Creating PDF documents

You can create new PDF documents directly from within FYI. They must be created with a PDF template.

Creating a PDF document

1. From FYI, select the + button in the menu bar.
    
2. Select PDF from the list of document types. 
   Or, from the workspace, press the shortcut key D for a new PDF document. 
   The Create PDF drawer displays on the right-hand side.
   
   
   The fields that initially display depend on whether filing defaults have been set in your settings or in the practice settings. When you select the Client, these may change to the filing defaults set for the client. If you select a template, the categories may change if filing defaults have been set for the selected template.
    

3. Select the Client and Cabinet.

   • Client: Type at least three characters of the client name to display all clients containing those characters, then select the required client.
   • Cabinet: If the selected Client has a default Cabinet, or you have a default for your own settings, this is displayed. You can change this if required.

   When the Client and Cabinet have been selected, relevant defaults display based on your selections. For example, Categories, Jobs, Tags, and Keywords are all set to display depending on the Cabinet selected.
    

4. In the drawer, select or enter the filing fields, or change the defaults that are given:
    
   • Change Addressee: If the document is being sent to a different addressee other than the client that it is being filed under, select the Change Addressee link and select the required Client. The document will be filed under the selected Client, but any Merge Fields that are populated in the document will be for the client selected as the Addressee. If you select an Addressee, it displays in the details at the top of the Document Drawer after the document is created and can’t be changed. The Client under which the document is filed can be changed when the document has been created.
   • Template: Select a PDF template. This is required for a PDF.
   • Categories: Select the filing Category or Categories for the document, such as Year and Work Type. The Category options that are available may be filtered according to the Cabinet selected.
   • Job: If Jobs are enabled for the selected Cabinet, you can also select a Job for the client.
   • Tags and Keywords: If the selected Cabinet has been enabled for Tags and Keywords, these display as additional Categories. You can create or select one or more Tags as additional categorisation. You can enter one or more Keywords that can be used when searching for the document.
   • Name: To identify the document internally, the name displays in lists in FYI.
     The selected template provides a default name, which you can change if required.
     
      
5. Select Create. The PDF is displayed.
    
6. Once the PDF is closed, you need to let FYI know you have finished editing the document and save any changes in FYI. In FYI in the drawer, select the I am finished editing button. 
   
   
   
   FYI syncs with Office and The message “Syncing with FYI” displays for up to 30 seconds while your changes are saved in FYI. This removes the lock on the document and removes the document from your Home - My Edits.

Converting a document to a PDF

You can also use Convert to create a PDF copy of a Word or Excel spreadsheet document in FYI. This is useful when you need to email the document as a PDF attachment.

There are two options when converting documents to PDF:

• Convert: Select Convert and the PDF is added as a new document, and won't be threaded with the original document. Both the original and PDF document display individually in the document list. 
  
• Convert with threading: Select the drop-down and select Convert with threading. The PDF is added as a new document and threaded with the original document. The PDF document displays in the document list as the latest document.
  

When a document is converted to PDF, the filing details, including the name of the document for the PDF copy, are set to the same as those of the Word or Spreadsheet document that it is a copy of.

To automatically convert documents to PDF files as part of an Automation Process, use the Convert to PDF automation process step.