Print or Export Documents

Overview

Documents are the final output file for your project manual. Documents will include all formatting selected for the project. SpecLink Cloud provides the ability to print or export a project, division, or section as a final document. The option to create a Table of Contents Report is also included. 

This article will focus on Documents and cover the following topics:

• Definitions
• The Print Menu - Documents
• Print or Export a Project
• Print or Export a Division
• Print or Export a Section
• Print or Export the Table of Contents Report
• The Exported Files Menu

Learn more about printing and exporting Document Drafts here.

Definitions

Documents vs. Document Drafts vs. Sheet Specs

• Documents are the final output file for your project manual. Documents will include all formatting selected for the project.
• Document drafts are section-only PDF files that include a "DRAFT" watermark. The options of all-text and active-text drafts are available. Click here to review the article detailing printing and exporting documents drafts.
• Sheet Specs are PDF documents intended to be incorporated into the drawings.

Printing vs. Exporting

• Print provides a preview of the selected project, division, or section as a single PDF file displayed in a new tab of the current browser.
• Export provides the ability to create documents as PDF and DOCX files and document drafts as PDF files. Document drafts are exclusively PDF files.

The Print Menu - Documents

Access the Print Menu in one of the following ways:

1. From the SpecLink Cloud Dashboard, using the options menu (3 dot icon) and clicking "Print Project" from the dropdown list. 

2. By clicking the print icon on the Quick Access Toolbar from the Sections List within a project.

3. By clicking the print icon from the SpecLink Cloud Toolbar from within a specification section.



The Print Menu will appear with the Documents tab accessed as the default.

The Print Menu has 4 areas to review and make selections:

• Scope of Report
• Advanced Settings
• Attached Documents Options
• Track Changes Options
• File Name Format Settings

Scope of Report Options:

The Scope of Report options allow for the selection of which parts of the project will be printed or exported.

• Project: All sections activated within the project will be displayed when printed or exported.
• Division: A pull-down selection menu will appear providing access to a checklist of the activated Divisions within the current project. (i.e., 08 – Openings). All of the activated sections within the selected folders will be displayed when printed or exported.
• Section: A pull-down selection menu will appear providing access to a checklist of the activated sections within the current project (i.e., 081113 – RIB – Hollow Metal Doors and Frames). Only the selected sections will be displayed when printed or exported.
• Table of Contents: The Table of Contents option is a report that displays the active sections. Click to learn more about the Table of Contents Report.

Advanced Settings:

The Advanced Settings displayed will be based on the Scope of Report selection. For example, Export as a a Single File will not appear when the Scope of Report is Section because a Section will is one file by default.

• Continuous Page Numbering: The header/footer page numbers continue to increase incrementally throughout your printed/exported content rather than resetting at the beginning of each section.
• Export as Single File: The exported DOCX or PDF will be one file including all sections.
  • When this option is NOT selected and the export option is chosen, SpecLink Cloud will create and provide a ZIP file for download containing a separate file for each section of the project.
  • Reminder, the PRINT option will always be a single file. This setting only impacts the EXPORT option. 
• Keep With Next: Ensures that “End of Section” verbiage is not left alone on a printed page, and that levels 1 and 2 do not appear as the last text on a page. 
• Include Hyperlink: If hyperlinks have been created within the sections text, they will be active in the exported files.
• Bookmark for PDF: Adds a bookmark for each of the section titles into the exported PDF.
• Include Author: The author/suffix field that accompanies the section number (eg: “RIB” in 032000-RIB) is now optional in PDF bookmarks. Bookmark for PDF must be enabled to use this feature.
• Show All Choice Options: Selecting this option will display all of the choices in a choice field in bold, with the selected choice underlined.
• Print Master Notes: Allows for the inclusion of Master Notes on the PDF/DOCX output.
• Print Project Notes: Allows for the inclusion of Project Notes on the PDF/DOCX output.
• Print Note Images: Allows for the inclusion of images included in the Master or Project Notes on the PDF/DOCX output.
• Print IHS Logo: Allows for the inclusion of the IHS logo when the options of Print Master or Print Project Notes is selected.
• Widow/Orphan: Ensures that all paragraph text will appear on the same page and does not allow for a paragraph to be split between pages.
• Include Attached Documents: Selecting this option will allow for any attached PDFs from the Document Library to be printed/exported. There are two options that appear when this is selected, reviewed below.
• Include End of Section: When this option is selected, END OF SECTION will appear at the end of the document.
• Include End of Section ID: When this option is selected, the Section ID will appear next to the END OF SECTION in the document output (PDF/DOCX). This cannot be selected unless "Include End of Section" is also selected.
• Begin Each Section on Odd Page: This option performs the following actions...
  • Each section will begin on an odd page
  • Inserts a blank page where necessary
  • Creates a "This Page Left Blank Intentionally" watermark on the blank inserted page
• Include Header/Footer On Blank Pages: Checking this box will add the header/footer to blank pages.
• Mark Pages as Blank:  Adds a watermark letting the reader know that the page was left blank intentionally.
• Custom Blank Page Message Entry Field: Displays the watermark message that will be displayed on all blank pages. This message is customizable.

Attached Documents Options: 

When "Include Attached Documents" is selected, two new options for how the attached documents from the Document Library will print appear below the advanced settings. 

• Include active supplemental documents at the end of division/project: All the attached documents will appear following the final section within each division, regardless of which section they are attached too. This option is the default and will be a faster print/export. 
• Include active supplemental documents where they appear in the project tree: All documents attached to a specific section will appear immediately following the section in which they are attached. All documents attached to a specific subdivision folder will appear before any sections within that folder. This option will be a slightly longer print/export.

