ACC: MS Access Saves Printer Information with Each Form/Report

• Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

Microsoft Access saves printer driver information with each form or report that it generates. This means you do not have to set up the printer with the correct driver in order to print out a form or report--the form or report "remembers" the correct driver and uses it. For example, you can save one form using a PostScript printer driver and another form using the generic text driver.

NOTE: If the Default Printer option button is selected, the form will be printed to the Windows default printer.

MORE INFORMATION

If the printer that the printer driver requires is not currently connected, Microsoft Access displays a dialog box stating that the printer is not available and enables you to select another printer.

Bear in mind that some text formatting depends on the current printer driver. For example, if you format a document with a PostScript printer font instead of a software font (such as a TrueType font) and send the document to a PostScript printer, everything should be printed correctly. However, if you send the document to a LaserJet, you will receive output errors because some PostScript printer fonts are not available on a LaserJet.

A driver-related problem could be something such as the sudden appearance of the Zapf Dingbats font in a form or report set up to use the Windows System font and sent to a PostScript printer. This problem occurs because the Windows System font is not available on PostScript printers. When a font is unavailable, Windows attempts to find an equivalent among those on the printer, searching through them alphabetically. In this case, it arrives at the Zapf Dingbats font last and uses it because there are no other options.

The best way to avoid these problems is to create all your forms and reports with TrueType fonts, which appear correctly in print preview and are processed the same way by all printers.