Select Maintenance > Hardware > Print Designer to access this function.

The Aloha POS system provides a generic layout for the guest check and for chits that print in your restaurant. You can do limited customization to these layouts using options available in functions like Store Settings, Printers, and others. Print Designer, introduced in v12.3, provides the ability to create custom layouts with much more flexibility on what prints on a guest check or chit, as well as increased control over the positioning of the information. You can create as many custom layouts as needed to fit your business needs.

You also use Print Designer to design a printed voucher for use with campaigns to drive traffic back into your restaurant. The Campaign Rulebook function is where you define the actual set of conditions under which a guest earns a voucher reward.

Benefits of Print Designer

Print Designer enables you to change the layout of your chits, guest check, and campaign vouchers. With Print Designer, you can:

• Use the Aloha generic chit layout as a template for designing a custom production chit layout for an expo chit, kitchen chit, tray chit, and more.
• Use the Aloha generic guest check layout as a template for designing a custom guest check layout.
• Use the Aloha generic general message layout as a template for designing a custom reward voucher.
• Define in what order elements appear on a chit or guest check.
• Define the horizontal position (left, center, right) of elements.
• Define free text data elements to appear on the printed form.
• Define the location of static elements on the printed chit, such as surveys, bar codes, and more. Promote “green” printing by suppressing line feed to control paragraph spacing and reduce the number of blank lines.
• Define text and font styles.

Once you complete a custom layout, access Maintenance > System Settings > Event Schedule and use the Activate Layout Override event to notify the system to use the custom layout, and use Disable Layout Override to revert to the default layout before the end-of-day, if necessary.

Layout types

When you create a new custom layout, you must select the type of layout you want to create. Select from the following types when you click the New drop-down to add a new layout:

Production chit provides the elements you need to design a custom chit to print in the kitchen, such as an expo chit, kitchen chit, and tray chit. You must include the Items and Training elements on a custom chit of this type to save the new layout.

Guest check provides the elements you need to design a custom guest check. You must include the Items and Training elements on a custom guest check to save the new layout.

General message provides the elements required to design a printed voucher for use with campaigns.

Order taker provides the same elements you need to design a custom chit to print in the kitchen (production chit) without the requirement of including the Items and Training elements. With this type, if you include one of the available elements in your design, you can save and use the new layout.

Layout tab

Group Bar: Settings

Name — Identifies the layout.

Design tab

Use the Design tab to choose the elements to include in the custom layout you are designing and to change how elements appear in the layout, such as font, alignment, and more.