--- title: "What Is a Print Template? How to Prepare Order, Return and Warehouse Printouts, Copy and Size Settings" description: "What is a print template? Template types, size and copy settings, daily printout calculation, and the steps for designing a template and bulk-printing orders in Faprika." url: https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/what-is-a-print-template language: en site: Faprika --- # What Is a Print Template? How to Prepare Order, Return and Warehouse Printouts, Copy and Size Settings > What is a print template? Template types, size and copy settings, daily printout calculation, and the steps for designing a template and bulk-printing orders in Faprika. Dozens of orders come in during the day. The warehouse team prints a document for every order: some need an invoice, some a shelf label, and a returned item needs yet another document. If each document is printed in a different format, with different information and often with manual corrections, you lose time and make mistakes. The tool that brings order to this work is the print template. This guide explains **what a print template** is, which documents you should prepare templates for, what to watch for in a good template, and how to design a template in Faprika and print it from orders one by one or in bulk. It also includes a tool that calculates your daily paper needs and a checklist. Key Takeaway “A print template means producing the same document in the same format and with the correct information every time. A template that is prepared well once removes manual corrections and the risk of errors in every order.” ## What Is a Print Template? A print template is a ready-made layout that defines in what arrangement and at what size order, product, return or warehouse information is printed on paper. You design the template once; in every later printout, the order details are placed into the layout automatically. A template does two useful things. On the operations side, it ensures documents are printed consistently and quickly; on the customer side, it makes sure the document that goes into the package is tidy, on-brand and carries the correct information. Especially in a store that processes many orders a day, documents prepared by hand are a source of lost time and errors. ### What Is the Difference Between a Print Template and an Invoice? A print template is the appearance of a document; an official invoice is a document bound by financial regulations. With a template you can print an order summary, waybill-like internal printouts, or information onto pre-printed forms; how the official invoice is issued, however, depends on the e-Invoice and accounting process. A template does not replace a financial document. | Feature | Print template | Official invoice | | --- | --- | --- | | What is it for? | Defines the appearance and layout of the document | Is a financial and legal document | | Who prepares it? | The store team, from the panel | Issued in line with regulations | | Example | Order printout, shelf label, return document | e-Invoice, e-Archive | | Can it be changed? | Freely, as needed | Within the regulatory framework | We recommend reading What Is Bulk Invoicing? How to Issue Bulk Invoices in E-Commerce ? Order Filtering Criteria, the e-Invoice and e-Archive Distinction, Checklist, Returns and Cancellations, Time Savings Calculator and Setup Audit ## Which Documents Need a Template? You can prepare a template for every document printed regularly in your store. Faprika has six template types, and each one serves a different process. *Görsel: Print template types: order and invoice, product, variant, order product, return and expense voucher, warehouse and shelf (Six different print template types)* | Template type | What is it used for? | Who uses it? | | --- | --- | --- | | Order / Invoice | Shows all the details of the order and its related invoice in a single document | Packing and accounting | | Product | Outputs product information as a printout | Catalog and warehouse | | Variation | Variant-based printout, such as size and color | Warehouse and stock | | Order / Invoice product | Printout of the product items in the order | Packaging | | Return / Expense voucher | Return and expense document printout | Returns and accounting | | Warehouse / Shelf | Warehouse and shelf information printout | Warehouse team | ### What Should a Good Template Include? A good template carries only the information needed for the purpose of the document. On a packing printout, the product name, quantity, variant and order number should stand out; on a document that goes to the customer, the store name and contact details should be included. Unnecessary information clutters the document and slows the work down. - **A clear title and number:** It should be clear at first glance what the document is and which order it belongs to. - **A readable product list:** The product name, quantity and variant table should be neatly organized. - **Store information:** A document going to the customer should include the store name, address and contact details. - **Suitable size:** The paper or label size should match the printer. - **Simple design:** Excessive decoration wastes printer ink and time. Tip Prepare a separate template for each job Do not force the same template on packing, shelf labels and returns. The information and size each job requires are different; a separate template both simplifies the printout and makes it easier for the team to choose the right document. ## How Do You Determine the Size and Copies of a Print Template? The template size must match the paper or label you use. If you are printing on A4 paper, enter the A4 dimensions; if you are printing on a label