A Personal Project Turned Public Tool
Hey everyone! I’m excited to share something that’s been a game-changer in my daily workflow: my custom-built Invoice Calculator for Adobe InDesign. Initially developed to meet my own invoicing needs, I’ve realized that this tool could benefit many others in the creative and business community. So, I’ve decided to make it available for all!
Why I Created the Invoice Calculator
As a professional frequently juggling multiple projects, I found myself spending too much time on billing and invoicing – a necessary but time-consuming task. I needed a solution that could seamlessly blend into Adobe InDesign, a platform I, like many of you, use daily. That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands and develop the Invoice Calculator.
Features That Make a Difference
- Versatile Currency Support: Working with clients globally, I needed a tool that could handle various currencies. The Invoice Calculator supports dollars, euros, pounds, yen, and more.
- Adaptable Number Formatting: Dealing with different number formats can be a headache. This tool easily manages formats with commas, periods, or any other separators.
- Simple Operation Selection: Whether it’s adding up totals or multiplying rates, the tool offers straightforward options to select the desired operation.
- Automatic VAT and Discount Computation: Calculating VAT and discounts is now hassle-free. Enter the percentages, and the tool computes everything for you.
- Customizable Result Display: The results are displayed directly in your InDesign document, formatted according to your preferences.
How It Enhances My Workflow (And Can Enhance Yours Too!)
- Saves Precious Time: It significantly cuts down the time I spend on manual calculations.
- Ensures Accuracy: Reduces the risk of errors, providing peace of mind with accurate invoicing.
- Professional-looking Invoices: Creates polished, professional invoices right within my InDesign projects.
- Global Usability: Perfect for anyone working with international clients.
A Little Insight into the Functioning
The tool is integrated as a palette in InDesign. Select your operation (sum or multiply), set your currency, define your number format, and select the cells in your document. The calculator does the rest, displaying the results neatly in your document.
Sharing My Solution with You
After realizing how much this tool has streamlined my billing process, I thought it would be selfish to keep it to myself. So, here it is, available for you to download and integrate into your own workflow.
How to Get Started with Invoice Calculator for Adobe InDesign
- Download the Script: Start by downloading the Invoice Calculator script from our website.
- Install the Script in Adobe InDesign:
- After downloading, unzip the folder.
- To install the script in Adobe InDesign, go to ‘Utilities’, then click on ‘Scripts’.
- In the Scripts panel, right-click and choose ‘Reveal in Finder’ (for macOS) or ‘Reveal in Explorer’ (for Windows).
- Move the unzipped folder into this Scripts directory.
- Run the Script:
- Open Adobe InDesign and navigate to the Scripts panel.
- Locate the Invoice Calculator script (it will be a .jsx file).
- Double-click the script to run it. A new panel for the Invoice Calculator will appear in InDesign.
- Use the Calculator:
- To use the calculator, simply select the numbers from any table in your InDesign document.
- The calculator will automatically compute the totals or perform multiplication, as per your settings.
- Voilà! You now have a handy price calculator for creating quotes and invoices directly within Adobe InDesign.
Support the Development with a Donation
If you find this tool helpful and wish to support its ongoing development, consider making a donation. Every contribution, even as small as $1, makes a difference. It helps me continue providing support and creating more free tools for everyone. Just click the ‘Donate’ button to contribute. Your support is greatly appreciated!
