The quick answer
Create a Free-Form Text transaction line field with Store Value cleared, apply it to Purchase Item, and source it from Item > Name. On the purchase order’s exact custom form, use Basic printing. Under Printing Fields > Columns, disable the native Item print column and enable the sourced field in its place. Reprint the order and compare it with the original PDF.
The screenshots use sample data and fictional person and operating-company names.
Before you start
You need access to create transaction line fields and edit transaction forms. Use a test purchase order with an item whose Item Name/Number differs from Vendor Name/Code, and record the Custom Form used by that order. This example uses MT-220 Mounting Rail, vendor code HZ-8814, vendor Westpoint Supply, and Equipment Purchase Order. The example total is 385.50.
This procedure is for Basic printing. Advanced PDF/HTML templates need their own template configuration. Changes to a shared form affect other transactions printed using that form; test the intended scope before broad use.
Menu labels and available controls depend on your role and form. Test the item types used on your orders; this sourced field is for item lines and can be blank where there is no item reference.
01. Compare the item values and baseline PDF
Open the item and compare Item Name/Number with Vendor Name/Code. Open the purchase order, note its Custom Form, and print it. In this baseline, the Item column prints HZ-8814. Retain the PDF so you can compare its vendor, quantity, rate, amount, and 385.50 total with the revised output.
02. Create an unstored transaction line field
Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Transaction Line Fields > New. Enter Item Name/Number (Print) as the label, select Free-Form Text, and clear Store Value. The field will source the item name rather than hold a separate manually maintained copy.
03. Source the internal item name
Under Applies To, select Purchase Item. Open Sourcing & Filtering and choose Source List: Item and Source From: Name. Name supplies Item Name/Number; Display Name and Vendor Name/Code are separate values. Review and save the field.
04. Apply the field to the intended form
Use Save & Apply to Forms if offered, or configure the form separately. Apply the field to Equipment Purchase Order. Review Show and Print and avoid applying it unintentionally to bill or bill-credit forms.
05. Check the form uses Basic printing
Go to Customization > Forms > Transaction Forms and edit the exact form noted on the order. Confirm Printing Type: Basic and retain the intended PDF Layout.
06. Replace the printed Item column
Open Printing Fields > Columns. Clear Print/Email for the native Item column. Select Print/Email for Item Name/Number (Print), move it into the intended Item position, set the print label to Item, and choose a suitable relative width. Save the form. Disabling the native column avoids two competing item columns.
07. Reprint and compare the order
Reopen the same purchase order, confirm its selected form, and print it again. The single Item column should now show MT-220 Mounting Rail. Compare the vendor, quantity, rate, amount, and 385.50 total with the baseline. This is a presentation change; those transaction values should agree.
08. Check the item and another order
Reopen the item and confirm that Vendor Name/Code remains HZ-8814. Print another order using the edited form and check its item column. The second order in the walkthrough also prints MT-220 Mounting Rail, with quantity 2, rate 128.50, and total 257.00. If your process emails PDFs, test that output separately.
If an existing line prints a blank custom value, investigate sourcing on a test transaction before changing production lines. Advanced templates must explicitly render the custom field in their item loop.
Common questions
Why does the purchase-order PDF show the vendor code?
Basic purchase-order printing can use Vendor Name/Code for the item. Compare that value with Item Name/Number on the item record. Source Item > Name into a separate line field when the form needs the internal identifier.
Which field settings supply the internal item name?
Use Free-Form Text, clear Store Value, apply the field to Purchase Item, and set Source List to Item and Source From to Name. Name supplies Item Name/Number.
Why is the sourced field blank or missing?
Confirm the field’s applicability, the exact Custom Form on the order, and its printing selections. Test sourcing on a new or edited line before changing production transactions; older lines may need sourcing refreshed.
Does this work with Advanced PDF/HTML templates?
The walkthrough configures Basic printing. An Advanced PDF/HTML template needs to render the custom field in its item loop. Test the output and the scope of any shared template or form separately.