Microsoft Word is one of the most popular word processing tools for creating reports and other documents. Whether you are a student, professional or anyone who does documentation works, proficiency in Microsoft Word is a skill that is necessary for today’s digital age. Microsoft Word software comes with a vast number of features to improve the productivity of your works and to produce accurate outputs. In this post, I will show you how to use some of these features to create professional reports with Microsoft Word.
When you write a Thesis, Dissertation, Project Report, and Technical Report, etc… Microsoft Word helps you to keep your content more organized, clear and structured. Microsoft Word comes with inbuilt options such as Source Manager for managing your citations, Track Changes, Document Outlines, etc… to make it easier to handle your documents and related resources.
If you closely observed any professional report created with Microsoft Word, you can identify there are several common features in every document. Those common features include Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, different levels of Heading Styles, Sections, Image and Table Captions, Index, Headers & Footers, Page Numbering, etc… Microsoft Word has specific ways of creating and generating those features. If you follow those methods correctly, you can create your report more easily and correctly.
In this series of tutorials, I will show you how to create Microsoft Word reports and make use of the inbuilt features correctly to make your report looks professional.
For better understanding, I have created a separate post for each key options that you will need to create reports and documents with Microsoft Word. I have listed out all the posts below, and it is not necessary to follow the same order. How ever, to use some options there are some prerequisites. I have added links to those prerequisites within the post itself.
First of all, let’s identify the main sections of a report.
Identify the main sections of a report
In a professional report, the appearance or look of the report as well as it’s flow is significant. So, you should first identify the main sections of the report. The sections given below are the most common in a professional report. (in this post I assume that you know the meaning of bellow terms)
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Acknowledgement
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Acronyms
- Main Content/ Chapters
- References
- Appendixes
- Index
Creating these sections manually is not an easy task. However, if you practice the following Microsoft Word features, you can easily create the above sections.
The list of must-know features in Microsoft Word to create Professional Reports
Each feature below described in separate pages. You may click the post image or “read more” link to access these pages.
Insert Section Breaks
As the name suggests, section breaks used to break the document into separate sections. Sections allow you to handle its contents separately with the contents of other sections. Read More…
Create Numbered Multilevel Heading Styles
Numbered multilevel heading styles let you clearly distinguish the heading levels make the report easy to read & track. Correctly styled headings are used to generate… Read More…
Add Captions
It is a good practice to caption all the tables, images, maps, etc… added to your report. Caption helps you to refer to those objects precisely in your text. Read More…
Add Citations and Bibliography
Citation is “a word or piece of writing taken from a written work” [Cambridge Dictionary]. If you are obtaining information from another source, you must reference them. Read More…
Add Headers and Footers
Headers and footers are areas in the top or bottom of each page in a document. You can add title, page numbers, dates, or some graphics to every page in a document using headers and footers. Read More…
Add Page Numbers
Page numbers are generally added in the footer section of the document. Therefore the easiest way to add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word is to select a footer with page numbers when you are adding footers to the document. Read More…
Create a Table of Contents
Table of content help readers to easily navigate through your document. In this post, I will show you how easily you can create a table of contents in Microsoft Word. Read More…
Create List of Tables and Figures
When you add several tables and figures or any other objects in your report, it is a best practice to create a list of tables and figures or lists of other objects in the preface of the report. Read More…
Create an Index
An Index is a list of terms and topics that are discussed in a document. The terms and topics are listed along with the page numbers that they appear in the document. Read More…
Wrapping Up
The listed above are the essential features required to create professional reports with Microsoft Word. Here I have explained the basics of those features only. Once you get used to them, you can find more design and customization options inside those features. These features not only adding rich & professional looks to your documents, but they also help you to create and manage your report more easily and productively.
Do you need to make a professional annual report quickly? You can do it using a report design template Word doc.
A good template has an attractive annual report format already set. This makes your task of annual report creation easy.
Let’s look at how to make annual report designs quickly using a report design template Word doc. We’ll also take a look at some tips on how to make a good annual report design. So, let’s dig in and start designing.
How to Make Annual Report Designs
So, how do you make an annual report design? Well, you’ll need to decide which software you’d prefer to use. You’ll need to decide things like the best annual report format for your project too. Microsoft Word is one of many tools you can try. And there are plenty of annual report templates for Word.
