Sanctumel Docs replaces your word processor for all of the church's official mail. You write the letter directly on your letterhead, using a rich editor, and keep it as a draft while you polish it. When it is ready, you issue it: it receives a reference number, a verification QR code and becomes an archived document, ready to print or download as a PDF.
Create the letter
- Open Documents, then click New.
- In the template gallery, choose Blank letter (under "Create") to start from an empty letter on the letterhead. You can also start from a template in the Letters section.
- Give the letter a title in the field at the top of the editor: it is used as its name in your document list.
Note: the title is internal, it helps you find the letter later. It is not the subject printed on the page.
Fill in the heading and recipient
The Details panel, on the left of the page, gathers the information shown around the body of the letter.
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Document language | Language the letter is written and dated in |
| Place | City of issue, shown with the date |
| Date | Date of the letter |
| Recipient | Name of the person or organisation |
| Recipient address | Address shown under the name |
| Signatory | Name of the person signing |
| Role | Signatory's title (pastor, secretary...) |
| Orientation | Portrait or landscape, applied to the whole document |
| Letterhead layout | Classic, centred, band or compact, for this document only |
| Margins | Narrow, normal or wide |
Tip: the signatory and role are pre-filled with the default signature set in Documents > Settings. You can adjust them for each letter.
Format the body
Write the message in the large editing area. The toolbar above gives you everything you need: bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlight, text colour and size, headings, alignment, bullet or numbered lists, quote, horizontal rule and links.
Type / on an empty line to open the quick-insert menu and add a Bible verse, a song, a table or a horizontal rule at the cursor.
Tip: inserting a verse through the / menu brings in the reference and text with verse numbers, in the document's language. No more copying by hand.
Save as a draft
Click Save to keep the letter as a draft. You can come back to it as many times as you need: as long as it is not issued, everything stays editable. The Preview button switches between the editing view and the final render as it will be printed.
Issue the letter
When the letter is ready, click Issue and confirm. At that point:
- The letter receives a unique reference number.
- A verification QR code is added: anyone who scans it can confirm the document is authentic.
- The content, letterhead and signature are frozen: the letter becomes a locked archive that will not change, even if you later edit your letterhead.
Warning: an issued letter can no longer be edited. Check the text, recipient and signature before issuing. If a mistake slips through anyway, you can revoke the letter.
Print or download
- Print opens the browser print dialog with the formatted page.
- Save as downloads the letter in the format of your choice:
- PDF - the final layout, on the church letterhead. This is what you send and what you archive.
- Word (
.docx) - the editable document: headings, bold, lists, tables, images and page breaks all follow. It opens in Word as well as LibreOffice. - Plain text (
.txt) - the words alone, to paste into an email or a message. - Web page (
.html) - a self-contained page, readable in any browser.
A draft can be exported too: there is no need to issue the letter just to send it to someone for proofreading. Your pending changes are saved right before the export, so the file never loses your last sentence.
Starting from an existing file
If the letter already exists, there is no need to retype it. On the creation screen, choose Import a file. The document opens straight away in the editor, on your letterhead.
Four formats are accepted, up to 15 MB:
- Word (
.docx) - headings, bold, italic, underline, bulleted and numbered lists, tables, images and your page breaks are all carried over: the document spreads across the sheets exactly as you intended. - Text (
.txt) - a blank line separates two paragraphs; single line breaks stay line breaks, so an address or a poem keeps its shape. - Markdown (
.md) - headings, lists, bold, italic, strikethrough, links and rules. - Web page (
.html) - the body of the page is carried over; scripts and styles are dropped at the door.
What a Word file does not carry over, and the screen tells you at import time: charts (Word keeps them linked to their data, there is no image to take), your file's own headers and footers - Sanctumel applies its own, which is the whole point of the letterhead - as well as text boxes and footnotes.
An older .doc, an .rtf or an .odt opens in Word or LibreOffice and can be saved again as .docx in two clicks.
The imported file is editable like any other letter. If typing does nothing, the paged view is open: it is a preview of the PDF, not a writing surface. Click Back to editing.