From Frustrating to Functional: How to Create Custom PDFs from NetSuite Saved Searches

There’s nothing quite like that moment … you’ve built the perfect Saved Search in NetSuite. You’ve filtered it, sorted it, grouped it just right. And now you’re ready to export it and share it with a client, a stakeholder, or your executive team.

You click “Export as PDF” and… yikes. The formatting is rough. The layout is clunky. And that hard-earned data? Trapped in a file that doesn’t do it justice.

If you’ve ever found yourself embarrassed by a standard NetSuite PDF output, or resorting to a manual Excel-to-PDF workaround, you’re not alone. But there’s good news: NetSuite gives you the tools to build custom, professional PDFs directly from your Saved Searches.

At Techfino, we help organizations get more out of the tools they already use. This is one of those hidden gems that can make your reporting instantly more polished and client-ready.

Why This Matters: The Hidden Cost of Poor Presentation

Sure, it’s “just a PDF.” But in business, presentation matters.

Whether you're sending reports to donors, clients, board members, or internal stakeholders, how your data looks affects how it’s received. Poorly formatted exports can:

• Undermine credibility
• Cause confusion or misinterpretation
• Require extra time cleaning up reports manually

On the flip side, a clean, custom PDF report can elevate your professionalism, reduce friction in communication, and even help close deals faster.

With NetSuite’s Advanced PDF Templates, you can take control of your report output - no third-party tools required.

How to Export a Better PDF from NetSuite

Here’s a quick step-by-step walkthrough to create a cleaner, more customized PDF from any Saved Search in NetSuite.

1. Start with Your Saved Search

Open the Saved Search you want to export. For example: a Customer report, a Sales Order summary, or a list of donations by fund.

2. Click “New Template”

At the top of your Saved Search screen, click the New Template button. This will open the Advanced PDF/HTML Template editor.

Pro Tip: Don’t see this button? You may need to enable the Advanced PDF/HTML Templates feature under Setup > Company > Enable Features.

3. Set Up the Template

Once inside the editor, start by clicking Template Setup and giving your template a meaningful name. Click Save before doing anything else.

4. Use the Visual Editor (With Caution)

NetSuite offers a drag-and-drop visual editor for laying out your PDF. It’s helpful for basic design, but it’s known to be finicky. If you need advanced customization, you can use the underlying Freemarker code — a templating language that gives you more control.

Future Tip: We may cover advanced Freemarker tricks in a future Techfino blog. Stay tuned.

5. Print Your Saved Search

Once your template is saved, go back to your Saved Search, click Print, and select your new template from the pop-up menu.

Voilà — your search results now display in a cleaner, branded PDF layout.

Before vs. After: Why It’s Worth the Effort

The standard PDF output in NetSuite is functional — but let’s be honest, it’s not pretty. With just a few minutes of effort, you can go from this:

🟥 Cluttered, generic, and hard to read

To this:

✅ Clear, customized, and ready to share with stakeholders

Even if you only adjust the header, fonts, or alignment — small changes can dramatically improve readability and professionalism.

When to Use This

Here are a few great use cases where custom PDF templates shine:

• Donor summaries for nonprofits
• Client-facing project updates
• Internal reports for finance, sales, or operations
• Monthly executive briefings
• Export-ready audit logs or grant tracking reports
  

Final Thoughts: Details Matter

At Techfino, we believe it’s not just what your systems do — it’s how they show up. Building polished PDF reports may seem like a small detail, but small details add up to a big impression.

NetSuite gives you the structure. We help bring it to life.

Need help designing branded PDF templates in NetSuite?
Let’s connect — whether it’s a quick fix or a full reporting overhaul, Techfino is here to help you look as good on paper as you do in action.