How to Calculate a Time Card
Welcome to the online software manual for the Spectrum Time Card Calculator.
This document is designed to explain how to calculate time cards using the Spectrum Time Card Calculator.
If you have only just purchased and installed the software on your Windows 2000 (or better) computer, please
refer to the software registration section below.
To learn more about the Spectrum Time Card Calculator, or to purchase to use on your own computer, click Time Card Calculator Software.
1.0: Setting Defaults
The first time that you run the time card calculator, you will need to set the program defaults for your
firm. These defaults will be saved and reloaded when you use the calculator the next time.
1.01: How to Set the Payroll Period
- Set the payroll period start date by clicking on a date within the calendar and pressing the "Set Payroll Start" button.
- Set the payroll period end date by clicking on a date within the calendar and pressing the "Set Payroll End" button.
1.02: How to Round Time to Nearest 5,6 or 15 Minutes
- Click on the "No Time Rounding" radio button if you don't want to use time rounding.
When you do this, the "Shift Start" and "Shift End" time selection controls will look like
the the following.

- Click on the "Round to 5 Minutes" radio button to round to the nearest 5 minutes.
The "Shift Start" and "Shift End" time selection controls will then look like the following.

- Click on the "Round to 6 Minutes" radio button to round to the nearest 6 minutes.
The "Shift Start" and "Shift End" time selection controls will then look like the following.

- Click on the "Round to 15 Minutes" radio button to round to the nearest 15 minutes.
The "Shift Start" and "Shift End" time selection controls will then look like the following.

1.03: Configuring for California Overtime Regulations
California requires the payment of overtime and double time after certain work hours thresholds are met
each day, each week, and after an employee works 7 days straight. To turn on these calculation formulas,
check the "Use California Regulations" checkbox.
2.0: Adding Time Cards
To add time cards to be calculated, do the following.
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Within the calendar, click on the date for a time card shift start time.
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Within the "Hours Type" control, select one of Regular, Vacation, Sick, Holiday, or Other.
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Within the "Automatic Bread Subtraction" drop-down list box, select the amount of unpaid break time you want
automatically subtracted from each shift.
-
Within the "Shift Start" control, select the shift's starting hour. Eight O'Clock is used as an
example here. AM or PM will be selected lager.
-
Within the "Shift Start" control, select the shift's starting minute.
-
Within the "Shift Start" control, select whether the start time was AM or PM.
-
Redo steps 4-6 for within the "Shift End" control for the shift's end time. Be sure to
select the correct value for "AM" or "PM".
-
Click on the "Add Shift" button to add the shift to the time sheet list control at the top of the program.
Calculations will be done later.
-
Repeat steps 4-8 until you have added all shifts. You can press the "Increment Day" button to quickly advance
the calendar to the next calendar day.
3.0 Removing Incorrect Time Cards / Removing All Time Cards
To remove incorrect time cards, simply select a single time card shift entry within the time card list control, and press the
"Remove Selected Shift" button.
To remove all time card shifts in order to advance to a new employee, simply click on the "Remove All Shifts" button.
4.0 Calculating Payroll
To perform all hours calculations, simply press the "Calculate Payroll" button.

After you do this, the time sheet list control at the top of the program will display each shift
along with its calculated values, as seen below.

Additionally, the "Totals" section will hold summary calculations as see below.

If all you need are an employee's gross paid hours and hours type totals, you can stop here.
5.0 Generating a Payroll Report
The Spectrum Time Card Calculator can generate a HTML payroll report that displays the employee's
name, hours totals, and gross pay. To run this report, you should do the following.
-
Enter the employee's name in the "Name" input box at the right of the application.
- Enter the employee's hourly pay rate in the "Pay Rate" input box.
-
Click on the "Generate Payroll Report" button.
After you click on the "Generate Payroll Report" button, your current configured web browser should
open with the payroll report automatically loaded.
6.0: Software Registration
After you install the program on your workstation's hard disk, you must register it before you can use it.
Registration is performed online.
To register your software, do the following:
- Click the "Register Software" button.
- Enter the serial number that we emailed you into the "Serial Number" input box.
- Press the "Register over the Internet" button.
- If your serial number is valid for the computer you are installing the software on, you will receive a
registration key that you can enter in the "Registration Key" input box.
- Click the "OK" button
- Restart the program.
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Time Card Calculator Solutions
Learn more about our time card calculator software program.
See our Hand Held Time Card Calculator. Also just $39.95.
See our web based Time Clock Software.
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