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Overview

The report compiles the results into a print-ready test report (PDF) and enables:

• Selecting the samples to be shown in the test report
• Including stored attachments (images/files) from the order and samples, along with your own notes
• Entering a free evaluation and note, optionally with suggested texts from the specification
• Using configurable PDF templates and custom attributes

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Navigation

You can create reports in different ways:

Note: The exact naming may vary depending on the configuration of your LDB. Some functions are always available, others depend on your permissions and configuration.

Create a report based on a single sample via the sample detail view

• In the sample detail view, click the plus symbol to the right of the Reports tab.
• Alternatively: in the sample detail view, click the Reports tab to reach the existing reports, then click the grey Add Report button.

Figure: Creating a report via the sample detail view

Create reports based on an order for single/multiple samples via the order detail view

• In the order detail view, click the plus symbol to the right of the Reports tab.
• Alternatively: in the order detail view, click the Reports tab to reach the existing reports, then click the grey Add Report button.

Figure: Creating a report via the order detail view

Create reports for one or more orders or samples via the sample list

Additionally, you can create reports directly in the sample list. To do this, select the desired samples, entire orders, or all listed samples.

Figure: Creating reports via the sample list

• Select individual samples: activate the checkbox to the left of the respective sample number.
• Select all samples of an order: activate the checkbox below the order number.
• Select all samples: activate the select all checkbox at the bottom of the list.
• Then select the Report option in the dropdown at the bottom of the list and click the view button.

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Add Report

Once you have clicked Add Report, the screen for creating a report appears. The different areas of this screen are described below:

Figure: The „Add Report" screen

Enter header data

The header area contains fixed fields, pre-filled with data such as the order name, the report date, and the template.

• Order: The order the report belongs to.
• Date: The report date. It is pre-filled with the current date and can be adjusted if required.
• PDF-Template: Select the template, this report should be based on.
• Tags: Optionally assign tags to make the report easier to find later.

Custom attributes

Optionally, we can provide custom attributes. These are shown in the grey-shaded block below the header area — for example, the Report Type field shown in the figure, with a search field containing the options relevant to you.
Further information: Configurable attribute fields in the LABORDATENBANK

Select samples

In the lower area, you select which samples are to be shown in the test report.
If you create a report starting from the order, you have the option of including all samples assigned to the order in the report.

• Select individual samples: activate or deactivate the checkbox to the left of the sample number.
• Select all samples: activate the Select all Samples checkbox below the list.

Figure: Sample and parameter selection when creating a report

The samples are shown in a tabular overview. The following table describes the columns.

Column	Description
Samples	Shows the checkbox for including/excluding the sample as well as the blue sample number linking to the detail view. You can edit the sample via the pencil icon.
Date	Shows the date of the respective sample.
Description	Shows the blue description of the sample. Further options are available via the dropdown symbol to the right of the description. If present, filled-in master data fields are displayed. Under Parameters, you can also define which parameters of the sample are included in the report: activate or deactivate the individual parameters via the respective checkbox, or use All to select or deselect all parameters of the sample at once.
Status	Shows the current processing status of the sample as a percentage as well as a status icon.

Insert images and file attachments into the report

Files stored in the LDB can be inserted into the report as attachments.

Important:
Images are inserted into the test report according to the layout of your template. The following image formats are supported: .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF.
PDF files are inserted without formatting.

To insert one or more files into the report as an attachment, the files are stored (uploaded) with the associated order or with the associated samples.

Add files to the order

• Open the detail view of the relevant order and click the Files tab.
• Now drag the relevant file into the blue field, or click the blue field to select a file from your computer.
  Further information: Add Files (to Samples, Customers, Orders)

Add files to a sample

• Open the detail view of the relevant sample and click the Files tab.
• Now drag the relevant file into the blue field, or click the blue field to select a file from your computer.
  Further information: Add Files (to Samples, Customers, Orders)

Once you have uploaded the files, you can select and attach them when creating or editing the test report.
Under Attachments for Report, you select which images or files from the order or the samples are shown in the appendix of the test report. The following options are available for each attachment:

• Checkbox: activate the checkbox next to the respective attachment to include it in the report.
• Text field: optional description/note for the attachment.
• Arrow icon (up/down): changes the order of the attachments by dragging the sort symbol.
• Pencil icon: opens the editing view of the file.

