Print ZUGFeRD and XRechnung files automatically

Even when e-invoices are processed electronically, a printout is often needed in everyday work - for the paper filing, for approval or as a working copy. This how-to shows how Automatic X-Invoice Processor prints incoming e-invoices fully automatically: ZUGFeRD PDFs directly, XRechnung XML files as a neatly formatted, readable visualization.

Step 1: Create a profile and choose the mode

1. Click New profile… in the profile toolbar and enter a name under General (e.g. “Print incoming invoices”).
2. Under Mode, choose the appropriate processing mode: Process PDF file (ZUGFeRD) for ZUGFeRD/Factur-X PDFs or Process XML file (XRechnung) for plain XML invoices.
3. Under Monitored folders, add the folder where your e-invoices arrive.

The basic setup of a profile is described in detail in the how-to “Getting started”.

What is printed depends on the mode:

Step 2: Add the “Print file” task

Click Add in the task list and choose Print file.

On the Printer tab:

1. Enter the printer - if the field is left empty, the Windows default printer is used.
2. Adjust the print options if needed: copies, collate, color, duplex, orientation, size mode. The defaults come from the print presets in the program options (see chapter 40.10) - configured there once, all new print tasks start with your house settings.
3. Via Page range… you restrict printing to certain pages - e.g. only the first page of long invoices.

Tip - printing to a file: With Save as file via PDF printer, the print output is not printed physically but stored as a PDF file - with output folder, file name pattern (placeholder support) and conflict behavior.

Step 3 (optional): Inbox stamp and attachments

• In the XML modes, the printed visualization can optionally get a header with three freely configurable text areas (Left/Center/Right) - e.g. for an inbox-stamp note (see chapter 12.3).
• If documents attached to the invoice (delivery notes, timesheets) should be printed as well, additionally add the Print attachments task - it prints embedded PDF and image files, filterable by attachment name (see chapter 16).

Step 4: Filing after printing

So that printed invoices do not remain in the inbox folder, add Move file as a further task and move the file to an archive - with placeholders in the target path, e.g. a year subfolder <InvoiceYear> (see chapter 19).

Step 5: Verify and save

1. Add a typical invoice under Example invoices; the result preview shows the result per task - for printing, the target printer (see chapter 8.11).
2. Click OK and place an invoice into the monitored folder - or click Check now in the status bar.
3. Every printout appears as an entry in the processing log.

Behavior on printer problems

Before printing, the program checks whether the printer exists and is ready. On problems, an error entry is created in the processing log - the file is not lost and can be printed again after the fix via Process file again in the context menu. If a printer driver reports incorrect status values, the extended availability check can be simplified in the program options under Miscellaneous (see chapter 40.16).

Common issues

Further reading

• Program help chapter 15 - Print file in detail
• Program help chapter 16 - Print attachments
• Program help chapter 40.10 - print presets
• Program help chapter 12 - the PDF visualization