How to design a custom cash receipt

Designing a custom cash receipt gives you the freedom to add elements that are specific to your daily work flow. Proper planning will aid you in creating forms that will reduce accounting errors and boost productivity. You can easily create a cash receipt in Microsoft Word, Excel or any other publishing program.

Today I will be setting up a small cash receipt using Microsoft Word.

Step 1: Decide what you need on your cash receipts.

• Does your business need to record materials like our small receipt book?
• How much payment information needs to be included?
• How much detail do you need for customer information? Something like these cash receipts?
• Do your receipts need to be numbered?

Once you have a list of the elements that you need, you can begin creating your form.

Step 2. Set up

Open up Microsoft Word and from the PAGE LAYOUT tab choose “Size-More Paper Sizes”

I’m going to make this cash receipt 6.75 x 2.75.

Then click the margins tab and set the top, bottom, left, and right margins to .25 inches.

Tip: Under the FORMAT tab there is a “Selection Pane”. If you click this, a panel will appear on the right hand side of the program. This will allow you easy access to all of the layers you’ve created. You might find this helpful for selecting certain elements. By clicking on the eye icon, you can also hide elements so that you can select other objects around it.

Step 3. Creating A Box

Click on the INSERT tab and choose the button that says “Shapes”. Select a rectangle shape then drag your mouse across your page to create a box.

This box is going to act as a safety margin. We don’t want to put content to the edge of the document because important information could be cut off and make our form look unprofessional. Right click on the shape you just drew and choose “More layout options”. Click on the “Size” tab. Our document is 6.75×2.75 so I’m going to make this shape 6.25×2.25. This will give me another .25 inch on each side and all content inside will be safe from being cut. It will also make the form more visually appealing.

Select your box then go to PAGE LAYOUT – Align. Here you will be able to “Align – Center” and then “Align – Middle” to place your box in the center of the document.

By default, the box I drew is outlined and shaded with a color I don’t want. To change the style, click on your box and go to the FORMAT tab. There is a “Shape Fill” and a “Shape Outline”. Use these two buttons to customize the box the way you want. I chose to go with no fill and a dark blue border.

So that we know what this form is to be used for, I’m going to make another box that will house this form’s title.

Step 4. Text

Go to INSERT – Text Box.

A box will pop up that you can type in. Put in your desired text. When you select the text, a pop up will show that will allow you to change the colors and style.

I was able to get the text to run in this direction by using the “Text Direction” options under the FORMAT tab.

By default, your text box may have a color fill and outline color. You can change this the same way you changed the box in Step 3.

Note: If for any reason you can’t move the text box where you want it, check the layout options. You might have to play with these until your box goes where you want it.

Step 5. Lines

You can place lines the same way you placed text boxes by going to INSERT- Shapes. Choose the straight line. When you go to place it, hold down the shift key so that your line will be straight.

To change the weight and color of this line, select it and hit the “Shape Outline” button under the FORMAT tab. I chose to keep this line blue and give it a 1″ thickness. To change the width of a line, select the line, make sure you’re in the FORMAT tab and on the far right of the toolbar you’ll see Height and Width. You can input the width of your line manually. You can also use the re-size handles. 

Now I’m just going to go ahead and draw all of my boxes and lines to create the layout that I want.

Step 6. Layout

Once you have your lines placed where you want them on your cash receipt, select the lines and go to the FORMAT tab. Click the “Align” button. This is where you can distribute them vertically (for even spacing) or align them left or right so they are flushed.

If you need a check box, there are some different style of check boxes you can play with.

Drop Shadow: Draw your box and stylize it the way you want it. I suggest you choose a fill color even if it is the color of your background so that the drop shadow will show. Select the box and go to the FORMAT tab. You can set the Height and Width to make it a perfect square. Then click on the “Shape Effects” button and choose “Shadow-Shadow Options”. Here you can play with the Presets and the overall look of the shape.

Tip: You can select multiple objects at once and change their shape effects or you can change one then use the “Format Painter” under the HOME tab to change the other shapes.

Step 7. Finish Placing Your Text

I did use text boxes to place all of my text because it’s just easier for me to move things where I want them. You can draw all of your text boxes, type your text in each one, stylize one box, and then use the “Format Painter” to easily change the others instead of stylizing each box one by one.

The “Thank You!” was done by just selecting a lighter text color.

The numbering at the right hand corner is just a place holder of sorts because you will never place the numbering on your form yourself. But it helps you get the final look of your receipts to place it there temporarily.

Step 8. Adding Some Texture (optional)

The receipt looks great the way it is but if you want to add some more design appeal you can change the background to a watermarked pattern.

Select the first box we drew. For to the FORMAT tab and click on the Shape Fill-Texture-More Textures. A Format Shape panel will appear on the right hand side. Click the Pattern Fill button. First, choose a very light color for the Foreground. Then go through the pattern options and find the one you like the most.

Note: If any elements disappear, right click the box you just filled with a pattern. Choose “Send to Back”.

Step 8. Finishing Up

Go to File-Save As-PDF- Name your file and click save.

You’re now ready to have your custom cash receipt printed!

Categorised in: Tutorials

This post was written by Progressive Printing Team

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