---
alias: user-guide-printable-document-index
description: "This documentation details the core Printable Document object for dynamic label and lot traveler printing"
---

# Printable Document

:lock: PrintableDocument.**Show**

## Overview

The **Printable Document** is the core object of Advanced Layout & Printing, the module used for Label and Lot Traveler Printing.

!!! info
	Advanced Layout and Printing is a Critical Manufacturing optional module.

The **Printable Document** represents a generic document whose content is generated dynamically whenever it is printed, based on a context that is a combination of user inputs and automatically calculated data (including serial numbers).

It also ensures full traceability by versioning the **Printable Document** object and, optionally, keeping the history of each print operation including a preview of what was printed.

The **Printable Document** is available for every object. However, only the **Material** object has a built-in button to print Documents from its detail page. In the case of the **Material** object, the documents to be printed are resolved using the Smart Table [MaterialPrintableDocumentContext](../../administration/tables/smart-tables/materialprintabledocumentcontext.md). For all other object types, printing needs to be triggered from the **Printable Document** page.

## Global and Versioned Data

A **Printable Document**, being a change controlled object, contains global and versioned data components as shown in the next picture.

```mermaid
graph TD
subgraph Printable Document
Main1["Global Data<br>(Without Change Control)"] --- A1[All other]
Main2["Versioned Data<br>(With Change Control)"] --- A2[Layout<br>Context Items]
end


classDef mermaid_title color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, font-weight:200;
classDef mermaid_start color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, color:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, visibility: hidden;
classDef mermaid_businessdata color:#000, fill:#65CDE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_nonbusinessdata color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#B7DEE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entity color:#000, fill:#FB9F53, stroke:#FB9F53, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entitylinked color:#000, fill:#FCD5B5, stroke:#FCD5B5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_context color:#000, fill:#B9CDE5, stroke:#B9CDE5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_optional color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, stroke-dasharray: 5 5;
classDef mermaid_state color:#000, fill:#d7e4bd, stroke:#000, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, font-weight:300;
class Main1,Main2 mermaid_entity
class A1,A2 mermaid_entitylinked
```

## Tying Everything Together

```mermaid
graph LR
    A1["Entity Type<br>'Applies To'"] --- Main[Printable Document]
    C1[Area Printable Document] --- Main
    C2[Resource Data Collection Context] --- Main
    C3[Material Data Collection Context] --- Main
    C4[Printer Type Printers Context] -.- Main
    Main === L1[Printable Document Print History]
    Main === L2[Printable Document Context Item Print History]
    Main === L3[Printable Document Context Item]

classDef mermaid_title color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, font-weight:200;
classDef mermaid_start color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, color:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, visibility: hidden;
classDef mermaid_businessdata color:#000, fill:#65CDE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_nonbusinessdata color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#B7DEE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entity color:#000, fill:#FB9F53, stroke:#FB9F53, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entitylinked color:#000, fill:#FCD5B5, stroke:#FCD5B5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_context color:#000, fill:#B9CDE5, stroke:#B9CDE5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_optional color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, stroke-dasharray: 5 5;
class Main mermaid_entity
class A1,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7,A8,A9,A10 mermaid_businessdata
class L1,L2,L3,L4,L5,L6 mermaid_entitylinked
class C1,C2,C3,C4,C5,C6 mermaid_context
class N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6 mermaid_nonbusinessdata

click Main "../../business-data/printable-document"
click C1 "../../administration/tables/smart-tables/areaprintabledocumentcontext"
click C2 "../../administration/tables/smart-tables/resourcedatacollectioncontext"
click C3 "../../administration/tables/smart-tables/materialdatacollectioncontext"
click C4 "../../administration/tables/smart-tables/printertypeprinterscontext"
```

## Sequence Of Steps

The necessary steps for correctly using a **Printable Document** are the following:

1. Create a PrintableDocument - note that it is necessary to associate the **Printable Document** to a **Change Set**.
2. Create or Edit the Printable Document Layout, using the Layout Editor.
3. Approve the **Change Set**, which contains the **Printable Document** that has been created.  

!!! info
    For convenience, the **Printable Document** can be configured to use implicit **Change Sets**. Please refer to the [Change Set](../change-set/index.md) section for more information.

!!! info
    May also be useful to look at the [[tutorials-printabledocument]] tutorial.

{{ generate_index() }}