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Print a Report

After selecting or creating a report, you can print it. Use the default layout options or make changes before printing.

  1. After selecting the report you want, click Next.
  2. If you've previously run this report, the options you chose display in the Report Overview window. To quickly run the report with these selections, click Print Report. Otherwise, to select different options, click Next.
  3. The default printer and settings display. If needed, select the printer or settings. To adjust the way your printer will print the report (such as grayscale or double-sided), click Properties. (Settings are specific to your printer.)
    Note: Reports that potentially print color, like those that include images, have an additional option to Print in black and white (conserves colored ink). To print in color, both this option and your printer must be set to print color copies.

    Once your print settings are ready, click Next.

  4. The Layout window displays. To change the font for this report, click Set Base Font. Depending on the type of report, you can edit certain elements, such as the fields to print, how addresses should be handled, and so on. Make any selections you want, and click Next.
  5. Depending on the type of report, there may be additional layout or selections windows. Make any necessary selections, and click Next.
  6. Select which records to include in the report. Use Additional Selections to filter further.
  7. To view the report before printing, click Preview. To make changes to layout or selections, click Back.
  8. When you're happy with how the report looks, click Print in the Preview window.

Watch & Learn

Learn the basic steps to get started with reports in PDS. 6 min 31 sec

It may take a minute for the video to display. To enlarge the video, click the Fullscreen icon in the video player (beside the play button).

To watch more videos, visit the PDS Video Library.

Reduce Report Size

Printing large reports or a lot of reports can strain your network. This is especially true for reports that include images or letterheads. To help prevent this, you can reduce the size of your report before you print it. This usually doesn't affect the quality of report text.

Note: If you have images in your report, you can also reduce the resolution of images to decrease your overall report size.
  1. Open the report you want to print, and make your selections.
  2. Click Print Report.
  3. In the Print dialog box, select Print to File.
  4. Select Show advanced dialog.

    Example of the Print dialog box showing the options for "Print to File" and "Show advanced dialog" selected

  5. Note the file location where you are saving your report.
  6. Click OK.
  7. In the PDF Setup dialog box, click Content. Then, set the JPEG Quality to a lower number, such as 70 or 50.

    Tip: A quality value of 70 reduces the size of the report to 50% its original quality. A quality value of 50 reduces it to 30% its original quality. Usually, for text, this reduction is not noticeable. But you may want to use a slightly higher value if your report includes photos.
  8. Click OK.

Your report is saved as a PDF. Open the report from the file location where you saved it, and make sure the quality is acceptable before you print or send the report.