Figure: Selecting attachments for the report

Optional image reduction:
If the image size exceeds 200 KB, a checkbox is available to reduce the image.
When the checkbox is activated, the image width is reduced to 1200 px using imagecopyresampled, and a compression with a factor of 8 / 80 is applied using imagejpeg / imagepng.

Info:
In the report, images can also be added by creating a report table of the table type parameter tables.
Further information: Create/edit/delete a report table

Enter evaluation and note

You have the option to write an evaluation and a note on your test report.

• Suggested text from Specification: If evaluations are stored in the specification, a suggested text is displayed above the evaluation. Use the symbol to the left of the suggestion to transfer the text into the Evaluation field.
  Further information: Measurement value evaluation based on reference range values
• Evaluation: Free text field for assessing the results. It may be pre-filled automatically with the suggested text from the specification.
• Note: Free text field for additional information about the report.

Note: For text formatting, enclose the relevant text with one star for italic, two stars for bold, two underscores for underline, or two exponent signs to superscript text, e.g. m^^3^^ for m³.

Save the report

The following options are available before saving:

• Set the status of the marked Samples to Report created: Automatically sets the status of the selected samples when saving. This option is activated by default.
• Mark order as complete: Marks the associated order as completed when saving (configuration-dependent Enterprise function).

Complete the process:

• Click Save to create the report and switch to the report management.
• Click save & print to create the report and switch to the PDF preview.
• Use cancel to discard your entries.

Note: Reports are saved in PDF/A-3b format. PDF/A documents are designed to be opened and read for decades without any loss of content or formatting.

Numbering system for reports

The LDB assigns numbers to newly created reports according to a configurable pattern. This allows the numbering to be adapted to many requirements – from a simple sequential number to a format that contains the date, the assigned order, the PDF template used, or further information.

Note: The number format is configured centrally by your customer support during onboarding.

What options are available?

A report number can be composed of various building blocks:

• Sequential counter: Each new report number is incremented automatically – either with a fixed number of digits and leading zeros (e.g. 00001) or without zeros.
• Date information: Year, month, day, or calendar week can be included in the number, so that the creation period is directly recognisable.
• Fixed letters and characters: Prefixes such as R for Report as well as separators (e.g. -, /, .) ensure a consistent, easily readable format.
• Information from the report: Information such as the assigned order, the PDF template used, or a configured master data field of the report can be adopted in full or in part to generate meaningful report numbers.
• Counter grouping: You can define the range in which the counter restarts – e.g. annually, monthly, or weekly – or, alternatively, run it continuously over several years.
• Date offset: If your fiscal year differs from the calendar year, the year boundary relevant for the numbering can be shifted by a certain number of months – e.g. so that the year begins on 1 August, or already on 1 December.
• For reissued reports, a separator and an automatic increment for the reissue number can be added. For example, v-##, rev.##, reissue number##, or -##.

Examples

• Simple sequential number: PB00001, PB00002, PB00003 …
• With year: PB260001, PB260002 … (the two-digit year 26 is part of the number)
• Year and calendar week with a weekly restart of the counter: 2026.16-0001, 2026.16-0002 … and in the following week 2026.17-0001
• Continuous numbering over several years: The count does not restart at the turn of the year but continues sequentially.

Note: Information that is only added automatically after a report has been created (e.g. by evaluation triggers) is not yet available at the time the number is assigned and therefore cannot be part of the number.

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Edit Report

As with creating a report, there are several ways to reach the editing screen in order to change the header data or the custom attributes.

• Open the report management via Navigation bar → Samples → Reports, then click the pencil icon to the right of the report number.
• In the sample detail view, click the Reports tab to reach the reports of this sample, then click the pencil icon to the right of the report number.
• In the order detail view, click the Reports tab to reach the reports of this order, then click the pencil icon to the right of the report number.
• If necessary, use the search function to find the report more quickly.

If the order contains several samples, you can add further samples to the report while editing via the Show all samples of this order option (to the right below the sample table).

Note: As long as the report has not been signed, it can still be adjusted. Changes to the report or to the associated samples and measured values are then transferred into the PDF.

