Modifying the Report Design

Once you create an AutoReport, you can modify the report's design to make it more visually attractive. As with forms, be careful not to over-design your report. A poorly designed or over-designed report can distract from the information being presented. To modify the design, you must have the report open in Design View.

To modify the report design:

1. Preview the report. Note any layout or design changes that will enhance the report.
2. Switch to Design View by clicking the View button.
3. You can align controls by selecting the controls to align, then selecting Align from the Format menu. To select multiple controls, click the first control, then click the second control while holding down the Shift key.
4. Resize labels and controls so your data displays completely. To resize a control, click the control to select it. Click the control's sizing handle and drag to resize the control. You can also select Size from the Format menu. Select To Fit to automatically resize the label or control to fit your data.
5. Use the toolbar buttons to modify the font, font size, and font color for labels and text controls.
6. When you are ready, switch back to Preview mode to see the effects of your changes.

	Change the graphic style of the report by clicking the AutoFormat toolbar button. The AutoFormat style list is the same list of styles that you choose from when creating a report using the Report Wizard.
	Creating and modifying reports in Design View is covered in detail in the expert level tutorial Producing Reports.
	Most formatting options are available from the Format menu as well as from the Formatting toolbar.