available in the bundle. To switch between forms, select the form from the toolbar. Saving bundles Click Save. This saves all data from all forms in a bundle, and the selected files will be saved under a single name. Printing bundles To print all the forms in a bundle select the Form Group option in the Print dialog. To print a single form in a bundle, make sure the form you want to print is open, and select the Current Form option in the Print dialog. Deleting a form from a bundle 1. Open the bundle. 2. Open the form you want to remove by selecting it using the Forms in File toolbar. 3. Select Forms: Remove Form and the form will be removed. Separating a form from a bundle 1. Open the bundle. 2. Select File: Save As. Save the bundle using a different name. The copy will be automatically opened. 43

52 3. Open the other forms that are not required in turn, using the Forms in File toolbar. 4. For each one select Forms: Remove Form until only the form you want is left. Form update notifications Form update reports apply only to Laserform installations using the Automatic Form Updates feature to update the forms library. If the forms library has been updated since your last Laserform session, then the Form Update Notifications screen will open when you start Laserform. Laserform Administrators are also notified if an automatic update failed. Any reports generated since your last Laserform session will be listed by date. To view details of the forms updated, double-click on the report name which corresponds to the date of the update. The report opens in your default browser. Turn off all Form Update Notifications If this is ticked then notifications of form updates will not be displayed again. Notifications can be turned on by selecting Tools: Options and selecting Show notification of form updates. Remind Me Later Clicking Remind Me Later closes the notification window for now, and the notification will open again when you restart Laserform. 44

53 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Close Clicking Close closes the notification. It will not display again until the next update. See Also: A full list of historic form update reports may be accessed from the View menu. Keyboard shortcuts When you are editing a form, many functions are available via keyboard shortcuts. The basic keyboard shortcuts are shown below. Keyboard shortcut Tab or AltGr-Tab Shift-Tab Ctrl-Tab Enter Alt Up Arrow Down Arrow PageDn PageUp Ctrl-PageDn Description Go to next field - on next page, if appropriate Go to previous field - on previous page, if appropriate Insert Tab in text Insert new line (multi-line or expandable fields only) Move between the menu at the top of the screen and the form fill section. Enables the menus to be accessed without using the mouse. Move up a line within a multi-line field Move down a line within a multi-line field Scroll down Scroll up Move to next page 45

54 Ctrl-PageUp Shift-PageDn Shift-PageUp F1 F3 Shift-F3 - Hold down the Shift key and press F3 to cycle through the three formats. Ctrl-Shift-> Ctrl-Shift-< F4 Shift-F4 Ctrl-F4 or Alt-F4 Shift-F5 F6 Ctrl-F6 F7 F8 F9 Shift-F9 F10 Shift-F10 Move to previous page Move to last field on page Move to first field on page Display Form Help associated with the selected field Paragraph formatting UPPER CASE / lower case / Initial Capitals. Move to the next form in a forms bundle Move to the previous form in a forms bundle Add table row Delete table row Close form Go to page... [you are prompted to enter the required page number] Add duplicate page Remove current (duplicate) page Spell Check Validate Form Insert date in long date format Insert date in short date format When the Help, About Laserform dialog box is open F10 will create a copy of the technical information document in the local Laserform installation folder (C:\Program Files\Laserform\Laserform\ by default). See Technical Support for more information Display Field Menu 46

55 CHAPTER USING LASERFORM Shift-F11 Ctrl-F11 Shift-F12 X or Shift-X (in a field) Ctrl-A Ctrl-B Ctrl-C Ctrl-D Ctrl-F Ctrl-Shift-F Ctrl-I Ctrl-N Ctrl-O Ctrl-P Ctrl-S Ctrl-T Ctrl-U Ctrl-V Ctrl-W Ctrl-X Ctrl-Z Inserts characters into every text field in the form. This is used for testing purposes Clear all data in a form Prints a list of Field Names in the current form Strikeout Select all text in current data field Bold text Copy Spell checks current data field Show/hide Forms Explorer Toggle "No Formatting" for current data field Italic text New form file Open form file Print form Save form file Insert tick mark Underline text Paste Spell checks current page Cut Undo (in current data field) 47