Make it yours,
configure everything.

Your inventory taxonomy is the backbone of organization in StringsTheory. Navigate to Settings → Categories to manage your three-level hierarchy: Category → Subcategory → Item Type.

• Click + Add Category to create a top-level group (e.g. Pickups, Hardware, Strings, Electronics, Tools)
• Select a category and click + Add Subcategory to break it down further (e.g. under Pickups: Humbucker, Single Coil, P90)
• Select a subcategory and click + Add Item Type for the finest level of classification (e.g. under Humbucker: Neck, Bridge, Set)
• Edit any level by clicking its name -- rename or delete as needed
• Deleting a category does not delete the inventory items inside it; they become uncategorized

Categories drive filtering throughout the app: inventory lists, COGS reports, CSV exports, and Google Sheets sync all respect your taxonomy. Take the time to set it up thoughtfully and it will pay off in every workflow.

StringsTheory can automatically generate SKU codes for new inventory items. Go to Settings → Display → SKU Format to choose a pattern:

• Auto -- the app generates a simple sequential SKU for each new item
• Category-Type-Product -- produces SKUs like PICK-HB-PAF49 using abbreviated category, type, and product name
• Product CamelCase -- uses the product name in CamelCase format (e.g. VintagePAFHumbucker)
• Custom pattern -- define your own format using placeholders: {CAT} for category, {TYPE} for item type, {PROD4} for first 4 characters of product name, {NUM6} for a 6-digit sequential number

You can always manually override the generated SKU when creating or editing an item. The format setting only controls the default suggestion for new items.

Print professional labels for your inventory, work orders, and shipping with the built-in label system. Go to Settings → Labels to manage your templates.

• Browse the list of available label template sizes (e.g. Dymo 30252 Address, Dymo 30334 Multi-Purpose, custom sizes)
• Click Open Label Designer to visually lay out fields on a label: SKU, barcode, name, price, category, custom text
• Add or remove template sizes to match the label stock you use in your shop
• Preview the label before printing to verify alignment and content

Speed up work order creation by defining templates for your most common job types. Go to Settings → WO Templates to get started.

• Click + New Template and give it a name (e.g. "Full Setup", "Fret Level & Crown", "Amp Recap", "Pickup Install")
• Pre-fill default values: description, estimated price, priority level, and default status
• Add checklist items -- these appear as a to-do list on the work order (e.g. "Remove strings", "Level frets", "Crown and polish", "Restring and intonate")
• Add custom fields with type selection: text, number, date, or dropdown with predefined options
• When creating a new work order, select a template from the dropdown to auto-populate all of these fields

Templates are especially valuable when you have employees taking in repairs at the counter. They ensure consistent information is captured for every job type, regardless of who creates the order.

Progress tags let you add visual status indicators to work orders and production orders beyond the standard status field. Navigate to Settings → Progress Tags to manage them.

• Click + New Tag and enter a name (e.g. "Waiting on Parts", "Customer Notified", "Rush", "On Hold")
• Use the color picker to assign a hex color to each tag -- choose colors that stand out on the dark interface
• Tags appear as colored badges on work orders in both list and Kanban views
• Apply multiple tags to a single order for layered status tracking
• Edit or delete tags at any time -- existing tagged orders will update automatically

If you build or assemble items with serial numbers, production fields let you track custom data points for each serialized unit. Go to Settings → Production Fields to configure them.

• Click + Add Field and choose a type: text, number, or date
• Name the field to match what you track (e.g. "Wax Potting Temp", "Magnet Type", "Wind Count", "Inspection Date")
• Drag and drop fields to reorder them -- the order here determines the column order in the Production table
• Fields appear as columns in the Production view and as editable fields on each serialized unit record
• Custom production fields are included in CSV import/export and Google Sheets sync

For inventory items marked as components (parts that go into assemblies), you can define additional tracking fields. Go to Settings → Component Fields to set these up.

