# Documents & the designer

> Spec sheets and catalogs printed from live data, the templates that shape them, and the library that holds every file.

Source: https://www.speclatch.com/guide/documents
Plan: Every plan.
Last verified: 2026-11-11

## What to know first

- **Printed from live data.** A spec sheet prints one record. A catalog prints the Published records of one table.
- **Templates shape the page.** The designer places text, images, spec tables and curves. A table's default template drives the generate buttons.
- **One library.** Generated PDFs and uploaded files share one list. Each has a category and a tier.
- **Stale means out of date.** A generated PDF is stale once the data it printed changes. Generate it again to refresh it.
- **Branding and languages.** Branding sets the logo, accent color and footer your documents print. PDFs come in English, French or Spanish.

- [Generate a spec sheet PDF](https://www.speclatch.com/guide/documents/generate-a-spec-sheet): Print one record as a branded PDF from its record page, in the language and visibility you choose.
- [Design a template](https://www.speclatch.com/guide/documents/design-a-template): Lay out your own spec sheet in the page designer, then assign it to tables so their records print with it.
- [Print a catalog and set your branding](https://www.speclatch.com/guide/documents/catalog-and-branding): Choose which published records a catalog prints, generate it from the grid, and set the logo, colors and footer your documents and portal share.
- [Documents in other languages](https://www.speclatch.com/guide/documents/languages): Print spec sheets and catalogs in French or Spanish from the same templates: translate your labels and texts once, then pick the language when you generate.

## Where you see it

- A record page: the **Spec sheet** menu.
- A table's grid: the **Export** menu, for the catalog and all the table's sheets.
- **Documents**: every file, with a **stale** tag where out of date.
- **Templates**: **Open** in a template's menu starts the designer.
- **Document categories** and **Branding**, in Settings.
- **Dashboard**: the **Documents out of date** card.

![The Documents page listing manuals, certificates and a test report, each with a type, a visibility and the records it is linked to](https://www.speclatch.com/guide/documents/overview-1.png)

*Each document shows its type, its tier and what it is linked to.*

## An example

Take a table of 15 pressure gauges. The default template prints the 0–160 psi KP45 gauge with its range, 160 psi (11.0 bar), and weight, 2.4 lb (1.1 kg). The catalog template "KP45 standard ranges" lists 14 gauges. The 0–5,000 psi model is still In review, so it stays out.

## FAQ

### What does stale mean on a document?

A generated PDF is stale when the data it printed changed after it was generated. A spec sheet is stale when its record is Published and has changed since; previews of unpublished records are not checked. A catalog is stale when its table's name or description changed, or one of its Published records changed. It is also stale when a record was published or returned to Draft since, or when a field's visibility changed, because that changes which fields a sheet prints. Each current PDF is checked on its own, so a French or Internal sheet stays flagged after an English Public one is refreshed.

### How do I refresh a stale document?

Generate it again from the record's **Spec sheet** menu or the grid's **Export** menu. The new PDF replaces the old one with the same template, language and tier. **Regenerate all** on the dashboard card queues a new PDF for each one you can see, with the template, language and visibility it was made with. A PDF in a language or a catalog your plan no longer includes is skipped. An Admin can also turn on **Regenerate a record's spec sheet when it's published** under **Automations**.

### Why is my spec sheet watermarked?

A record that is not Published gets a draft preview, made with **Generate draft preview**, instead of the final sheet. The preview is filed as Internal, so it stays off the portal. Publish the record, then generate the sheet again.

### Which plans include catalogs and other languages?

Spec sheets work on every plan. Catalog PDFs, and documents in a language other than your default, need the Growth plan and up.

### Who can generate and design documents?

Admin, Engineering and Marketing members can generate PDFs and edit templates. Viewer members can open the generated sheets at or below their visibility. Only an Admin can change the branding.