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LIMS Admin Report Items
A report item is a single visual element within a report format — a column header, a result value cell, a reference range cell, or a flag indicator. The collection of report items in a format defines the complete printed layout of the lab report. This article explains how to add and configure report items using the LIMS's CSS-based positioning system.
- Go to Menu > Admin > LIMS > Report Templates.
- Open the report format you want to configure.
- Click Add Report Item or open an existing item to edit it.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Internal name for this layout element (e.g., "Value column", "Reference header") |
| Item Role | What type of element this is — see the table below |
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Test Header | The column heading for the test/parameter name column |
| Value Header | The column heading for the result value column |
| Unit Header | The column heading for the unit column |
| Reference Header | The column heading for the reference range column |
| Test Label | The parameter name for each row (e.g., "Haemoglobin") |
| Value Value | The patient's result for each row |
| Unit Label | The unit for each row (e.g., "g/dL") |
| Reference Label | The normal range for each row |
| Comment Label | A free-text comment field for each row |
| Flag Value | Displays the H/L indicator and flag message |
All position and size values are expressed as percentages of the page area (not absolute pixels), so the layout scales correctly to different paper sizes.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Top | Distance from the top of the report area (0–100%) |
| Left | Distance from the left edge (0–100%) |
| Width | Width of this element (0–100%) |
| Height | Height of each row (0–100%, typically a small value like 3–5%) |
Example layout for a standard 4-column report:
| Item | Left | Width |
|---|---|---|
| Test Label | 2% | 30% |
| Value Value | 33% | 12% |
| Unit Label | 46% | 12% |
| Reference Label | 59% | 20% |
| Flag Value | 80% | 8% |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Font size | Size in points (e.g., 10 for body text, 12 for headers) |
| Font weight | Normal or bold |
| Font style | Normal or italic |
| Text alignment | Left, centre, or right within the cell |
| Vertical alignment | Top, middle, or bottom |
| Text colour | Hex colour code (e.g., #000000 for black, #CC0000 for red alerts) |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Background colour | Cell background (e.g., #F0F0F0 for light grey header rows) |
| Border | CSS border shorthand (e.g., "1px solid #CCCCCC") |
| Padding | Internal spacing |
| Margin | External spacing |
For advanced styling, you can enter a Custom CSS string that overrides all other styling settings. This is intended for experienced administrators who need styling effects not covered by the standard fields.
- Plan on paper first. Sketch the desired report layout showing all columns and their approximate widths.
- Create header items first. Add a report item for each column header (Test Header, Value Header, Unit Header, Reference Header).
- Create data row items. Add a corresponding data item for each column (Test Label, Value Value, Unit Label, Reference Label, Flag Value).
- Set positions. Align the header and data items in matching columns — the left and width values for "Test Header" should match those for "Test Label", and so on.
- Test the layout. Generate a test report for a real patient and review the printed output.
- Adjust as needed. Edit positions and sizes until the layout matches your design.
- Use consistent left/width values for matching header and data items so columns align precisely.
- For the Flag Value item, set the text colour to red (e.g., #CC0000) so high/critical flags stand out on the report.
- Keep font sizes readable — 9–11pt for body text works well for A4 reports.
- After making changes, always test by printing an actual report before announcing the format is live.