Collection Database - Creating PDFs for each entry in batch

[Harpya]

Hi there, I am new to the forum and newish to access. I have been searching for an answer to my question, and even though it seems rather simple, I am not able to find an answer that works for me. So, I would appreciate any help.



I have set up a database with a personal collection of historic industrial art items. In the main table, each object (entry) has about 25 columns of specific values (manufacturer, origin, age, history, value, time collected etc.), also there are three entries for photographs showing the object. In principle, it is not much different from, say, a DVD collection.

I would like to export certain elements (colums) of that table in a pdf so I can easily share it with fellow collectors.

Here is what I would ideally be able to do:

1. Have one pdf page for each object with select data and the three images - all of which are already in my extensive table.
2. Be able to use this template to export multi page pdfs with objects and in an order that I choose (f.e. by year, origin, etc)

I have already created a form that I can print, but it is nearly impossible for me to format this to a single pdf page for each object. I guess, reports are the way to go, but it seems that I have to create/design a new report, every time I want to export different objects.

Many thanks for any help, and sorry if this has been answered already. If that is the case, please help me out with a link.

[CJ_London]

1. Use a report, not a form
2. not sure why you believe you need to create/design a new report for different objects - you need to clarify. If it is a case of showing/hiding controls depending on the type of object, use the onformat events to do this

[Micron]

Yes you need a report, which you can also output as a pdf if desired. Each page can be one item. The fields you include are governed by the query you create for the report. Why do you think you need additional reports for additional items? One report should be good enough if it has the same format as any other for this purpose. If your images are stored in a table then that will soon cause your db to bloat to the maximum size and you will have issues with that. Common approach is to store images in a folder and link to them in the appropriate control(s).

[June7]

As already advised, build a report and use its Sorting & Grouping features to set record ordering and even force page breaks if desired. Explore DoCmd.OpenReport and DoCmd.OutputTo commands. Review https://codekabinett.com/rdumps.php?...docmd-outputto

[Harpya]

Thank you all for the quick replies. I see that Access is much more complicated than I had hoped, but it is proportional to its power, I guess. Especially the commands and codes are a challenge, but I will do some more digging.