Step 3: Select Calendar Data Sources

PrintableCal can import events and tasks from a variety of data sources. The latest events, tasks, and notes from the selected data sources will be automatically imported each time a calendar is generated using the Create Calendar command on the PrintableCal tab of the Excel, Word, or PowerPoint ribbon menu. Events, tasks, and notes will be color-coded based on the associated calendar or category. A legend can also be inserted.

Add Calendar Data Source

To add a calendar data source, click the Add Calendar button above the list and then select the desired data source type to add from the Online or Local sub-menus.

The following online data sources are supported:

Custom Calendar Data Sources

PrintableCal can be customized to connect to almost any calendar data source. For example, if your schedule is in a database, PrintableCal can pull events from your database and include those events in the generated calendar output. If you have a calendar data source that isn't currently supported in PrintableCal, please contact us with details. We can customize PrintableCal to meet your needs.

Selecting Calendar Data Sources

After a calendar data source has been added, it can be selected for inclusion in the generated calendar by checking the box to the left of the calendar data source's name. A data source that is unchecked will not be included in the output, but will still be available later (without needing to re-add the data source) if you'd like to include it. To completely remove a data source, click the data source and then click the X button to the right of the data source's name.

Color-Coding Data Sources

Data from all selected sources will be overlaid into the same generated calendar and color-coded based on the calendar data source. To view the settings, click a data source's name in the list. A settings panel will appear below the calendar's name. This panel will also automatically appear after adding a new calendar data source.

Item prefix An optional prefix can also be specified for each data source. Events and tasks associated with the data source will include the specified prefix in their titles.
Font The font for each data source can be selected from a drop-down list. The font size can also be selected. This will be the font used for events and tasks that are associated with the calendar data source. Some templates provide an option to override the default font size specified here.
Text StyleThe font for each data source can be made bold, italic, and underlined by toggling the boxes. Text can also be left, center, or right aligned (depending on the template being used). A text color can also be selected. Some templates, such as the Month template, might use the specifiedBorder color for event and task text for items that are not all-day.
Background Events and tasks associated with the calendar data source will be color-coded based on the specified background color (depending on the template being used). If you want to save on ink or toner, you can select Transparent from the color drop-down. You can also click More Colors to define a custom color.
BorderA border color and thickness can be specified. Using a different border color can help further differentiate items in the generated output. Depending on the template, the specified border color might also be used as the text color for some items.

Filtering

PrintableCal also provides the ability to perform additional filtering on the items that appear in the output. The filtering criteria is specified below the list of calendar data sources. Items can be filtered if they are associated with a specified categories, if they have certain word/phrases in their titles, if they are marked as "all-day", or if they have start/end times.

Any specified filter will be the default the next time a calendar is generated. If a filter is applied, a red border will appear around the filter box to remind you that some items might not appear in the output.

Filtering Categories

To filter the output so only items that are associated with specified categories are included or excluded, select Include only or Exclude only options and enter the desired category names. Category names are defined in the PrintableCal Options When Include only is selected, only items that are associated with at least one of the specified categories will be included in the output. All other items will be excluded. Likewise, when Exclude only is selected, only items associated with at least one of the specified categories will be excluded from the output. Multiple categories can be specified while typing by entering a semi-colon, pressing the Enter key, or typing and select each desired category from the drop-down list. To remove a filtered category, click the X button to the right of its name.

Filtering Titles

To filter the output so only items that have the specified words or phrases in their titles are included or excluded, select Include only or Exclude only options and enter the desired word or phrases. When Include only is selected, only items with titles containing at least one of the specified words/phrases will be included in the output. All other items will be excluded. Likewise, when Exclude only is selected, only items with titles containing at least of the specified words/phrases will be excluded from the output. Multiple words/phrases can be specified while typing by entering a semi-colon or pressing the Enter key. To remove a filtered word or phrase, click the X button to the right of its name.

Defining Presets

You can define and re-use preset combinations of selected calendar data sources and filters when generating calendars or legends. PrintableCal will remember which calendar data sources and filters were most recently selected, but if you want to use different combinations of calendar data sources and filters when generating with different templates, defining presets will eliminate the need to manually select the individual calendar data sources and filter settings each time.

To save a preset, first select the calendar data sources you'd like to include in the preset by using the check boxes next to the calendar names. After selecting the desired calendars, enter a name for the preset and click the Save button.

You can save any number of presets. To select a previously defined preset, type its name in the "Preset" field, or select from the drop-down list. The checked calendar data sources and filter settings will update to match what was previously saved in the preset.

You can also modify a previously defined preset by selecting the desired calendars or filter settings and clicking the Save button. If you no longer need a preset, it can be removed by clicking the Delete button. This won't remove the calendar data sources associated with the preset.

Have questions about PrintableCal?

If this documentation doesn't answer your questions, please contact us. We'd be happy to help! You can send your question by entering it below. We'll respond as soon as we can, and always within 1 business day.

Don't have PrintableCal yet?

Installation of PrintableCal is quick and easy. All you need is a Windows computer with Excel, Word, or PowerPoint. Click the button below to start the download. You don't need to sign up for anything or provide an email address - simply download and run the installer. You'll be creating printable calendars in no time.

Runs on Windows 10, 8, and 7. Requires Excel, Word, or PowerPoint (Office 365, Office 2007 or later).
Compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Office.