printer, enter the label's dimensions in millimeters. If the size is wrong, the printout shifts or gets cut off. The number of copies determines how many copies of the same document are printed. In many stores, one copy goes in the package and one goes to the archive. You can choose whether the copies are printed on the same page or on separate pages, and whether they are arranged side by side or one below the other; this choice directly affects paper consumption. ### Why Does the Per-Page Product Limit Matter? You can limit the maximum number of products shown on a template page. If the number of products in an order exceeds the limit, the document spills onto a second page. Setting the limit according to your average order size prevents printing unnecessary extra pages. The tool below calculates your daily page needs from the number of daily orders, the number of copies, whether the copies are on the same page, the per-page product limit and the average number of products per order. Daily printout page calculator Number of daily orders Average number of products per order Per-page product limit Number of copies How should copies be printed? Pages per order**1** Total pages per day**80** The average order fits on a single page. Keep in mind that large orders may need extra pages. The average order exceeds the per-page product limit; every order spills onto more than one page. Review the limit or the template layout. Calculation: pages per order = number of products ÷ page limit, rounded up; if copies are on different pages this number is multiplied by the number of copies, and if they are on the same page it stays the same; daily total = number of orders × pages per order. The calculation is based on the average order; actual usage varies with the size of your orders. The number the tool gives is for paper and ink planning. If the number of printouts is high, simplifying the copy and page layout reduces both cost and waiting time. For the overall order of the order picking and packing process, see the guide [E-Commerce Order Management: A Step-by-Step Guide from Order to Delivery](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/order-management). | Setting | Effect | How do you choose? | | --- | --- | --- | | Width and height | Size of the printout | According to the paper or label size | | Number of copies | How many copies are printed | According to the number of documents going into the package and the archive | | Copy orientation | Side-by-side or stacked layout | According to paper size and readability | | Per-page product limit | Number of products per page | According to average order size | | Background image | Position on a pre-printed form | For alignment on a pre-printed document | We recommend reading What Is Order Verification? Guide to Verifying Orders with Barcodes Before Shipping, Cost of Wrong Shipments and Returns, Verification Methods, Cost Calculator and Setup Audit ## How Do You Create a Print Template in Faprika? In Faprika, you manage templates in the Print Templates section of the Content Management menu. The templates you have created before are listed; click a template to edit it, and use the “Add New” button for a new template. *Görsel: Faprika print template flow: new template, name and type, size, design, save, print from the order (The six steps to prepare and print a template)* ### How Do You Fill in the Template Details? - **Template name:** Give a name that describes which template is for which purpose. - **Template type:** Choose the appropriate one from Order / Invoice, Product, Variant, Order / Invoice Product, Return / Expense Voucher or Warehouse / Shelf. - **Width and height (mm):** Enter the size of the printout in millimeters; for A4, enter the A4 dimensions. - **Number of copies, copies and copy orientation:** Set how many copies will be printed, whether the copies will be on the same or different pages, and whether they will be arranged side by side or one below the other. - **Per-page product limit:** Enter the maximum number of products to be shown on a template page. - **Background image:** Use it to set the position correctly when printing onto a pre-printed form. *Görsel: Faprika print templates panel showing template name, template type, copies and status (Managing print templates in a single list (records are examples))* ### How Do You Design and Copy a Template? In the “Design Template” area you find all the elements and parameters you can add to your template: you place many elements, from order details to user and store details, by drag and drop. If you will use a template for another purpose, duplicating it with “Copy Template” and making changes on the copy is much faster than starting from scratch. ### How Do You Print Orders? After preparing the templates, printing is done from the Orders list. For bulk printing, tick the boxes to the left of the orders and follow “Actions >> Select Print Template >> Print Selected”; you can choose a different template in bulk printing as well. For a single order, go to the order detail page, choose “Select Print Template” from the “Actions” menu and then use the “Print” button. For step-by-step usage with screenshots, see the [How to Set Up a Print Template?](https://www.faprika.com/en/tutorials/print-template-setup) tutorial page. ## How Do You Use Pre-Printed Forms and a Background Image? Some businesses use pre-printed forms: ready-made paper with company details, a frame or blank areas on it. To print order information in the right place on this paper, a background image is used in the template. By placing a scanned or photographed image of the pre-printed form in the background, you make sure the information lands in the blank areas. The purpose of