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Refining Page Layout

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You can refine the layout of your report pages by defining multiple columns and changing the area of the page reserved for a band by changing the height of each band.

Defining Multiple Columns on a Page

To create phone directories, mailing labels, or other types of listings, you can define multiple columns per page.

To define a multi-column report

  1. From the File menu, choose Page Setup.

    Page Setup dialog box with columns defined

  2. In the Columns area, enter the number of columns for the page. This is the same as the number of records you want to print across the page.

  3. In the Width box, enter a value for column width.

  4. In the Spacing box, enter a value for the space you want to appear between each column.

    Tip   If you're printing groups set to start on a new page, don't use the Print Order option.

  5. Choose OK.

    The Report Designer reflects your changes.

If your layout already contained report controls in the Detail band, you may need to move or resize them to fit within the boundaries of the new column.

Setting Report Band Height

While designing your report, you can change the height of a report band. The height of a report band determines the amount of space that each report band uses on the page within the page margins. For example, if the Title band is set at a half inch, the Title will appear in the first half inch of space after the top margin. The detail band shows the amount of space devoted to each printed record. The following information applies to all of the report bands. You can set additional parameters for Group Header and Footer bands.

To resize a band

  • Drag the band's bar to the appropriate height.

    Use the ruler to the left as a guide. The ruler's measurement is specific to the height of the band and does not include the page margins.

    Tip   You cannot make a band shorter than the height of the controls in the layout. Move the controls within the band first, and then reduce the height.

To set a precise band height

  1. Double-click the bar for the appropriate band.

    A dialog box for the band appears.

  2. In the Height box, enter a value for the height.

  3. Choose OK.

See Also

Protecting a Report's Data Session | Using Expressions and Functions in Field Controls | Creating Reports and Labels | SELECT - SQL | Data Grouping in Layouts