Help with Printing Buttons (showing)

[The_Vincester]

I've searched for this all day. I think my main problem is that when people ask about printing by using a button. I can do that all day long.

I have data that I want to print as a report. The perfect "look" is to use Toggle Buttons for much of the selection data in the form. It's what the end-users are used to seeing.

However, using Access 2007, the toggle buttons do not show up during printing. The "Display When" setting is "Always" and beyond that, I'm at a loss.

It's funny because it seems like I had always run into the exact opposite problem with the older versions.

Checkboxes show, but let's just pretend that's not an option for now, since the other looks so much better.

Oh, and it's not just printing... I could get away with exporting to PDF, but I'm getting the same results.

Thanks in advance.

 

[vbaInet]

Do normal buttons work?

 

[The_Vincester]

Do normal buttons work?

Unfortunately, no.

 

[vbaInet]

Is it a form or a report you are printing?

 

[The_Vincester]

I've tried both with the same results. I think Access' buttons in 2007+ are actually graphics and they're just not being rendered when printing, unless I'm missing something.

I've tried both at work and home to eliminate a non-standard configuration.

 

[vbaInet]

I've just successfully printed a button on a test report to pdf. Can you upload a test db?

 

[The_Vincester]

Unfortunately in my work environment I can't upload.

Did you use an Access 2007 DB? (Well, technically this is Access 2010 using 2007 format) For the PDF creation, did you use the built function of Access?

I just tried again, both regular button and toggle for a sanity check and no joy. Comes out blank with those. Also, if it makes any difference (doubt it does), I've also tried on both Windows XP and Windows 7.

 

[vbaInet]

I'm using a Win7 laptop running Access 2007. It works fine for me. You can upload a test db onto this thread. I don't need confidential data or your real form, just a test db. Create one.

 

[The_Vincester]

I don't have any info in the DB. The problem are the filters here at work. This website is barely usable at work because it blocks all the CSS. No graphics show up and because of how it looks, I can't even see how to upload anything (I think it's the buttons in the reply box, but they're all red Xs and do nothing). Very frustrating.

If it works for you, then I'm missing something. I mean, all in all it's pretty straightforward, so I'm not sure what it can be. If I hadn't tried it at home last night, I would easily blame this work PC, but I had the same issues at home.

 

[vbaInet]

Have a look through these FAQs, there are instructions on how to upload files onto the forum.

Perhaps you should wait until you get home to upload a db. But in the meantime, what if you set the Display When property to Print Only?

Also, did you try creating a brand new report, creating a new button and printing that? Don't copy the button onto the new report.

 

[The_Vincester]

Tried every Display When setting to no avail.

I've tried copying/pasting the button and creating from scratch. I just did another test with ALL the possible controls, and the only ones that can't be seen are the buttons. All other controls display fine.

I've also tried different formatting of the buttons to make sure that wasn't an issue. It's just like they don't exist when trying to print or convert to PDF.

 

[vbaInet]

Maybe it's your PDF printer. Try printing directly to a printer.

By the way, these buttons are just plain buttons right? It's not transparent or have images in them?

 

[The_Vincester]

Same thing when printing to paper.

Just plain buttons, straight from the control box. It's maddening.

Just tried something else that I hoped would work. I tried the On Print event for the section and set the control Visible = True. I had high hopes, but it had no affect.

Just in case it was image rendering, I added a .jpg to the report, and it came out fine. So this issue is ONLY buttons.

 

[vbaInet]

It's weird for sure.

I mean, does the button contain any images? And/or is the button Transparent or not?

 

[The_Vincester]

I've tried it with an image and without. It's not transparent.

There's been some Access issues in the past that have stumped me for awhile, but I managed through them. This one has really got me and it's a showstopper.

 

[vbaInet]

Alright, I've just created a quick db with some test results. Download the attachment, open the report in Print Preview and print it to PDF.

If it still doesn't work, just wait until you get home to upload a test db from your end.

 

[The_Vincester]

OK, we're getting somewhere.

Your button styling is different than mine - by default. The styling of your buttons look closer to Access 2003 buttons. These buttons may be a feature of 2010?

I can't find anything different in your settings, but the difference is there. Interesting enough, in the same DB you sent, if I create a new report, it uses the "newer" buttons and are, again, not visible in printing.

Are you using a "classic theme" on your Windows 7 laptop?

 

[vbaInet]

No, I'm not using themes. That's just how my buttons look on reports. The buttons look more mordern when created on forms. Even when I copy a button from my form onto the report it changes it to look like the classic button. There must be a reason for this. So I would imagine it's a 2010 feature. Perhaps there's an option you need to turn on or off somewhere.

Are you saying my button prints okay? If it does, you could use that instead

I think it's time for me to install 2010. I will do that later today when I get home.

 

[The_Vincester]

The button difference looks to be an Access 2007/2010 thing. I can tell that your default report template is 2007, where in 2010 it's a little different, even though the filetype is 2007. Nice.

Since buttons can be used and print out fine in 2007, I can now only assume this is a bug with Access 2010.

 

[The_Vincester]

Are you saying my button prints okay? If it does, you could use that instead

I may have to, but I certainly would miss the nice looking styling.

You sure you want to install 2010 after what I'm running into?