18. Preview, print and export

Preview, print and export

The preview is the test bed of the report: Only here do data, bands, page breaks, totals, parameters and export behavior become visible together.

Open Report designer on the desktop Administration.

Your goal

You can systematically read the preview, browse pages, print and assess the output in the formats relevant to X-ERP.

Why this is crucial in the report designer

A report can look perfect in design and fail with real data. The preview shows the truth: repeats, overflows, blank pages, totals and printable limits.

Elements and settings at a glance

• Preview: Creates a document from template and data.
• Parameters: Shows – if visible – values for limitation; integrated X-ERP parameters can be hidden.
• Navigation: Switches between first, previous, next and last page.
• Search: Finds visible text in the generated document.
• Zoom / Multiple Pages: Checks details or page rhythm.
• Print/Print Direct: Opens print dialog or sends directly to a printer, if allowed.
• Export: Depending on the use, creates PDF, DOCX, XLS/XLSX, RTF, HTML, text, CSV or image.

Here's how to do it

1. Save the current status and switch to the preview.
2. First check page number, blank pages, order and repeated heads.
3. Check values, totals, formatting, images and barcodes on samples.
4. Export at least in the format required for production and open the file separately.
5. For print-critical documents, print a real test page.

Exercise

Create a one-page and a multi-page test case. Export PDF and XLSX, find a known label and compare page header, totals and columns.

Check the result

• No unexpected blank or extra pages.
• Repetitions and totals are correct across all pages.
• PDF preserves the printed image; Tabular export remains useful.
• Fonts, images and codes are readable.

Typical errors and their solutions

• View first page only: Many layout errors only appear on subsequent pages or at the end of the group.
• Don't open export: A successful download does not prove that the display is correct.
• Ignore printer margin: Device-specific margins can cut off content.

Your result

You evaluate the report as the recipient experiences it - not just as it looks in the designer.

Further information / source

Related topics

1. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 08. Layout, alignment and page settings
2. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 15. Images, barcodes and page information
3. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 19. Test, release and fix errors

Frequently asked questions