How to Customize Word Invoice Formats in Dynamics 365 Business Central

Dynamics 365 Business Central users can make basic customizations of printed documents, such as sales invoices, orders, and posted purchase invoices. This blog explains how to customize Dynamics 365 Business Central invoice formats using Microsoft Word.

Custom Report Layouts in Dynamics 365 Business Central

In Dynamics 365 Business Central users cannot edit a built-in report, they must first copy a built-in report and then edit the copied version. To start customizing invoices via copies of Word layout, the user should go to the page “Custom Report Layouts” to copy and create layouts.

For each report, the system has many pre-built default templates. The Sales Invoice, Report ID 1306, has multiple report types available. The Report ID’s not checked in the Built-In column are user generated.

After copying the layout, select the user generated line and choose Export. This file can be saved in another location to make edits to before uploading it into the system immediately or later:

Exported Layout in Microsoft Word

When the copied layout is exported, after saving and opening the Word document, the layout will appear similar to the screenshot below:

The user can hard code text by simply typing it into a blank space available. This would appear on each invoice selected. In order to make basic edits, such as the modification, addition, or removal of selected out of the box coded fields, the user needs to bring in the Developer tab in the Word ribbon at the top, via “Customize the Ribbon”:

Then in the Developer tab, click “XML Mapping Pane”:

On the right-hand side pop-up, change the “Custom XML Part” to Microsoft Dynamics report selection:

The user can move fields around, delete fields, add basic fields (if the fields are not there the user will not be able to add via Word invoice formatting). There are two types of fields, one that includes _Lbl on the end and one without. The Lbl indicates label, and not the value of the field itself.

Now, the user can open each tab and choose header level fields, line level fields, and other fields:

To add a field, the user should click on the report area intended to add the field. Then in the XML Mapping pane, highlight the line, right click, and choose from an array of options that best suits the field:

The user is also able to change the formatting of the fields, for example the color, size, font, bolding, underline of labels or the field values.

Note: for some reports there is no custom report layouts selection, such as the Purchase Invoice (Report 406). This is because open Purchase Invoice is typically an internal document and is not required to send externally; the Purchase Order confirmation could be used instead.

Import Layout to Dynamics 365 Business Central

After the edits to the report are done, the user should save the report, import the layout in Dynamics 365 Business Central, and update the layout for the changes to take effect:

Then the user can choose run the report to view a sample of the layout:

After the edits to a custom report are confirmed tested and imported, the user should go to the page “Report Layout Selection” to choose a custom report layout:

In the Report Layout Selection there are 3 layouts available. Each Report ID may only choose one layout to use for all users in that company.

1. The RDLC layout is built-in out of the box. It can be customized only by developers in the back end. The RDLC version allows for more complicated customizations.
2. The Word layout is built-in out of the box. The user can copy existing Word layouts of documents and create custom layouts to be used for future documents, such as Sales – Invoice.
3. The custom layout, modified versions of the Word layout, may be added by the user.

The custom layout description appears automatically after selecting a custom layout. Now the user will be able to start generating invoices with the updated custom layout.

Contact us if you have any questions about customizing Word invoice formatting in Dynamics 365 Business Central.