Invoice PDFs – How to Customise the Look and Layout

Article Contents

• Introduction
• Default and Additional Layouts
• Manage Invoice Layout Options
• Assigning an Invoice Layout to a Job
• Testing and Refining Your Layout
• Deleting an Invoice Layout

Introduction

Hiro allows you to customise the look and branding of your invoice PDFs using Microsoft Word (.docx) files. Each invoice layout controls the design, structure, and content of the invoices generated by Hiro.

When you upload a .docx file as an invoice layout, Hiro automatically converts it into a PDF when generating invoices. Only the PDF version of the invoice is stored and accessible in Hiro. The original .docx is never available for download after an invoice has been generated.

⚡️ Why can’t you download a .docx of individual invoices?

Hiro provides a default .docx file that you can customise to create branded invoice layouts. However, once an invoice is generated, only the PDF version is stored and available for download. This ensures that any edits to invoices happen directly within Hiro, maintaining a consistent and traceable record of changes.

Default and Additional Layouts

When you first start using Hiro, a Default Layout is automatically applied to all invoice PDFs. This layout can be customised to align with your organisation’s branding.

If you need to use different layouts for different types of clients, jobs, or business units, Hiro lets you add additional layouts. You can manage these layouts in Invoice Settings:

• Go to the Settings module in Hiro.

• Select Invoices under the Organisation group of icons.

• Under the Invoice Layouts section, you’ll see the Default Layout listed first, followed by an option to + Add Layout.

To customise the Default Layout or add a new layout:

1. Select the Default Layout or Add a New Layout:

   • Click the Default Layout to customise it.

   • Click + Add Layout at the top of the list to create an additional layout.

2. Name the Layout:

   • Enter a name that reflects the layout’s purpose (e.g., “Brand A Layout” or “Client-Specific Layout”).

   • For the Default Layout, the name is already assigned, and this step is skipped.

3. Choose the Layout File:

• • Use the Hiro default .docx file:
    Selecting this option applies the default Hiro layout.

    • If you want to customise the branding, download the Hiro default .docx file by clicking the link:
      ➔ Download default docx file

    • You can modify the downloaded file to match your organisation’s branding while ensuring that all required placeholders (surrounded by ~ symbols) and table structures remain intact.

    • Once modified, upload this customised file by choosing the “Upload a new file” option.

  • Upload a new file:
    This option enables the file picker to upload your customised .docx file.

    • Select this option if you’ve already modified the default file or created a new layout that retains all necessary placeholders and structures.

    • Click Browse... to upload your .docx file.

⚡️ Important:
Starting from a blank document is not recommended. The Hiro default .docx file contains all the required variables and structures necessary for invoice generation. Modifying this file ensures that placeholders such as ~invoiceNumber~ and ~contactName~ remain intact and that table structures continue to work as expected.

Manage Invoice Layout Options

Each invoice layout has several configuration options that allow you to control how information is presented in the generated PDF. These settings can be adjusted when adding a new layout or by editing an existing one.

Available Options

• Manage Layout File:
  Upload a new file or reset to the Hiro default.

• Billing Entity Address Block:

  • Mailing Address: Choose whether to display the billing entity’s mailing address.

  • Email Addresses: Control whether email addresses are shown and under what conditions.

• Mailing Address Display Options:

  • Show suburb in all capital letters.

  • Show state as an abbreviation instead of words.

• Site Location Display Options:

  • Show suburb in all capital letters.

  • Show state as an abbreviation instead of words.

  • Show postcode.

• Invoice Body Options:

  • Insert descriptive project summary as first row in invoice body.

Important Notes

• Updating a layout’s .docx file or modifying its options will not change previously generated invoices.
  Once an invoice is saved in Hiro, it is locked with the layout and settings applied at that time. Any future updates to the layout or its settings will only apply to new invoices or invoices that are manually re-saved after modification.

• Do not modify or remove placeholders surrounded by tilde symbols (~).
  For example, ~invoiceNumber~, ~contactName~, and other placeholders should remain intact. These placeholders are dynamically replaced with data from Hiro when generating the invoice.

  

• Be cautious when modifying tables.
  You can adjust column widths and modify font formatting, but avoid deleting columns or changing the order of placeholders. Changes to the table structure may result in incorrect data being inserted or layout inconsistencies.

  

Assigning an Invoice Layout to a Job

To ensure consistency, Hiro allows you to assign a specific invoice layout to a job. Assigning a default invoice layout at the job level ensures that all new invoices generated for that job will automatically use the assigned layout. However, you can still override this and select a different layout on a per-invoice basis if needed.

Why assign a default layout to a job?

• Consistency: Ensures that all invoices generated for the job follow the correct layout, which is especially useful if you’re using different branding for specific clients or projects.

• Efficiency: Saves time by automatically applying the correct layout without requiring manual selection for each invoice.

Where to assign the layout

You can assign an invoice layout to a job in two places:

1. During Job Lodgement

• When creating a new job, you’ll see an option to choose an Invoice Layout on the same page where the Billing Entity is selected.

• If you haven’t configured any additional layouts beyond the default, the Invoice Layout option will not be visible.

2. On the Edit Project Page (Billing Tab)

• For existing projects, the layout can be changed at any time by:

  • Navigating to the project and selecting Edit Project Details.

  • Search for and select the job to update.

  • Opening the Billing tab.

  • Choosing the desired layout from the Invoice Layout dropdown.

Note:
If no layouts have been configured beyond the default, the Invoice Layout option will not appear in either of these locations.

Testing and Refining Your Layout

After configuring a new invoice layout, it’s a good idea to test it by generating a draft invoice:

• Create a draft invoice using the new layout.

• Review the generated PDF to ensure the content, placeholders, and table structure align with your expectations.

• If adjustments are needed, modify the .docx file and re-upload the updated version.

Tips for Testing:

• Verify that all placeholders surrounded by tilde symbols (~) have been correctly replaced with data from Hiro.

• Confirm that table structures, especially for line items, remain intact. Column order should not be changed, and columns should not be deleted.

• Ensure that any branding changes, such as logos, fonts, and colours, are reflected properly.

• Create a multi-page invoice to verify that secondary pages generate as expected, including correct headers, footers, and page breaks.

Remember:

Modifying an invoice layout after invoices have been generated will not affect previously generated invoices.
To apply new changes to an existing invoice, you will need to manually re-save that invoice after uploading the updated .docx file or modifying the layout’s options.

Testing your layout before applying it to live invoices helps avoid formatting issues and ensures a polished, professional look.

Deleting an Invoice Layout

If a layout is no longer needed, you can delete it from the Invoice Layouts section of Invoice Settings.

To delete a layout:

1. Navigate to Settings → Invoices → Invoice Layouts.

2. Select the layout you want to delete.

3. Click the Delete this layout button.

⚡️ Important:

• You cannot delete the Default Layout.

• The Delete this layout button will be greyed out and unavailable if the layout is assigned as the default layout on any job or has already been used to generate an invoice.