the image is to make it easier to position the template you designed correctly on the pre-printed form. - **Use a clear image:** A blurry or crooked image throws off the alignment. - **Match the dimensions:** The template size must be the same as the pre-printed paper. - **Test on plain paper first:** Before using up the pre-printed form, make a test printout on ordinary paper. ## How Do You Organize Warehouse and Shelf Printouts? The warehouse and shelf template is used to print location information from the warehouse. Printouts such as a shelf label, picking list or count sheet speed up warehouse work and reduce confusion. Setting the label size according to the label size on the printer is essential for the printout to be legible. For setting up your warehouse layout, see the guides [How to Transfer Stock Between Warehouses? A Step-by-Step Stock Transfer Guide](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/warehouse-transfer) and [How to Do a Stock Count?](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/how-to-do-a-stock-count), and for barcode setup, see the article [What Is a Barcode? How to Get, Read and Use a Product Barcode (GTIN/EAN) in E-Commerce: A Practical Guide](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/what-is-barcode). ## How Do You Prepare a Return and Expense Voucher Printout? The return and expense voucher template is for printing the document used in the return process in an orderly way. Preparing the document in the same format, whether it is sent to the customer making the return or kept in the warehouse with the returned product, makes return checks easier. The financial validity of the document depends on regulations; the template only defines its appearance. For the entire return process, see the guide [How to Manage the Return Process in E-Commerce?](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/how-to-manage-the-returns-process-in-e-commerce). ## Is It Possible to Work Without Printing? Many businesses want to reduce paper use. When the packing team works from a screen or a handheld terminal, the need for printouts drops considerably. Still, printouts may be needed for reasons such as a document going to the customer, pre-printed forms or archiving. First determine which printout is truly essential and move the rest to digital; keep templates only for the documents that are really needed. ## How Do You Speed Up the Printing Process? Printing is one link in the picking and packing chain; the speed of the chain depends on its slowest link. To speed up printing, first question which document is really needed, then simplify the print layout. - **Remove unnecessary documents:** Printing a document nobody uses wastes time and paper. - **Print in bulk:** As the number of orders grows, print the selected orders in one go instead of one by one. - **Simplify the template:** The fewer the pages, the faster the printing. - **Verify with a barcode:** A verification step that matches the printed document with the product in the package reduces wrong shipments. - **Choose the printer by job:** Using separate printers for labels and A4 printouts saves the time of changing settings. To check an order with a barcode before handing it to the carrier, see the article [What Is Order Verification? A Guide to Verifying Orders with a Barcode Before Shipping, Wrong Shipment and Return Cost, Verification Methods, Cost Calculator and Process Audit](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/what-is-order-verification). ## How Do You Keep Templates Organized Across the Team? As the number of templates grows, it becomes easy to mix up which one is used for what. A few small rules prevent this confusion: give each template a name that describes its purpose, delete or deactivate templates you no longer use, and when you add a new template, tell the team what job it will be used for. Also decide who can change templates; a small change in a shared template affects the printouts of the whole team. - **Set a naming standard:** Use names that describe the purpose and size, such as “Packing printout” or “Shelf label 50x30”. - **Copy before changing:** To avoid breaking a working template, copy it first and experiment on the copy. - **Limit permissions:** Allow only the responsible people to edit templates. - **Do not delete the old template right away:** Keep the old one as a backup until the new template proves it works without problems. ## How Do Printer and Paper Choices Affect the Printout? No matter how well a template is designed, the printout breaks if the printer and paper do not match. An ordinary office printer is enough for A4 documents; for shelf and shipping labels, you need a label printer that supports the label size. Match the template's millimeter dimensions to the printer's paper or label size, make sure the paper size in the printer settings is the same, and turn off scaling; scaling distorts the size. When you change the label roll, making a test printout with the new size prevents hundreds of wrong labels. If the printer cannot keep up during busy periods, print speed becomes a bottleneck. Calculate your daily page needs (the tool above helps) and compare them with the printer's capacity; if necessary, plan a second printer or a bulk printing routine. ## What Are Common Print Template Mistakes? - **Entering the wrong size:** A template that does not match the paper or label size shifts the printout. - **Using a single template for every job:** Packing, shelf and return documents need different information. - **Starting to use it without testing:** A template that has not been printed with a sample order may come out wrong in the field. - **Loading it with unnecessary information:** A crowded document