Customizing Template Forms

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The Form Builder allows you to customize template forms by adding, removing, and configuring different types of form fields. This guide covers all available field types and their settings.

Accessing Form Builder

To customize a template form:

  1. Open an existing template
  2. Click the Options dropdown
  3. Select Customize Template
Customize Template

The Form Builder window opens, showing your current form fields and Label Builder preview.

Adding Form Fields

To add a new field to your template:

  1. Click Add Field at the top of the Form Builder window
  2. Select the type of field you want to add
  3. Configure the field settings
  4. Click Create or Save
Add Field Button

Available Field Types

Text Field

For alphanumeric data entry (case numbers, names, descriptions).

Text Field Settings

Settings:

  • Field Name - Label shown on the form
  • Sample Value - Example data for preview
  • Max Length - Maximum characters (data will be truncated)
  • Locked - Lock field to retain data between prints
  • Repeat Last Data - Auto-fill with previous value

Best for: Case numbers, specimen IDs, patient names, descriptions

Numeric Field

For numbers only, with optional auto-increment and leading zeros.

Numeric Field Settings

Settings:

  • Field Name - Label shown on the form
  • Sample Value - Example number for preview
  • Auto-Increment - Automatically increase after each print
  • Locked - Lock field to retain data
  • Repeat Last Data - Auto-fill with previous value
  • Leading Zeros - Add zeros (e.g., 001, 002, 003)

Best for: Accession numbers, slide counts, serial numbers

For selecting from predefined options (stains, departments, technicians).

Dropdown Field Settings

Settings:

  • Field Name - Label shown on the form
  • Locked - Lock to retain selection
  • Repeat Last Data - Remember last selection
  • Options List - Add/edit/reorder selections

Customizing Options:

  • Add new selections
  • Edit selection names and values
  • Move options up/down to reorder
  • Remove unused options

Best for: Stains, fixatives, departments, technician lists, protocols

Panels (Protocols)

For printing multiple labels with different values from a group.

Panels Settings

Settings:

  • Panel Name - Group name (e.g., "IHC Panel", "Standard Stains")
  • Panel Selections - Individual values to print
  • Add New Panel - Create additional panel groups
  • Add Option - Add values to the panel

How It Works:

  • Select a panel, and one label prints for each selection in that panel
  • If panel has 5 selections → 5 labels print
  • Each label shows the specimen data + one panel selection

Best for: IHC panels, stain sets, multi-test protocols

Example:Panel: "IHC Breast" Selections: ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67 Result: 4 labels print, one for each marker

Sequential Letters

For printing labels with sequential letters (A, B, C, etc.).

Sequential Letters Settings

Settings:

  • Field Name - Label shown on form
  • Sample Value - Starting letter for preview
  • Max Length - Character limit
  • Locked - Lock field to retain data
  • Reverse Order - Print in reverse (Z to A)
  • Repeat Last Data - Remember last value

Best for: Specimen letters (Part A, Part B), block letters

Sequential Numbers

For printing sequentially numbered labels.

Sequential Numbers Settings

Settings:

  • Field Name - Label shown on form
  • Sample Value - Starting number for preview
  • Locked - Lock field to retain data
  • Reverse Order - Print in reverse (high to low)
  • Repeat Last Data - Remember last value
  • Leading Zeros - Add zeros (001, 002, etc.)

Best for: Slide numbers, section numbers, level counts

Field Organization

Reordering Fields

To change field order on the form:

  1. In Form Builder, click and drag fields
  2. Move up or down to desired position
  3. Save changes

Fields appear on the form in the order shown in Form Builder.

Removing Fields

To delete a field:

  1. Click the field in Form Builder
  2. Click Remove or Delete
  3. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Removing a field also removes it from the label design.

Field Configuration Tips

For Efficient Workflow

Lock repetitive data:

  • Lock fields that rarely change (department, technician, date)
  • Cursor will skip locked fields during data entry

Use repeat last data:

  • Enable for fields that often repeat
  • Saves time re-entering common values

Set appropriate max lengths:

  • Match your label space
  • Prevent overly long data from crowding labels

Sample Values Matter

Always use realistic sample data:

  • Similar length to actual data
  • Representative characters
  • Helps visualize final label accurately

Good: "S23-12345-A1" (realistic case number) Bad: "Test" (too short, not representative)

Form Design Best Practices

Keep It Simple

  • Only add fields you actually need
  • More fields = more clicks per label
  • Consider workflow efficiency

Logical Order

  • Arrange fields in data entry order
  • Group related fields together
  • Most important fields at top

Consistent Naming

  • Use clear, descriptive field names
  • Match your workflow terminology
  • Avoid abbreviations that aren't obvious

Test Thoroughly

  • Print test labels with sample data
  • Verify all fields work as expected
  • Check label preview accuracy

Common Form Configurations

Basic Slide Template

  • Case Number (Text)
  • Specimen Letter (Sequential Letters or Dropdown)
  • Block Number (Numeric)
  • Slide Number (Sequential Numbers)
  • Stain (Dropdown)

IHC Protocol Template

  • Case Number (Text)
  • Specimen ID (Text)
  • Panel Selection (Panels)
  • Date (Text with repeat)
  • Technician (Dropdown)

Research Template

  • Study ID (Text)
  • Subject Number (Numeric with auto-increment)
  • Specimen Type (Dropdown)
  • Collection Date (Text)
  • Slide Count (Sequential Numbers)

Next Steps

After customizing your form:

Need Help?

Questions about form customization?

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