INFORMATION SHEET NUMBER 12

Creating Report

Reports organize and summarize data for viewing online or for printing. A detail report displays
all of the selected records. You can include summary data such as totals, counts, and percentages in a
detail report. A summary report does not list the selected records but instead summarizes the data and
presents totals, counts, percentages, or other summary data only. Access has several report
generation tools that you can use to create both detail and summary reports quickly. This lesson
teaches you how to create reports.
Use the Report Button
The Report button creates a simple report that lists the records in the selected table or query in a
columnar format.
To use the Report button:

1. Open the Navigation pane.

2. Click the table or query on which you want to base your report.
3. Activate the Create tab.
4. Click the Report button in the Reports group. Access creates your report and displays your report in
Layout view. You can modify the report.
Tip: After you create a report, you can save it.
1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the report unless you are saving
for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears.
2. Type the name you want to give your report.
3. Click OK. Access saves the report. You can now access the report by using the Navigation pane.
As with other objects, you can also save a report by right-clicking the reports tab and selecting Save.
Saved reports appear in the Navigation pane.
Tip: Reports created by using the Report button are plain and simple. The Modify a Report section of
this lesson teaches you how to customize a report to meet your needs.
Tip: Access reports created simply by using the Report button have several sections. They are
detailed in the following table.

Sections of a Report
Report Header Appears at the top of the first page
and displays the report title.

Page Header Appears at the top of every page

and displays the headings (field
labels) for each column.

Page Footer Appears at the bottom of every

page and displays the page
number and total number of
pages.

Detail Section Appears between the page header

and page footer and displays the
records from the table or query.

Report Footer This section is optional. Appears

on the last page of the report and
displays summary information
such as grand totals.
Use the Report Wizard
You can also use the Report Wizard to create a report. The Report Wizard provides you with
more flexibility than you get by using the Report button. You can choose the tables and fields, group the
data, sort the data, summarize the data, choose a layout and orientation, apply a style, and title your
report. Follow the steps shown here to create a report by using the Report Wizard:
To create a report by using the Report Wizard:
1. Open the Report Wizard

2. Activate the Create tab.

3. Click Report Wizard in the Reports group. The Report Wizard appears.
Select tables, queries and fields
When using the Report Wizard, you can use fields from multiple tables and/or queries if the
tables/queries have a relationship.

1. Click the down-arrow next to the Table/Queries field and then click the table from which you want to
select fields.
2. Click a field and then click the single-right arrow to select a single field, click the double-right arrows
to select all fields, click a field and then click the single-left arrow to deselect a single field, or click
the double-left arrow to deselect all fields.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each table from which you want to select fields.
4. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.
Group
When using the Report Wizard, you can group data. Grouping puts all of the values in a field
into a group based on the field’s value. For example, if your data is grouped by the Department field
and the records in the Department field have values such as Administration, Computer Science, and
English. Access will group all of the data for the Administration department together, all of the data for
the Computer Science department together, and all of the data for the English department together.

1. Click to select the field by which you want to group your data. You may not see this page of the
wizard if you are selecting data from a single table.
2. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.
3. Click a field you want to group by.
4. Click the right-arrow to select a field; click a field and then click the left arrow to deselect a field. Use
the up- and down-arrows to change the order of the groupings. If you are only using one table, this
may be your first opportunity to select a field to group by.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each field you want to group by.
6. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Sort and summarize

By using the Report Wizard, you can create up to four levels of sort. Access sorts the first level,
and then sorts the second level within that sort, and so on. If you have grouped your data, you can
summarize it by displaying the sum, average, and minimum or maximum value for each numeric field.
You can choose to have your report display just the summary data or each detail line and the summary
data. There is also an option that allows you to display the percent the sum of each group is of the
grand total. All of the fields in your report may not fit on a single page. You can have Access
automatically adjust the size of the font so that every field fits.

1. Click the down-arrow and then select the field you want to sort by.
2. Click the button to choose ascending or descending order. Clicking the button toggles between
Ascending and Descending. You can sort up to
four levels.
3. Click the Summary Options button. The
Summary Options window appears.
4. Click to select the summary data you want.
5. Click to select whether you want detail and
summary data or if you want summary data
only.
6. Click if you want to calculate the percent to the
total for sums.
7. Click OK. The Summary Options window closes.
8. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the
next page.
Layout and orientation
You can choose the layout and orientation of your report. The layout determines where each
field appears on the page. Access provides three options to choose from: Stepped, Block, and Outline.
When you choose an option, the left side of the window displays a graphic of the layout.
Orientation determines whether Access creates the report in portrait or landscape. Most paper, such as
paper sized 8 1/2 by 11, is longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in Portrait, the shortest
edge of the paper becomes the top of the page. Portrait is the default option. If you print Landscape,
the longest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.

1. Click to select a layout.

2. Click to select a page orientation.
3. Choose the Adjust The Field Width So All Fields Fit On A Page option if you want all fields to fit on
a single page.
4. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Style
A style is a set of formats consisting of such
things as background colors, fonts, font colors, and
font sizes. Access supplies predesigned styles that
format titles, labels, and more. When you choose a
style, the left side of the window displays a preview.

