Reports for Printers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Roger Bell
  • Start date Start date
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Roger Bell

I am doing data base design which includes the design of
many reports and mailing labels. The work is then
installed on other computers which have a range of
different printers. I understand that the reports and
mailing labels have to be adjusted for each individual
printer. So I install the printer temporarily on my
computer, adjust the reports and labels and then load
them onto the recipients computer.
I was wondering if there is any other way to get around
this as not all the printers can be installed on my
computer unless the actual printer is attached, which of
course is not practicable. (eg: HP Deskjet 3600 series)
Thanks for any advice
 
You should not have to install every printer in order to create labels.

Most printers (inkjets and lasers) use sheets of labels. If you can
standardize on a paper size (e.g. Letter or A4), you can then choose one
type of label that suits what you need (e.g. an address label, CD label, or
whatever), and as part of the documentation for your software specify the
label that the client needs to buy to get the right results with your
software.

With that approach, the only real issue remaining is the unprintable area of
the printer. The bottom margin is the main problem, but if you stay 0.7"
away from the bottom and 0.3" away from the top, left, and right, most
printers can cope with that.

I have found that the Label Wizard in Access does not always give good
results - particularly with A4 paper - so you may need to set up or adjust
the layout of the report rather than rely on the wiz. It's quite easy to
count the number of labels on the page, and measure the height, to get the
correct vertical spacing. The main trap is that if you set CanGrow or
CanShrink to Yes for any of the text boxes, Access will set CanGrow or
CanShrink for the Detail section as well and you must turn those off again.

One you have your report working correctly for a standard paper size, a
standard label layout, and adequate margins, it should run on any printer
that accepts that paper.

Perhaps you are trying let the user assign the report to a particular
printer for label printing instead of going to their default printer? If so,
see:
Printer Selection Utility
at:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~allenbrowne/AppPrintMgt.html
The article explains how to let the user select one of their printers
(without you ever having to install it on your system at development time),
and have the report remember to go to that printer each time it is opened.
 
Thanks Allen for your feed back. Does this also apply to
any other reports designed or do they have to be adjusted
for each printer. I have found that a report designed for
our printer (default) does not always fit on the one page
for another printer(set as default) and both A4 papaer
size.
Thanks again
 
If the paper sizes are the same, and your margins are adequate to exclude
the unprintable area of both printers, it should be fine.

Different printers can have slightly different metrics, so if you have some
CanGrow/CanShrink stuff happening it is possible that this could make a
difference.
 
Thanks again Allen
I have tested this and the problem is generally fitting
the report across on one page. The Left & Right margins
are reduced to the minimum to accommodate all the
fields. Ok on our printer but slight adjustment usually
needed on other printers.(Both A4)
Thanks again
 
A4 is narrower than letter, so keep the sum of:
left margin + report width + right margin
below 8.2 inches. That leaves 0.07" leeway on A4, and 0.3" leeway on Letter.
 
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