is unreadable and enlarges the page. - **Overdoing the number of copies:** Unused copies waste paper and ink. - **Not naming the template:** Names like “Template 1” mislead the team. - **Treating it as the official invoice:** A template printout does not replace a financial document. Tip Test every template with a sample order Before putting a new template into use, print one order with a long product list and one short order. Seeing whether the long order fits on the page and whether information gets cut off shows you in advance the problem you would face in the field. ## Print Template Checklist The list below summarizes the cornerstones of your print setup. *Görsel: Print template checklist: type, size, copies, product limit, test and name (Six checks for a print template)* Print setup audit The right template type is selected for each job Template size matches the paper or label Number of copies and orientation are set Per-page product limit is set according to the average order I tested every template with a sample order Template names describe their purpose I use bulk printing I clean up unused templates Items that apply**2 / 8** Your print setup does not seem to be in place yet. First determine which documents are really needed and prepare a template for each. The basic templates are there, but gaps remain. Complete the size, copies and testing steps. Your print setup is solid. Now improve bulk printing and page savings. | Stage | Check | Done? | | --- | --- | --- | | Type | The right template type is selected for each job | Yes / No | | Size | Width and height match the paper or label | Yes / No | | Copies | Number of copies and orientation are set as needed | Yes / No | | Product limit | Number of products per page is set according to the average order | Yes / No | | Test | A sample printout was made with a short and a long order | Yes / No | | Name | The template name describes its purpose | Yes / No | | Maintenance | Unused templates are cleaned up regularly | Yes / No | ## How Do You Manage Printing and Order Operations with Faprika? Faprika makes printing part of order management. The main options are: - **Print templates:** Design your own templates for order, product, variant, return and warehouse printouts. - **Drag-and-drop design:** Place order, user and store information in the template by dragging it. - **Template copying:** Quickly create a new template from an existing one. - **Bulk and single printing:** Print selected orders in bulk from the Orders list, or a single order from the detail page. - **Order verification:** Check the product with a barcode before handing it to the carrier. - **Warehouse management:** Use operations modules that work with shelf and warehouse information. You can see which features are included in which plan in the [e-commerce plans](https://www.faprika.com/en/pricing) comparison. We recommend reading What Is WMS? How Does a Warehouse Management System Work? (Guide for E-Commerce ) ## Frequently Asked Questions **What is a print template?** A print template is a ready-made layout that defines in what arrangement and at what size order, product, return or warehouse information is printed on paper. You design it once; in every later printout, the order details are placed into the layout automatically. **Which documents can you prepare a print template for?** Faprika has six template types: order and invoice, product, variant, order and invoice product, return and expense voucher, and warehouse and shelf. You can prepare a separate template for every document you print regularly. **How is the template size determined?** You enter the width and height in millimeters. If you are printing on A4 paper, enter the A4 dimensions; if you are printing with a label printer, enter the dimensions of the label. If the size is wrong, the printout shifts or gets cut off. **How do I bulk-print orders?** In the orders list, tick the boxes to the left of the orders, then follow Actions, Select Print Template and Print Selected. For a single order, choose a template from the Actions menu on the detail page and click Print. **Does a print template replace the official invoice?** No. A template defines how a document looks; an official invoice is a document bound by financial regulations and is issued through the e-Invoice or e-Archive process. A template printout does not replace a financial document. **How do I create a new template from an existing one?** With the Copy Template option, you duplicate the template and change its name, type or design on the copy. It is much faster than starting from scratch. Print Your Documents Correctly Every Time With Faprika, design your own templates for order, return and warehouse printouts, and print orders in bulk or one by one. Let's plan your order operations together with our experts. Request a Demo #### You May Also Like - [**E-Commerce Order Management: A Step-by-Step Guide from Order to Delivery**](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/order-management) - [**What Is Order Verification? Guide to Verifying Orders with Barcodes Before Shipping, Cost of Wrong Shipments and Returns, Verification Methods, Cost Calculator and Setup Audit**](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/what-is-order-verification) - [**What Is Bulk Invoicing? How to Issue Bulk Invoices in E-Commerce? Order Filtering Criteria, the e-Invoice and e-Archive Distinction, Checklist, Returns and Cancellations, Time Savings Calculator and Setup Audit**](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/what-is-bulk-invoicing) - [**What Is WMS? How Does a Warehouse Management System Work? (A Guide for E-Commerce)**](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/what-is-wms)