Can Access reduce the size of a printed report

[jancheta]

Hi. I have a requirement where on my report I need to fit say 13 columns per page, total of 5 pages. The problem is due to the data in the fields (without spaces), the 13 columns won't fit on 1 page. I am wondering if there is a way to manipulate the page setup.

For example, in Excel, I can use the following code to make the print out shrink:
With ActiveSheet.PageSetup
.Zoom = 70
End With

Any info is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Darrylles]

Hi,

You have a property for individual controls on the report (textboxes etc) that have a 'shrink-to-fit' property.
(No good for you).

Have you looked at 'LayoutForPrint' property of the report?

Not sure if this'll help, I used to use the Printer software to reduce the scale of the page.

Regards,

Darrylle "Never argue with an idiot, he'll bring you down to his level - then beat you with experience." darrylles@totalise.co.uk

 

[jancheta]

Hi Darrylle,

Thanks for responding. The main problem is that the report is just too wide for all of my columns to fit.

I'll check out the LayoutForPrint property. I came across the PrtDevMode property but am having problems to make it work. With this property, supposedly you can change the scale of the print out but somehow you have to be in Design mode. Have you used this before?

For the "Printer Software", I think that its the printers proprietary software, right?

Jason

 

[annsolomon]

Have you considered a multiple-line report? Ann

 

[BillPower]

Probably stating the obvious, but have you considered reducing the font size on your report controls, then reducing the control's widths. The Tahoma font is quite legible when printed, down to Font Size 5. Though I wouldn't attempt reading it on screen. Just a thought.

 

[Steve101]

Even more obvious; I assume that you've set the page layout to Landscape (as opposed to portrait), and reduced the left and right margins to an appropriate minimum,
Steve Lewy
Solutions Developer
steve@lewycomputing.com.au
(dont cut corners or you'll go round in circles)

 

[THoey]

Look in the help for "PRTDEVMODE". Lot of printer setup stuff there that might help. I think you are looking at the SCALE option. If you have the Access 97 Developer's Handbook from SYBEX, chapter 10 covers this tool. Terry
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[jancheta]

To All,

Thanks for you replies!
PRTDEVMODE: I followed the guidelines on the Chapter 10 -Access 97 Developer's Handbook which I found on:

http://www.microsoft.com/AccessDev/Articles/GetzCh10.HTM

that requires ch10.mdb which I managed to get a copy via searching on google.com
And for some reason, the examples will not work. I even tried the examples on the Access on-line but still could not get it to work! Ughhh...

The reason why I want to be able to scale the report is that aside from having a built in report, it would be nice for the users to have an ad hoc report where they could select the columns they want printed out and select an appropriate scale (similar to the scale feature that Excel has).

And of course my last resort is to hard code the font size (thx for that reminder, sometimes you just run into circles and forget the basic stuff).

One probably crazy thought that I had last night was to perform automation say - CreateObject("Excel.Application&quot, populate the spreadsheet, change the scale something like -
.PageSetup.Zoom = 70 then print it out.
The only hindrance is the users must have excel installed. Any thoughts?

Thanks again for everyones suggestions!

Jason

 

[MichaelRed]

only bad ones (thoughts that is). best is 'ad hoc seems to be an alais of ad naseum in my (or the) world of database processing



translation would be that users who have the need and ability to generate USEFUL ad-hoc objects (reports/ queries or most anything else) could easily just be provided with a db which has READ ONLY links to the real stuff. Let them make up most any thing they (and their little hearts?) desire. IF some part of their effort produces a truly useful object for the 'general public', encourage them to demponstrate this to the db admins and programmers. For many of these, it will be reasonable to have a more-or-less formal design review process and formal decision(s) as to wheather to support the object (or not). If the general user community (or at least a reasonable segment thereof) has no need of the object, little harm is done, as the "power user" may retain the object and distribute it to those who are interested. If, as is likely, there is merit in the object, it vould be adopted by the db admin / progreammer and made available as suiitable.

MichaelRed
m.red@att.net

Searching for employment in all the wrong places