How to Control Item Display Names and Codes on NetSuite Printed Forms

NetSuite follows a specific hierarchy for displaying item names and codes on printed forms:

For Standard Transaction Forms (e.g., Sales Orders, Invoices):

• If the Item Display Name/Code is NOT SET, the Item Name/Number is displayed.
• If the Item Display Name/Code IS SET, the Item Display Name/Code is displayed, and the Item Name/Number is not directly available for display. To show the Item Name/Number in this scenario, a formula custom field is required.

For Purchase Orders (POs), an additional level of precedence applies:

• If the Item Display Name/Code is NOT SET, the Item Name/Number is displayed.
• If the Item Display Name/Code IS SET, the Item Display Name/Code is displayed, and the Item Name/Number is not directly available for display. To show the Item Name/Number, a formula custom field is required.
• If the Vendor Name/Code IS SET, the Vendor Name/Number is displayed, and both the Item Name/Number and Item Display Name/Code are not directly available for display. To show these, formula custom fields are required.

The preference in Setup > Company > General Preferences > Show Display Name with Item Codes may not consistently affect the display on printed forms, as its behavior can vary.

To display an item's Name/Number or Display Name/Code when a higher-priority field is set, create a custom transaction item field with a formula. For example, to always show the Item Name/Number regardless of the Display Name/Code:

{item.itemid}

Or to show the Item Display Name/Code:

{item.displayname}

These custom fields can then be added to your custom printed forms.