# How Print Works

> Print is ThatApp's document generation engine. Create templates with variables, connect them to live data, and generate documents through AVA or directly from Podio.
> Help → Print → How Print Works

URL: https://thatapp.io/help/print/print-overview
Category: Print

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Print generates documents from your connected platform data. You create a template once and generate it as many times as needed — for individual records or in bulk.

**The two parts of Print**

*Template:* A document you design in the Print template editor. It contains static content (your branding, standard language, formatting) and variables that pull in live data from your connected platforms.

*Generation:* The process of filling a template with data from a specific record and producing a PDF or Word document.

**How variables work**

Variables are placeholders in the template that get filled with real data at generation time. For example:

`{{client.name}}` → the name from the connected Podio Client record
`{{project.start_date}}` → the start date field from the Project record
`{{invoice.total}}` → the total from a QuickBooks invoice

You define which platform and which field each variable pulls from. When you generate a document, ThatApp retrieves those field values and inserts them.

**Generating a document**

Through AVA: "Generate the Standard Agreement template for the Acme Corp project." See: How to Generate a Document With AVA.

Through the Print interface: navigate to Print → Templates, find the template, and click Generate.

Through Podio (if the template is activated for a Podio app): click the Print button on any Podio item. The document is generated and downloaded immediately.

**Output formats**

PDF (default) and Word (.docx). Format is set per template.

**Related:** How to Create Your First Print Template · Variables — Pulling Data Into Your Document