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Archive Report

Reports are not permanently deleted but archived and thus removed from the overview. This keeps the data traceable.

• Open the editing screen of the report and activate the Remove report from overview checkbox at the bottom.
• When this checkbox is activated, the Save button changes to archive. Click it to archive the report.

Figure: Archiving a report

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Special functions and configuration

The behaviour of reports can be adjusted via numerous system settings. You reach the report-related settings via:
Navigation bar → Settings → System settings → Reports

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Settings configurable by users

With the appropriate permissions, you can adjust these settings via the system settings.

Area	Setting	Description
Overview	Reports per page	Number of reports shown per page in the overview (20, 50, 100 or 200; default: 50).
Images and attachments	Attachment image width	Display size of image attachments: small (two images per row), medium (default) or full page width.
	Show attachment file name	Determines whether the file name of an attachment is shown in the report (default: yes).
	Checkbox to reduce image attachments	Displays a checkbox when creating a report that lets you reduce large image attachments (default: no).
Text fields and suggested texts	Header of the first text field	Label of the first text field (default: „Note"; translatable).
	First text field fixed in the report	Determines whether the first text field is displayed permanently in the report (default: yes).
	Header of the second text field	Label of the second text field (default: „Assessment"; translatable).
	Use second text field	Activates a second text field in the report (default: no).
	Header of the third text field	Label of the third text field (translatable).
	Use third text field	Activates a third text field in the report (default: no).
Re-issue	Reason for re-issue required	Determines whether a reason must be entered when re-issuing a report (default: no).
Signing	Creator may sign	Determines whether the creator of a report may sign it themselves (default: yes).
	Show signature at the end of the report	Shows or hides the signature at the end of the report (default: show). Hiding it is useful, for example, when the signature is inserted as a design element.
	Time of signature selection	Determines whether the signature is saved when signing (default) or already selected when the report is created.
	New date when signing	Controls whether a new report date can be set when signing: not activated (default), can be activated via checkbox, or always the date of signing.
Sending	Only send signed reports	Prevents the sending of unsigned reports (default: no).
	Sender address	Email address from which reports are sent.
	Recipient address	Default recipient of the report (default: the customer's email address).
	CC address / BCC address	Additional recipients in copy or blind copy.
	Subject of the sending email	Subject line of the sending email (translatable).
	Body of the sending email	Message text of the sending email (translatable).
	SMS notification text	Text of the SMS notification with a link to the report.
	Preselect report as email attachment	Automatically preselects the report as an attachment when sending (default: yes).
	Send to multiple email addresses	Enables sending to several recipients at once (default: no).

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Settings configured by support (customer support)

The following settings are configurable by your customer support. Please contact your support if you would like to adjust any of these settings.

Area	Setting	Description
Signing	Warning before signing	Stored check that can trigger a warning before signing (e.g. for certain sample states).
	Sorting of the report overview	Order in which reports are shown in the overview (default: newest first).
	Order of samples in the report	Sorting of the samples within a report (default: ascending by sample number).
	Separate report per sample	Enables creating a separate report for each selected sample (default: no).
	"Separate report" checkbox preselected	Determines whether the corresponding checkbox is preselected when creating a report (default: no).
	Suggested text per sample	Displays a separate suggested text for each sample (default: no).
	Set sample status on creation	Defines which status is assigned to the samples when a report is created.
	Set sample status on signing	Defines which status is assigned to the samples when signing.
	Preselection of attachments	Determines which attachments are preselected when creating a report: none (default), all attachments from samples and orders (except parameter attachments), or only JPG attachments from samples.
Design and layout	Header behind other elements	Controls the layer of the header area in the layout (default: yes).
	Show footer above attached PDF	Shows the footer above an attached PDF (default: no).
	Selection of PDF templates	Stored query that determines which PDF templates are available for selection.
Sending (administration)	Automatically send report after signing	Sends a report automatically by email after signing.
	Email variables	Stored query that provides variables for the sending emails.

Numbering and Naming of the data type „Report" (e.g. Test Report, Certificate of Analysis, Report of Analysis ...) in your LDB:
Configured during onboarding.

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Related topics:

• Manage reports
• Send reports by e-mail or post
• Sign reports