Datasheet

Process and Operational Support
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FIGURE 1-1
Template Forms
In the past, most forms were preprinted with blank lines for typed or hand-written information. Mod-
ern printers have made it much easier to produce highly formatted forms all at once on blank paper
rather than using fill-in-the-blank forms with preprinted logos, borders, and detail lines. However,
certain applications call for printing on standard forms for a variety of reasons. It may be cheaper to
use lesser-quality printers or black ink/toner printers with multi-colored forms. Some forms require
duplicate copies produced with impact printers. Or, perhaps the process has yet to be modernized. In
the medical insurance claim business, for example, some of these traditional standards were highly
influenced by a thriving pre-printed forms industry.
Whatever the reason, these forms can be quite challenging because each character must be printed in
a specific location. Often, getting the report character spacing and size to line up is only half the battle
because these forms are highly-dependent on the printer and paper dimensions such as the margins and
gripper space. Reports that are designed to provide some latitude for margins and character positioning
make it easier to adjust the report itself rather than to rely on printer settings.
In recent years, most of the industry-standard preprinted forms have been replaced by all-at-once
reports that print on standard sized blank paper. Less expensive, high quality printers have made this