How do I create customized labels using the People Screen's custom report feature?

In ChurchTrac you can create your own custom labels, as well as a variety of other report layouts based on individual and family information in ChurchTrac. The custom reports will only display data from the names and families that are currently listed on the People screen. So you may want to run a filter/search before proceeding.

First, open the People screen and click on the Custom Reports button. This opens the Custom Report screen and provides an interface for creating and editing your custom reports. Choose a report from the list, or type in the name of a new report in the blank field at the bottom of the list.

The second step is to tell ChurchTrac which data fields you want to include. For this example, we'll add the Name (First Last) field, the Address Line field, and the CSZ (City State Zip) field. For each of these three fields, set the field width to 7 inches. This is necessary to force the next field to the following line (Address Line will be displayed below the Name instead of to the right of the Name).

Note: If you select an individual field, like "Name (First Last)", one label will be created for each individual that currently appears on the People screen. If you choose a family field, like Family Name, Address Header, or Informal Greeting, one label will be created for each family that currently appears on the People screen.

Next, click the Advanced Options button. On the popup window, duplicate the settings in the image below. Note: These settings will be memorized for this report, and each custom report you create can have its own advanced option settings.

If "Show field name headers" is set to Yes, the name if each field/column will be displayed at the top of each page. For labels, you would always set this to No.

The option for "Show dividing lines between records" would draw a horizontal line across the page between each name or entry.

The "Number of Columns" field determines how many data columns are displayed on each page. In this example, the "Column Height" forces ChurchTrac to extend the size of each field vertically. Since most standard labels are 1 inch high, this helps to ensure that the data in your custom report will line up with the labels correctly.

You can adjust the "Space between columns" field depending on the type of labels you are printing to.

You may also need to adjust the margin size fields depending on the page layout of the labels you are using.

When you've made your selections, click the close button to return to the custom report screen. If you want to sort by Name or Zip code (or whatever else), make a selection from the "Sort by" field. When finished, click the Preview button.

In a similar way, you can create other custom reports with special margins, numerous columns, and different page layouts. You can also change the "Group by" setting on many reports to organize and group your data together by family name, zip code, user-defined fields, or any of the other available fields.