Form PDF Export
Every submitted form generates a polished, branded PDF you can share, archive, or attach to invoices.
What's in the PDF
- Header — your logo, business info, form title
- Customer / Job context — who, what, when
- All field values as filled in
- Photos inline (with captions)
- Signatures at their original positions
- Calculated totals if your form has them
- Audit page at the end — submitted by, submitted at, IP, device, geolocation if captured
Generating
PDFs generate automatically on submission. You can also:
- Re-generate with current branding (if you've updated branding since)
- Download from the form's submission view
- Email directly from HandyBook to the customer (or anyone)
Branding
PDFs use your business profile's logo and brand color. For different forms or different uses, set up form-specific branding overrides:
- Settings → Forms → [form] → PDF Style
- Pick a different logo (e.g. a co-branded version for partner work)
- Pick a different color scheme
- Custom header/footer text
Auto-attaching to invoices
Toggle on Attach to invoice when configuring a form. Then any invoice for the job auto-includes the form's PDF as an appendix.
Useful for:
- Inspection report attached to invoice
- Customer sign-off attached to invoice
- Maintenance report attached to invoice
Customer sees one consolidated document.
Multiple forms in one PDF
For jobs with multiple forms, you can:
- Download each separately
- Or Combine to single PDF — merges all forms for the job into one document
- Useful for sending a complete service record to property managers, insurance, etc.
Sharing
From the form submission view:
- Email — pick recipients, add a message, send
- Download — local PDF
- Share link — generate a one-time public URL (expires in 7 days, configurable)
- Print — direct print
Customer portal access
Submitted forms are accessible to customers through their portal:
- Listed under their job
- They can download for their records
- Useful for HVAC reports, insurance documentation, etc. that customers may need later
File size
PDFs with lots of photos can be large. HandyBook auto-compresses photos for the PDF (web-quality but readable). For very large forms (50+ photos), the PDF may be 5-20 MB — fine for email but slow to download on poor connections.
Custom PDF templates
On Pro+ tier, customize the PDF layout per form:
- Different header layout
- Custom fonts
- Specific sections highlighted
- White-label (no HandyBook branding)
Searching across PDFs
Submitted forms are indexed for search:
- Search by submitter name
- By date range
- By any field value
- By form type
Useful for finding "that inspection where we noted the leak" months later.
Long-term storage
PDFs are stored indefinitely while your account is active. For backup paranoia:
- Settings → Data → Export All Forms
- Generates a ZIP of all PDFs for your records
- Useful before any major account change or annually for regulatory backup
FAQ
Can I customize where signatures appear on the PDF? Yes — drag fields where you want them in the form builder; the PDF renders in the same layout.
Can I add a watermark? Yes — Settings → Forms → PDF Style → Watermark. Add text like "DRAFT" or "CONFIDENTIAL". Useful for unsigned drafts.
Can the PDF be password-protected? Yes on Pro+ — set a password per form. Customer enters it to open the PDF. Useful for sensitive content.
Why does my PDF look different from the form I built? Most likely a mismatch between web layout and print layout. Use the Preview PDF button while building to verify before going live.
Can I get the form data as JSON / CSV instead of PDF? Yes — export as JSON via API, or CSV via Reports → Forms → Export. Useful for further analysis or external systems.