Bulletin formats are templates that contain presets for different styling, layouts, and content. The Bulletin Formats view is broken into three sections. The left is a filter and list of all the formats. The center displays a preview of the format that is selected. The right contains the different formatting options with tabs for style, layout, and content.
The Style tab has a drop-down menu that is used to select the section you would like to style, as well as options for things like font, font size, and paragraph formatting. The Layout tab contains the options for page size, margins, and music. The Content tab contains numerous options for making specific sections visible and marking if a subcaption is visible. In the subcaption fields, you will see a variety of tags that Lutheran Service Builder uses to determine what should be displayed. You can replace the default subcaption with a custom one. For reference, below is a list of the tags and what they mean.
- #pg#—page number
- #sts#—selected stanzas
- #pkg#—name of selected content
- #ref#—related Scripture
When you create a template, Lutheran Service Builder will ask you to select one of three default formats that are provided. The default format is a basic format, while the Creative Worship format has a centered header and other format changes. The large-print template is the default template but with larger font.
Note
If you are having issues with the bulletin not being printed properly, try unchecking the Folded box on the Layout tab. Then export the bulletin in whatever page size you want to print it as. Open the file in your word processor and print it using the bulletin print settings. Some word processors will automatically format the pages appropriately to be printed in a bulletin-like format.
Here is how to create a bulletin format:
- From any view, click the settings icon in the upper right corner and select “Bulletin Formats”.
- Click “New Format” at the bottom left of the view.
- Three options will appear to give you a starting point. Select the one that will be the best starting point.
- Rename the new format.
- On the right side of the screen, in the Style tab, use the Section drop-down menu to select the section of the bulletin you would like to edit. Use the Layout and Content tabs to make any other changes you need.
- When you are done, click “Save” in the bottom right corner.