When you email documents, you can add extra pages, these are called inclusions and are created outside your Attaché system. An inclusion can be created from any printable file, such as a Microsoft Word document, a price list, a roster, or even a digital photograph. Each inclusion is one (or more) A4 pages and is sent at a modest extra charge.
You create inclusions by using the Attaché Document Formatter, which is automatically installed with the AlexConnect software. Once installed, the Document Formatter is shown in the list of printers in your Windows programs.
📌Note: AlexConnect must be installed on each workstation that will be creating document inclusions. See: Install Alex version 5.4.
When you send a document, you can add an inclusion to send before the document, after it, or both. In each case, you specify which inclusion to use by selecting the name of the folder containing the inclusion.
📌Note: Inclusions in any subfolders in the folder you choose will also be sent with the document.
To create an inclusion using Microsoft Word
Open a new Word document and create the contents of your inclusion.
Save the file in the usual way but do not close it.
Select File, Print to open the Print dialog box.
At Printer Name, select ADFPD Emf Printer and click OK.
The Document Formatter asks for the name of a folder, where it formats and stores the inclusion (rather than printing it). The folder needs to be in the Alex\Include folder in your Attaché program folder — the dialog shows this path: you don't need to alter it. After \Include type a folder name for this inclusion. For example, Terms and Conditions and click OK.
When creating inclusions, use meaningful names so that you can easily differentiate between them when you are sending them from your Attaché system.
The Document Formatter tells you that the folder doesn't exist and asks if you want to create it. Select Yes. The Document Formatter creates the inclusion and stores it in the folder.
If your inclusion contains a lot of graphic components, you should check the file size.
The inclusion is now ready to be added to your documents for sending.
Checking the file size of an inclusion
If your inclusion contains a lot of graphic components, you should check the file size.
As a general rule, Attaché Software recommends that you keep individual pages below 2MB (if you attempt to send very large sized inclusions, the Alex server may reject them).
📌Note: Extremely high-resolution content is likely to be delivered to the receiver at a lower resolution.
To check the size of an inclusion you have created:
Browse to the Attaché program folder and locate the ALEX\INCLUDE folder.
In the INCLUDE folder, open the folder where you created the inclusion and note the size of the ".EMF" file (there will be one EMF file for each page of your inclusion).
If the file size is large, for example, more than 2MB, you might consider reducing it.
To reduce the file size:
Create the inclusion in Microsoft Word rather than a graphics program.
Reduce the number of graphic elements, including pictures, shaded boxes, graphics and so on.
Reduce the size of graphics on the page.
Use 256 colour rather than true colour images.
Place graphics on the page by using Insert rather than cutting and pasting.
Resize and crop images prior to importing/inserting.
Sending document inclusions
You can send inclusions:
When you create documents in transaction entry to print at time of entry (such as quotations, purchase orders, invoices and credit adjustment notes).
When you send batches of documents (such as statements, remittance advices and groups of documents created in transaction entry), the software sends the inclusion with every document in the batch.
Sending a single document with an inclusion
You use a Comment Line to add an inclusion to a single transaction-entry document (such as an invoice or quotation). To add additional inclusions, use additional Comment Lines.
📌Note: Print at Time of Entry must be selected in Setups, Customer, Options, Invoicing Options.
To send a single document with an inclusion:
Create an inclusion.
Enter a transaction and complete the header details.
Choose Section (F4).
In the Section pop-up window, select Comment Line.
(Optional) Type a comment for the recipient, such as "See catalogue attached".
Choose Zoom in (F8) and select whether you want to put the inclusion before or after the document.
Choose Find (F2) to browse to the folder where the inclusion was created and then choose Accept (F9).
Choose Zoom out (F8) and then complete the document in the usual way.
When you choose Accept (F9), Attaché sends the document together with the inclusion to the recipient's email address immediately (if Print at Time of Entry is used).
Sending a batch of documents with an inclusion
To send an inclusion with a batch of documents:
In the usual way, prepare the batch of documents that you want to send, including selecting the required ranges. For example: Reports, Customers, Documents, Invoices.
From the Output tab, select Default (Document Delivery Settings).
At Alex Document Inclusions Path, in the Before Document and/or the After Document fields, choose Find (F2) to locate the folder that contains the inclusion that you want to send.
Choose Print (F9). The documents plus their inclusion(s) will be sent to those recipients that have their details set up in the Document Delivery Address Manager. The rest will be printed as per normal.