Duplex Printing with Columns

[czink]

Hello, I am trying to print a letter size report with 3 columns and 4 rows of badges. I want to print the corresponding reverse side of each badge with duplex printing. Since the reverse has info related to the front it has to correspond to position and the reverse has to have the same orientation of top down since I have a bar code at the bottom and each side.
Much thanks in advance
Charly

 

[AlienRay]

That's an interesting problem. The first thing that occurs to me is to split the data into two sub-reports, which run concurrently. Attached is an example of what that might look like.

 

[czink]

Congrats, I am going to send my data to you, not really. However, it does seem to work but I am at a loss to understand how it works, could I have a little explanation as to your logic. Additionally though I have 3 columns and do not know if this is going to be a problem.
Charly

 

[AlienRay]

I started with the assumption that what you're attempting to do can't be done natively. Access has no internal function that I know of to facilitate mirrored printing, which is essentially what you're trying to do.

Since I didn't think one report could do what you need, my idea was to split it into two subreports running concurrently, each handling half the data. In the example I posted, the queries "BottomHalf" and "TopHalf" split the data, and each one is used to run the "Inner" and "Outer" reports. These subreports are in turn put into the "ReportShell", so that they can all fit on the same page.

Attempting to run three columns complicates matters, because you now have to split your dataset into thirds, rather than halves. Getting the top and bottom third is easy enough; to get the middle third, you would need to identify everything that's not in the top and bottom third. It's still possible, however, as you can see in this revised example.

 

[czink]

OK,
first I would like to say thanks.
it seems not enough but thanks never the less.
first the good news, I actually got the report to work with two columns and duplex printing. I am not really sure what access is thinking when it processes the report but what the heck it works for me. Actually the report I have prints my list once in ascending order, left side and the right side in descending order. This may be your intentions, not sure. I only do this report once a year and the time has gone from a total day to a few hours. the duplex printing really slows things down. There are almost 600 badges and if I get now ten to a page 60 pages is only about an hour.
So in closing, again I want to thank you for taking the time for helping someone who asked, you have been very generous with your time,
Happy New Year and hope we speak again.
Charly