Setting Reports and Graphs Preferences

Make some basic decisions up front about how your reports and graphs should appear and you won't have to think about these choices every time you open a report. Each QuickBooks user at your company can set personal report preferences. Company-wide preferences, such as text formatting and the way numbers appear, affect reports accessible by all users.

Set Personal Reports and Graphs Preferences

Select Preferences from the Edit menu.

Click the Reports & Graphs icon.

Click the My Preferences tab.

Check here if you always want the customizing options to appear when you view reports.

Select a refresh option to indicate whether you want a report to update automatically when you make a change.

Check Draw Graphs in 2D (faster) if you like your graphs in two-dimensional style instead of the default three-dimensional.

Check Use Patterns to produce graphs in shades of black, gray, and white instead of full color. This is the best choice if you plan to print graphs on a black-and-white printer.

Click OK, or see the next task to set additional preferences.

Set Company-Wide Reports and Graphs Preferences

If the Preferences window is not already open, select Preferences from the Edit menu.

Click the Reports & Graphs icon.

Click the Company Preferences tab.

Select whether to present reports on a cash basis or an accrual basis.

Select whether you prefer aging reports such as the Accounts Receivable Aging Report aged from the invoice due date or the transaction date.

Indicate how you want account names and descriptions displayed on reports.

Click Classify Cash to select which accounts you want to include in your Statement of Cash Flows.

Click Format to make format choices for your report.

Check off each item that should normally appear on your reports.

Enter your company name the way you want it to appear on reports.

Click the arrow to select from several date styles.

Click the arrow to select from several page styles.

Click the Fonts & Numbers tab to set preferences for font style and number presentation on your reports.

Click a report element.

Click Change Font to change the font selection for the selected title.

Select a preference for displaying negative numbers.

Check Divided by 1000 to show report amounts divided by 1,000.

Check Except Zero Amounts to omit zero amounts from reports.

Check Without Cents to display amounts without cents.

Click OK to close all preference windows.