I put a text box in a custom sales order template - when entering or editing the customer sales order, how do I enter text in it? The text box appears when I preview??

"Our communication is not that complex."

That isn't the point. This topic for Text Box is for what I showed in my attachments. Example: You need to provide your Business License # on everything = you create a Text Box, you hardcode that info, and now this is Always going to print on the invoice, sales receipt, estimate, etc. You make a Text Box for your estimates where you Warn people: This quote expires 60 days from the date above.

"We are locksmiths and the scope of work is generally a few short sentences"

Are you using Items? You list your Service Item for the scope of work, such as:

Install (for a Lockset), .5 hour $80; Description = drill and fill, strike plate included.

That is Service Item, not Document freeform text.

Then, Noninventory item = New Lockset with separate deadbolt; as opposed to the one you might offer to me that includes integrated deadbolt. And Description = Lockset with strike plate.

"and comes in an email (I haven't checked yet but it is unlikely that would be easily attached.)  What we are looking for somewhere to cut and paste instructions into the actual Work (Sales) Order."

Again, this is not the place for Instructions, beyond some applicable info. I pointed out already that Description allows for 4,095 characters. If you cannot fit that into:

Service Item "Install" and then, example: Lockset, provided by homeowner. Drill and fill, strike plate included. Does not include repairing old holes, repaint or replacement of door or trim; any prep work to be done by homeowner.

And the Noninventory item = Lockset. But in the description you also put: Kwiket #123456, Brass finish, ADA compliant XXX offset, etc.

It's not a Text Box. It's part of the Scope of Work.

"These guys are short order cooks not chefs. Their expertise and desire to use a complex work order system is very low."

Up to 4,095 characters. It's part of Description. Not a Text Box.

Please see my attachments. I already showed Text Boxes; they Display. What you are asking is Memo/Description for the Items.

"For field work, there is usually a verbal description of the requested work"

That's not what "text box" means for QB forms. Please see my attachment; I use text boxes for the customers to know info about how to contact me, to how to indicate they want to go paperless, etc.

"quite often it is repetitive and could be standardized"

What you are describing is Scope of work, which is either attached to the Items, such as Services; or, on a separate documents such as Terms & Conditions. That isn't the use of "text box" for QB templates.

"but in some instances there are more directions that are given. Based on this answer it sounds like there is not a field available on the Work (Sales) Order setup screen to copy and paste information that has been communicated from the customer."

These are not Documents. Think of going into a restaurant. You place an order, but that order will not also list all the ingredients and instructions for making the dish. That Recipe is not literally on your order slip; it is part of the Kitchen's instructions = Separate, but associated.

"We are assessing if it is worth spending the money to upgrade to Enterprise...so close.... the communication piece is important."

The Communication Piece for contracts, terms conditions, lien waivers, etc is Word Documents, typically. You will see a little paperclip at the top of QB Transactions so that you can attach Documents, Drawings, etc as a filing system for reference. But again, the Drawing for a machined part is not On your QB estimate; the estimate references that you are going to charge for that specific task, that part, its quantity, and the Price you are establishing.

Please see my attachments.

I'd like to make an entry to clarify:

We are translating QB-ese into regular English.

The ability to use Text, is not the same as the specific provision for a Text Box on templates. A Text Box = you will put Permanent text here, which is like having this on your preprinted form. It isn't an Input field for your onscreen use. It also isn't part of the data base. Think of this as, "I'd like addition things, similar to my letterhead, that need to print all the time, as if this is part of my stationery."

Examples include the EPA license required for a pesticide applicator; your Late Fee rates and required APR notification; your New Location announcement.

And you can make the Forms look more like Letters for correspondence, but don't overlook that QB also sends your database fields to Word, where you can create any typically long and/or complex Word document, using Word's Mail Merge function, because QB is an Add In to Word and to Excel. For instance, open any invoice and create a Letter from that invoice, and QB makes the info from that invoice available to the Word document.

So, the use of the phrase, "I want to enter Text" depends on a significant amount of variability: where, why, which, how, etc.

I will attach my Service Agreement, which is based on an Estimate template in QB. I turned off the text box Borders, and you can see my use of items, rate, etc as from the Database in QB; there also are attachments for Word using QB and Mail Merge.

I hope that helps differentiate what "add text" can mean, using all potential tools.

I was leaving this for others, as a resource. My initial input is voted DOWN 4 out of 6 votes. I want this to be Helpful.