Understanding Templates in AccuArk Printing Tools

All seven printing tools in AccuArk support saving and loading templates. Templates store your layout settings, fonts, dimensions, margins, and other configuration so you can reuse them without manually entering the same values every time. This guide explains what templates store, how to manage them, and best practices for organizing your template library.

What Gets Saved in a Template

Templates store layout configuration, not the data you are printing. This is an important distinction. When you save a template, it captures the structural settings of the tool — the “how it looks” rather than the “what it says.”

Included in templates:

• Paper, card, or envelope dimensions (width and height)
• Margins (top, bottom, left, right)
• Font family and font sizes for each text element
• Feature toggles (show barcode, show photo, show sale price, etc.)
• Positioning coordinates for elements on the layout
• Colors and background settings (Card Printer)
• Border styles and thickness
• Preset selection (e.g., which Avery label size or which card format)
• Grid layout settings (rows, columns, spacing for label and barcode sheets)

Not included in templates:

• The actual text content (names, addresses, product descriptions)
• Dollar amounts, quantities, or other data values
• Employee photos or images
• Check payee names, dates, or memo text
• Barcode data values

This means you can save a template called “CR-80 Employee ID Blue” that defines a credit-card-sized card with a blue background, specific font sizes, and photo positioning. When you load that template later, it restores all those layout settings, and you then fill in the employee-specific data.

Saving a Template

To save your current settings as a template:

1. Configure the tool with the layout settings you want to reuse
2. Click Save Template from the menu bar, or press Ctrl+S
3. Enter a descriptive name for the template in the dialog that appears
4. Click OK to save

If you enter a name that already exists, AccuArk prompts you to confirm whether you want to overwrite the existing template. Choose Yes to replace it with your current settings, or No to go back and enter a different name.

Templates are stored in the database, not as local files. This means they are available to any user on any machine that connects to the same AccuArk database. A template saved on the front desk computer can be loaded on the warehouse computer.

Loading a Template

To load a previously saved template:

1. Click Load Template from the menu bar, or press Ctrl+O
2. A dialog appears listing all saved templates for the current tool
3. Select the template you want to load
4. Click OK

The form fields update immediately to match the template's saved settings. The preview panel refreshes to show the new layout. Any data you have already entered (such as text content or addresses) remains in place — only the layout settings change.

Each printing tool maintains its own separate list of templates. Barcode Printer templates only appear in the Barcode Printer's Load Template dialog, Label Maker templates only appear in the Label Maker, and so on.

Deleting a Template

To delete a template you no longer need:

1. Open the Load Template dialog (menu bar or Ctrl+O)
2. Select the template you want to remove
3. Click the Delete button
4. A confirmation prompt appears asking you to verify the deletion
5. Click Yes to permanently delete the template

Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. The template is removed from the database and will no longer appear in any user's template list.

Tips for Managing Templates

• Use descriptive names — Include the paper stock or format and the purpose in the name. For example, “Avery 5160 - Standard Address” is much more useful than “Template 1.” For card templates, include the card size and color scheme: “CR-80 Employee ID Blue” or “CR-80 Gift Card Holiday.”
• Create separate templates for different paper stock — If you use Avery 5160 labels for addresses and Avery 5163 labels for shipping, save a separate template for each. Switching paper stock mid-job by manually changing dimensions is error-prone.
• Agree on naming conventions with your team — Since templates are shared across all users in the database, having a consistent naming scheme prevents confusion. Consider a format like “[Paper/Size] - [Purpose]” or “[Department] - [Use Case].”
• Test before printing a full batch — After loading a template, print a single test page first to verify alignment. Paper trays, printer margins, and print drivers can all affect positioning. A quick single-page test can save an entire sheet of wasted labels or cards.
• Update templates when settings change — If you adjust a template's settings (for example, tweaking margins after testing on a new printer), save the template again with the same name to overwrite it. This ensures everyone on the team gets the updated settings the next time they load it.