Getting started

From first quote to first order

The whole loop in one pass: quote, send, accept, artwork, print, dispatch, invoice.

7 min read ·

One pass through the whole loop, so you can see where each screen fits before reading the detail articles.

1. Quote

Quotes > New quote. Pick the customer, then add lines on the quote's view page. Each line takes a SKU, a decoration method, a quantity and a spec. The pricing engine works out unit price, setup fees, discounts and tax; you do not type totals. Full detail in creating a quote.

2. Send

Send emails the quote to the customer's primary contact and records it on the activity feed. You can also download the PDF and send it yourself. Unanswered quotes get a chase email automatically each morning.

3. Accept

Accept & convert to order reserves stock for every line that carries a SKU, copies the priced lines across, and creates the order in the Artwork stage. The prices are copied, not recalculated, so the order keeps the exact snapshot you won the job on. See converting a quote to an order.

4. Artwork

Upload a proof version on the order, then Send for approval. The customer gets a signed link, valid 7 days, and needs no account to approve or ask for a change. Approval moves the order to Print queue and hardens the stock reservation.

5. Print

Work the job on the Production board, or from the shop floor with a barcode scanner and the worksheet. Moving into In production is where stock is consumed off the shelf.

6. Dispatch

Moving to Dispatched stamps the dispatch date, generates the invoice, emails the customer, and fires the order.dispatched webhook to any subscriber. That is the one stage move that creates a financial document, so it is worth doing it when the box actually leaves.

7. Get paid

If Stripe is connected, the invoice carries a pay link. Overdue and nearly-due invoices are chased every morning. When your ledger is connected, the invoice pushes to Xero or QuickBooks and payments are pulled back hourly.

Nothing in the loop can be skipped by accident, and nothing double-fires. Stock consumption and invoicing only happen on the first entry into their stage, so dragging a card back and forward on the board is safe.

Still stuck?

Email help@printersfriend.com and quote the name of this page. Support is on every plan, with a reply within 1 business day.

Read next

Importing your customer list → Connecting your supplier catalogue → Inviting your team → All help topics →