1. Click to select a style.

2. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the
next page.
Create a title
On the final page of the Report Wizard,
you can title your report. The title appears at the
top of the report and on the Navigation pane.
1. Type the title you want to give the report.
2. Click Finish. Access creates, saves, and opens your report in Layout view.
Tip: Reports created with the Report Wizard may have the following two sections in addition to the
sections found in reports created by using the Report button.
Sections of a Report
Group Header Appears before a group and
displays information about the
group.

Group Footer Appears after a group and

summarizes the group data.

Modify a Report
After you create a report, you can modify it. You can add groups or sorts, add fields, change
labels, and perform many other tasks.
You can view a report in Report view, Layout view, Design view, and Print Preview. You can
modify a report in Layout view or Design view. In Layout view, you can see your data, and the report
you see closely resembles how your report will look when you print it. You can make most, but not all,
changes to your report in Layout view. Design view displays the structure of your report. In this view
you cannot see the underlying data, but you can perform some tasks in Design view that you cannot
perform in Layout view. This tutorial focuses on Layout view.
To change to Layout view:
1. Open your report.
2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the View button. A menu appears.
4. Click Layout View. Access changes to Layout view.
Change the Size of a Field or Label
If the data in a field or label seems crowded, if some of the data in the field or label does not
appear, or if the data appears as pound signs (####), the field or label is too small.

To change the size of a field or label:

1. Click the field or label. A border appears around it.
2. Click a side of the border and drag outward to increase the width. Click a side of the border and
drag inward to decrease the width.
Tip: Incidentally, if you want to change the height of records, click the top or bottom of a field border
and drag upward or downward.

To delete a field:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Click the field you want to delete.
3. Press the Delete key. Access deletes the field.
To move a column:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Click the column label.
3. Drag the column to the new location. Access moves the column to the new location.
To change a title:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Double-click in the Title field.
3. Click and drag to select the current title.
4. Type a new title.
5. Click anywhere outside the Title field. Access changes the title.
To change a field label:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Double-click the field label.
3. Click and drag to select the label name.
4. Type the new label name.
5. Click anywhere outside the label. Access changes the field label.
To change the paper size:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Activate the Page Setup tab.
3. Click the Size button in the Page Layout group. A menu appears.
4. Click the size of the paper you are going to print on.
To change paper orientation:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Activate the Page Setup tab.
3. Click Portrait or Landscape to choose the orientation you want to use. Access changes the page
orientation.
To change margins:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Activate the Page Setup tab.
3. Click the Margins button in the Page Layout group. A menu appears.
4. Click the margin size you want. Access changes the page margin.
To add page numbers:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Activate the Format tab.
3. Click the Insert Page Number button in the Controls group. The Page Numbers dialog box appears.
4. Click a radio button to choose a format.
5. Click a radio button to choose a position.
6. Click the down-arrow in the Alignment field and then choose an alignment.
7. Deselect Show Number On First Page if you do not want the page number to appear on the first
page.
8. Click OK. Access places the page number in your report.
To add current date or time:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Activate the Format tab.

3. Click the Date and Time button in the Controls group. The Date and Time dialog box appears.

4. Deselect the Include Date box if you do not wish to include the date.
5. Click to select a format if you are including the date.
6. Deselect the Include Time box if you do not wish to include the time.
7. Click to select a format if you are including the time.
8. Click OK. Access places the date and/or time in your report.
Apply an AutoFormat
You can use the AutoFormat option on the Format tab to apply formats such as background colors,
fonts, and font sizes quickly.
To apply an AutoFormat:
1. Activate the Format tab.
2. Click AutoFormat. The AutoFormat menu appears.
3. Click the format you want to apply.

Print a Report
Often, the people who use Access data only see a printed report. In Print Preview, you can see exactly
how your report will look when printed, you can make changes to it, and you can print it. To print, click
the Print button in the Print group. The Print dialog box opens and you can select your print options.
To change to Print Preview:
1. Open your report.
2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the down-arrow under the View button. A menu appears.
4. Click Print Preview. Access changes to Print Preview.
Several options are available to you in Print Preview.

Print Preview Options

Print Displays the Print dialog box. You
can select such options as the
printer, print range, and number of
copies. Use this option to print your
report.

Size Click the Size button to set the size

of the paper you are going to print
on.

Portrait Click the Portrait button to print

with the shortest side of the paper
as the top.

Landscape Click the Landscape button to print

with the longest side of the paper
as the top.

Margins Click the Margins button to select a

margin size of Normal, Wide, or
Narrow. Margins define the amount
of white space that surrounds your
report.

Print Data Only Prints the report data without other

elements such as titles, and labels.

Zoom Changes the cursor to a

magnifying glass. When the
magnifying glass displays a minus
sign (–), you can zoom out. When
the magnifying glass displays a
plus sign (+), you can zoom in.
Click the down-arrow under the
Zoom button to display a menu and
 choose a zoom level.
One Page Displays one page of the report in
the Access window.

Two Page Displays two pages of the report in

the Access window.

More Pages Displays a menu from which you

can choose the number of page
you want to display.

Tip: To view a report online, use Report view. Open your report. Activate the Home tab. Click the
down-arrow under the View button. Click Report view. Your report displays in Report view.