It is important to note that if multiple documents are attached to a single section or division, they will print in the order that they were attached. Clicking on the PDF icon will preview more details on the attached documents.

For more information about attaching documents to subdivisions and sections, please see this related article.

Track Changes Options:

Track Changes Options will allow for the selection of how Track Changes will be displayed, if the tool was used while editing.

• None: No Track Changes Markup
• All: Print All Sections with Track Changes Markup
• Inherit Settings: Print Markup Only for Sections Currently in Track Changes Mode

File Name Format Settings:

When exporting a document or report to PDF or DOCX, the option to customize the file name(s) is available, eliminating the need to edit file names after exporting. 

Click here to learn more about customizing file names when exporting.

Print or Export a Project

The Project consists of all activated sections. The options to print or export the entire project as a single file or as a collection of documents in a .ZIP file are available. Output options for file formats include .PDF and .DOCX.

Follow the steps below to print or export a project:

1. Access the Print Menu from one of the three options listed above.
   
   The Documents tab will open as the default.
   
   
    
2. From the Scope of Report area, confirm the Project option is selected.
   
   
   
   The Project option is the default setting.
    
3. Review and select the appropriate options from the Advanced Settings area.
    
4. Review and select the appropriate options from the Track Changes area.
    
5. Review the file name settings and make any desired changes. Click here to learn more about customizing file names when exporting.
   
    
6. Click Print to create and open a PDF in another tab of your current browser or click Export to select between PDF and DOCX files for download to the specified downloads folder of the computer.
   
   
   
   Selecting Print creates and opens the PDF in another tab of your current browser. 
   
   Selecting Export provides the options to create and download a PDF or Word DOCX.
   
   

Print or Export a Division

A Division consists of all the activated sections within the selected folder (“03- Concrete”, “08 – Openings”, “26 – Electrical”). The options to print or export the selected division or divisions as a single file or as a collection of documents in a ZIP file are available. Output options for file formats include .PDF and .DOCX.

Follow the steps below to print or export a division or divisions:

1. Access the Print Menu from one of the three options listed above.
   
   The Documents tab will open as the default.
   
   
    
2. From the Scope of Report area, select the Division option.
   
   
    
3. Use the pull-down menu to select the Divisions for printing or exporting with the checkboxes. All active sections within the selected divisions will be printed or exported.
   
   
    
4. Review and select the appropriate options from the Advanced Settings area. All available advanced settings for projects will be available for the division option.
    
5. Review and select the appropriate options from the Track Changes area.
    
6. Review the file name settings and make any desired changes. Click here to learn more about customizing file names when exporting.
   
    
7. Click Print to create and open a PDF in another tab of your current browser or click Export to select between PDF and DOCX files for download to the specified downloads folder of the computer.
   
   
   
   Selecting Print creates and opens the PDF in another tab of your current browser. 
   
   Selecting Export provides the options to create and download a .PDF or .DOCX.
   
   

Print or Export a Section

Sections are the actual specification documents activated into the project. (“032000 – Concrete Reinforcing”, “088000 - Glazing”, “265600 – Exterior Lighting). The options to print or export sections as a .PDF or .DOCX file are available.

Follow the steps below to print or export a section or sections:

1. Access the Print Menu from one of the three options listed above.
   
   The Documents tab will open as the default.
   
   
    
2. From the Scope of Report area, select the Section option. 
   
   
    
3. Use the pull-down menu to select the sections for printing or exporting by using the checkboxes.
   
   
    
4. Review and select the appropriate options from the Advanced Settings area. The available advanced settings for sections will differ from those of the Project and Division options.
    
5. Review and select the appropriate options from the Track Changes area.
    
6. Review the file name settings and make any desired changes. Click here to learn more about customizing file names when exporting.
   
    
7. Click Print to create and open a PDF in another tab of your current browser or click Export to select between PDF and DOCX files for download to the specified downloads folder of the computer.
   
   
   
   Selecting Print creates and opens the PDF in another tab of your current browser.
   
   Selecting Export provides the options to create and download a .PDF or Word .DOCX.
   
   

Print or Export the Table of Contents Report

The Table Of Contents Report displays the active sections within the current project and provides the option to display the number of pages each active section is in length.

Follow the steps below to generate a Table Of Contents Report for the current project.

1. Access the Print Menu from one of the three options listed above.
   
   The Documents tab will open as the default.
   
   
    
2. From the Scope of Report area, select the Table Of Contents option.
   
   
    
3. Review and select the appropriate options from the Advanced Settings area. The available advanced settings for the Table Of Contents report will be:
   • Include Page Count - Adds a column to the report displaying the number of pages, or duration, of a particular section.
   • Widow/Orphan - Ensures that all paragraph text will appear on the same page and does not allow for a paragraph to be split between pages.
   • Bookmark for PDF - Adds a bookmark for each of the section titles into the exported PDF.

4. Click Print to view the Table Of Contents report in another tab of the current browser or click Export to create a PDF file or Word DOCX document of the Table Of Contents report.
   
   
   
   Selecting Print creates and opens the PDF in another tab of your current browser.
   
   Selecting Export provides the options to create and download a .PDF or Word .DOCX.
   
   

The Exported Files Menu

When selecting to Export a document, the entry for that action is added to the Exported Files menu located in the top right corner of the SpecLink Cloud Quick Access Toolbar.

This is done to allow the user to download the file again if and when necessary, as well as to review file details. For example, if the user is logged into SpecLink Cloud on a different computer than the file was downloaded, they would be able to download it again wherever they need the file.

Click the Export Files icon from the Quick Access Toolbar to view the list of exported files.

Each exported file has an options menu available. Click the three vertical dots to the right of the exported file name.

The options menu provides the ability to view the export file details and download it again if necessary.

Watch the video below to see the tools of printing and exporting in action.