• Add fields that are specific to components in your shop (e.g. "Wire Gauge", "Resistance", "Tolerance", "Lead Length")
• These fields appear on the component detail view and are tracked per component item
• Component fields are separate from production fields -- they apply to the raw parts, not the finished serialized units

Map your physical printers to specific label templates and roles so the right label prints on the right printer every time. Go to Settings → Printer Assignments.

• The app detects available printers on your network and via USB
• For each printer, assign a label template (the size/layout it should use)
• Assign a role to each printer: inventory labels, work order labels, shipping labels, or general
• When you print from anywhere in the app, StringsTheory automatically selects the correct printer based on the context

Enable network printing to share label printers across multiple machines in your shop. Go to Settings → Print Server.

• Toggle Enable Print Server to start the built-in network print service
• The print server uses Bonjour/mDNS discovery, so other Macs and iPads on the same network will automatically find it
• No manual IP configuration required -- devices discover each other automatically
• The Mac running the print server must have the label printer physically connected (USB) or configured (network)

Customize how the app looks and lays out content. Go to Settings → Display to adjust these preferences.

• Layout mode: choose between Auto (adapts to window size), Compact (more items visible, smaller text), or Full (larger cards and more whitespace)
• Theme: select Dark (default -- the signature dark industrial look), Light, or System (follows your macOS/iPadOS appearance setting)
• Display preferences sync across devices if you are on the Annual plan with cloud sync enabled

On iPad, the app automatically adjusts its layout for portrait and landscape orientations regardless of the layout mode setting.

Personalize documents, labels, and email communications with your shop's branding. Go to Settings → Business to configure your profile.

• Business name and DBA (Doing Business As) -- appears on invoices, work order PDFs, and email headers
• Logo upload -- add your shop logo; the app automatically compresses it for optimal file size while preserving quality
• Address -- street, city, state, ZIP -- shown on documents and receipts
• Phone and email -- included in document footers and customer-facing communications
• Website -- displayed on printed materials
• Preview how your branding will look on documents directly from this settings page

Set your preferred currency code in Settings → Display. This affects how all prices, costs, and financial figures are formatted throughout the app.

• Select from standard ISO 4217 currency codes (USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, and more)
• The currency symbol and decimal formatting update everywhere: inventory prices, COGS reports, work order totals, and exported documents
• Changing the currency does not convert values -- it only changes the display symbol and formatting

StringsTheory can send emails to customers for work order notifications, status updates, and completion receipts. Go to Settings → Email to configure your setup.

• Enter your Resend API key to enable server-side email delivery (sign up at resend.com for a free tier)
• Set your sender name and sender email address -- this is what customers see in their inbox
• Configure per-function delivery routing: for each email type, choose whether to send via mailto (opens your default email client) or Resend (sends automatically in the background)
• Manage email templates with the built-in editor -- customize the subject line, body text, and layout for each trigger type
• Use merge fields in templates: 19 available fields including {{customer_name}}, {{wo_number}}, {{status}}, {{business_name}}, {{item_description}}, and more
• Set up auto-triggers to send emails automatically when a work order is created, when its status changes, or when it is marked complete
• Preview any template with live merge field substitution before saving

When something goes wrong -- a sync failure, a failed API call, or an unexpected error -- StringsTheory logs it for review. Go to Settings → Error Log to see your error history.

• View a chronological list of all app errors with timestamps and descriptions
• Click an error for full details including the error type, context, and any related data
• Mark individual errors as resolved to track your troubleshooting progress
• Use bulk clear to remove all resolved errors and keep the log clean
• Unresolved errors remain visible until you address them or clear them manually

StringsTheory is fully localized in six languages with 100% translation coverage. Go to Settings → Language to switch.

• English (source language)
• Spanish (Español)
• French (Français)
• Italian (Italiano)
• German (Deutsch)
• Japanese (日本語)

Language changes take effect instantly -- no restart required. Every label, button, menu item, error message, and tooltip in the app updates to your chosen language. This includes all settings screens, form fields, and system messages.