If forms feel like hard work, Paper view lets you fill in a quote or invoice the way you would on paper: you type straight onto a copy of the page your customer gets, with your logo and business details already at the top.
Switching to Paper view
On the new or edit page for a quote or invoice, use the Form view / Paper view switch at the top. BillSend remembers your choice on that device, so the editor opens the way you like next time. You can switch back at any point — nothing you have typed is lost.
What is already filled in
The top of the page comes from Settings: your logo, business name, address, phone, email, VAT number and brand colour. To change any of them, click "Edit in Settings" beside your details — it opens in a new tab so you do not lose your place.
The quote or invoice number is given out when you save, so a new document shows "Number assigned on save" until then.
Filling it in
- Bill to — click and type your customer's name. Your existing customers are suggested as you type, and picking one fills in their email too.
- Job, reference and the valid-until or due date — click and type, just like the rest of the page.
- Lines — type a description, choose the type, then enter the quantity and price. The line total works itself out.
- Press Enter at the end of a description to start the next line.
- Use the + at the end of a row to add a line or some text directly below that row, and ✕ to remove a row.
Headings and notes between lines
Choose "Add text" from the + menu to add a line of words with no price — a heading such as "Phase 1 – Kitchen" or a note such as "Customer to supply tiles". Text lines appear in bold, stay exactly where you put them, and never count towards the total.
Totals, discount and notes
The subtotal, VAT and total update as you type. Click "+ Add discount" under the totals to take off a percentage or a fixed amount. Notes for your customer go at the bottom of the page.
Payment instructions come from Settings. On an invoice you can change them for that invoice alone, without touching your Settings.
Private notes — things only you should see, like a gate code — stay off the page. Use the "Private notes" button above the page; they never appear on the PDF or on your customer's link.
Saving, downloading and sending
"Download PDF" saves your changes first, then downloads a PDF laid out the same way as the page. "Send" saves and then takes you to the usual send step, so emailing your customer and their link work exactly as they do from the form.
On a phone
A full page does not fit on a phone screen, so it shrinks to fit. Tap any part of it — a line, the customer, the dates or the notes — and a panel opens with large boxes to type in. Close it and your changes appear on the page.
Paper view is available for quotes and invoices. Templates are still edited with the form.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Paper view in BillSend?
- A way to fill in a quote or invoice by typing straight onto a copy of the page your customer gets, with your logo and business details already at the top, instead of using a form.
- Can I switch between the form and Paper view?
- Yes. Use the Form view / Paper view switch at the top of the editor. Nothing you have typed is lost, and BillSend remembers your choice on that device.
- Can I add headings or notes between lines?
- Yes. Choose "Add text" from the + menu on a row to add a line of words with no price. It stays where you put it and never counts towards the total.
- Does Paper view work on a phone?
- Yes. The page shrinks to fit the screen; tap any part of it to open a panel with large boxes to type in.
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