Document Designer builds a document template from page elements and a table's fields. Export the template from any record to get a filled PDF, by hand or with the Generate PDF automation action.

Example: a Vendors table in a vendor risk program. The risk team designs a Vendor Assessment Report: the company logo, Vendor Name, Vendor Tier, Review Status and Next Review Date, and the vendor's contracts as a table. Each quarter they export the report from every Tier 1 vendor record for the audit file.

Plan Availability	All plan types.
Permissions	Every member except Guests can create, edit and delete document templates in the tables they can access.
Platform	Web
Related Reading	Export to Document Template Automation Action: Generate PDF Open Document Template with a Button SmartDoc: Export to PDF.

Open Document Designer

Select the arrow next to the table's name. In this example, the Vendors table.
Select Document Designer. The table's templates are listed.
Select + Create New. A blank template opens.
Select New Document at the top and type a name, such as Vendor Assessment Report.

Select Save Design at the bottom at any point to save the template.

Elements

Elements are the fixed parts of the page. Select one to place it, then drag it where it goes.

Line: a line on the page.
Rectangle and Circle: shapes.
Text: a block of fixed text, such as a heading.
Image: a fixed image, such as your logo.
Link: a link on the page.

Tip: To use an image stored in Google Drive, share it as Viewer with anyone who has the link. Then change the address from drive.google.com/file/d/FILE-ID to drive.google.com/uc?id=FILE-ID, so the link returns the image itself.

Fields

Select a field name to add it to the canvas, then drag it into place. Each record's values fill the fields when you export.

These fields are supported:

Address
Assigned To
Auto Number
Count
Currency
Date
Date Range
Due Date
Duration
Email
Files and Images
Formula
Full Name
IP Address
Link
Linked Record
Lookup
Multiple Select
Number
Number Slider
Percent
Percent Complete
Phone
Rating
Record ID
Rollup
Signature
Single Select
SmartDoc
Social Network
Status
Tag
Text
Text Area
Time
Time Tracking Log
Vote
Yes / No

These are not supported: Button, Checklist, Color Picker, Open Comments and Sub-Items.

Field properties

Select a field on the canvas. Its properties show in the left panel:

Width and Height, in pixels.
Rotation, in degrees.
Font, Font Size in pixels, and Weight: Normal or Bold.
Line Height: Tight, Normal or Wide.
Horizontal Align: Left, Center or Right.
Position: Absolute, Relative or Anchored.
Text Color: 80 preset colors.

The buttons at the bottom duplicate or delete the field.

Two field types have their own properties:

Files and Images: Display Mode shows the first image or all images. Fit Mode is Fit (scale to the box), Fill (crop to fill it) or Stretch.
Linked Record: prints as a table of the linked records. Set the column widths as proportions. Widths of 3, 1 and 1 give the first column three fifths of the table.

For the report, add the vendor's Contracts field and give Contract Number, Annual Contract Value and Contract Renewal Date widths of 2, 1 and 1.

Position

Absolute keeps the element exactly where you placed it.
Relative moves the element down when an element above it grows, such as a Linked Record table.
Anchored keeps the element a set number of pixels below an element you choose.

Note: Put anything below a Linked Record table on Relative or Anchored. On Absolute, a long table prints over it.

Page settings

Paper Size offers these sizes:

Letter (8.5 x 11 in)
Legal (8.5 x 14 in)
Tabloid (11 x 17 in)
Statement (5.5 x 8.5 in)
Executive (7.25 x 10.5 in)
Folio (8.5 x 13 in)
A3 (297 x 420 mm)
A4 (210 x 297 mm)
A5 (148 x 210 mm)
B4 (250 x 353 mm)
B5 (176 x 250 mm)
Index Card (545 x 327 px)
Business Card (381 x 218 px)

Page Orientation: Portrait or Landscape.

Preview and export from the template

Open a saved template. The header bar holds these buttons:

Navigation arrows: step through the table's records. The template fills with each one.
Search: find a record. Its settings choose the fields shown, the sort and the filters.
Preview: show the page without the grid.
Export: download the PDF for the record shown.
Print: open the print window for the record shown.

Export from a record

Open the record. In this example, a Tier 1 vendor.
Select the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
Hover over Export, then Adobe PDF.
Select the template. The PDF downloads.

See Export to Document Template for the record menu in detail.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a PDF template?

Open the table's menu, select Document Designer and + Create New. Place elements and fields, name the template at the top and select Save Design.

Can the document list the records linked to this record?

Yes. Add the Linked Record field to the canvas. It prints as a table, one row per linked record, with the column widths you set.

Can I import a Word or PDF file as a template?

Templates are built in the designer from elements and fields. Recreate the layout with Text and Image elements and place fields where the values go.

Can a PDF be generated automatically?

Yes. The Generate PDF automation action uses a Document Designer template and can attach the file to a record or an email.

Why does a field print over my table?

The field is on Absolute position. Set it to Relative or Anchored so it moves down when the table grows.

Need more help? Ask the SmartSuite Community, where builders, administrators and the SmartSuite team answer questions about building on SmartSuite. For your account, billing or data, select the chat button in the lower-right corner of SmartSuite to reach support.

Last verified 1 Nov 2026.

Document Designer: generate a PDF from a record