Print preview & export
Preview your full plan as it will appear printed, then print or export to PDF.
What this is for
Print preview renders the entire plan as a printable document — cover page, every enabled section formatted for print, and an audit trail. Use it to check the plan before printing, sending to an auditor, or exporting to PDF.
The print view re-renders sections in print-optimized layouts:
- Cover page — plan name, company, version, cover image, approval status, audit trail.
- HACCP team — grid view of all members.
- Product description — all questions and answers.
- Incoming products — 3-column category box grid.
- Flow diagram — SVG-rendered flow with edges, nodes, waypoints, and labels.
- Hazard analysis (incoming + processing) — full hazard tables with control pills.
- CCP / PC grids — wide tables with all custom columns.
- Control sections (allergen, sanitation, supply chain) — rich text rendered.
- Plant schematic — one page per tab.
- References — list of links.
Common tasks
How to open print preview
From inside a plan, click File → Print preview. The print view opens as a new page (/print).
How to print to paper
Use your browser’s print dialog (Ctrl/Cmd + P). The print view applies a print stylesheet that hides UI chrome and breaks pages naturally.
How to export to PDF
In the print dialog, choose Save as PDF as the destination, then Save. The exported PDF preserves headings, tables, images, the SVG flow diagram, and the plant schematic at full quality.
How to choose what to include
The print view always shows every enabled section (those ticked in the Setup wizard section selection). To hide a section from the printed output, disable it in File → Edit setup. Re-enabling it later is non-destructive — the data is kept.
How to navigate inside the preview
A side rail on the left lists every print section. Click any to jump to it. Page breaks are visible between sections (browser-rendered) so you can confirm pagination.
How to return to the editor
Close the print tab, or click Back to editor at the top.
Screen reference
Top bar
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Back to editor | Returns to /plan. |
| Opens the browser print dialog. | |
| Section nav | Quick links to each section in the preview. |
Cover page
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Cover image | From the plan metadata, optional. |
| Plan name + version | Large title. |
| Company name | Subheading. |
| Audit trail | Created by / date, updated by / date, approved by / date (if approved). |
Section pages
Each section is rendered with its own header, contents, and consistent typography. Tables wrap with repeating headers if they span multiple pages.
FAQs
Why does my flow diagram look different in the print view? The print view re-renders the diagram as SVG (not the interactive Vue Flow canvas). It preserves node positions, edge waypoints, labels, and styling but uses static SVG so it scales cleanly to PDF.
Can I export to Word or Excel?
- Word: not directly; print to PDF and use a PDF-to-Word tool, or copy-paste sections.
- Excel: use File → Export → Excel for the structured tables (hazard analysis, CCP, PC). Other sections aren’t tabular and don’t export well to Excel.
The print preview is slow to load. Plans with many embedded images or a complex flow diagram can take several seconds to render. Be patient. If your plan has hundreds of products, it may take 10–20 seconds to render fully.
A section is missing from the print preview. Either it’s disabled in Setup, or it has no content. Re-enable it in File → Edit setup and add at least one item.
Why do my CCP grid columns get cut off in the PDF? Wide grids span multiple pages. Use landscape paper orientation in the print dialog for fewer page breaks. You can also remove unneeded columns to make the grid narrower.
Are the colors preserved in PDF export? Yes — colours from the risk matrix, hazard pills, and flow diagram are preserved. Make sure your browser’s print dialog has Background graphics enabled (browser-specific setting).
Can I add a header/footer with page numbers? Browser print dialogs typically have a checkbox for headers/footers (Chrome: “Headers and footers”). The plan template doesn’t add its own — it relies on the browser default for page numbering.