New to Microsoft Word? Check out this free tutorial: Learn How to Use Microsoft Word (Beginner Tutorial Guide). It’s a great place to start!
Templates are a great solution because they give you a head start. You don’t have to begin with a blank canvas. An annual report template already has the basics established for you. Customize and edit it as much or as little as you want.
If you prefer to just insert your content in the annual report template, that’s fine. It’s a quick way to get your report done in a flash. Or, if you really want to change it up, use the template to jumpstart your design process. Turn it into something entirely new! The choice is yours.
Find the Perfect Annual Report Template Word Document
So, where do you find templates, especially if you want your annual report format in Word? Well, there’s a great collection of templates on Envato Elements. In fact, one low price gets you access to all of them, with unlimited downloads. That’s a great deal.
This means you can download as many annual report template Word documents as you like. Try out a few of them! They’re all included.
You also get a library of fonts, stock photos, illustrations, and more. Envato Elements comes with access to thousands of professional assets, all licensed for commercial use. It’s an awesome resource for creative professionals.
If you don’t necessarily need access to a library of files, consider GraphicRiver. Here, you can download only what you need. One download, one fee. It’s a great option for keeping things simple, but you still get the same level of professionalism.
How to Quickly Make Annual Reports in Microsoft Word Format With Templates
Now, let’s walk through how easy it to quickly create and customize an annual report in Microsoft Word using an annual report template. We’ll use this premium professional annual report template from Envato Elements:
You can download this tutorial and follow along if you like. Otherwise, these concepts are transferrable to any annual report template of your choice. We’ll hit the basic essentials to get you customizing your work right now.
Let’s begin!
1. Get Started With Your Document
You’ll need to navigate to your download. Your template may be compressed in a ZIP document. Uncompress this document and extract the files you need to your computer.
Depending on your template, you’ll be given a variety of different files.
Professional templates, like the one we’ll be using in this demonstration, usually have some sort of help guide or «readme» file. This will provide some insight as well as links to fonts that you’ll need for the document to display correctly. Install them before you open the files.
You may also have a variety of different file types. In our case we want to use the Word template. So, check out the template file in the DOCX format.
2. How to Navigate Through the Document
To open your document, go to File > Open. Navigate to the document on your computer and select it.
Navigating your document in Word is a simple process. Just scroll through the pages to see all the content within your document. The document we’re using has 20 pages worth of content with a large variety of different designs.
3. How to Duplicate and Manage Pages
To duplicate a page, you’ll need to create a new page. Make sure your cursor is placed at the top or bottom of a chosen page where you want to insert your new page. Then go to Insert > Blank Page.
Then copy the contents of another page and paste that into your new page to act as a template.
To delete an unwanted page, highlight the content of a page and click on the Delete button. Be careful with deleting page breaks.
4. How to Customize the Text
Customizing the text is also user friendly. As this is a Word document, in most cases, you can select the text with your cursor. Then edit as you would in most word processing software.
For our document you can change both the titles and paragraph text. Highlight the placeholder text and start typing your custom text. Your text will follow all the same formatting as the original text, including color font and size.
If your document includes a header, double click to access this content.
The great thing about adjusting header text is that the change appears on every page.
Our document even contains a page number that updates automatically. When you’re happy with your header, double click any area outside of your header to stop editing this part of your document.
You may come across some text that is inaccessible because it’s part of an image. Don’t worry. We’ll go over how to edit that too.
5. How to Change Colors
Changing colors of text is also a straight forward process. Highlight the text you want to change, then go to Home > Font Color. This is indicated by the icon with an A and a colored line under it. Once you click on the icon you get a palette of colors you can choose from.
You can also add your own colors to the palette by selecting More Colors.
It’s always a good idea to use a limited number of colors. Too many could be visually distracting.
6. How to Add Images
You may have noticed that there are some elements that you can’t easily edit. This may occur some templates. It’s usually because they’re images that have been imported. You can import your own images to replace them.
To remove an image, click to highlight and then press Delete.
To add an image, go to Insert > Picture. Then you can select Picture From File to select an image from your computer.
Once your image is inserted into the Word document you can place it anywhere you see fit. Remember to open up the Layout tab to control how your image appears. You can choose how text behaves and wraps around the image and even the order of how the images are layered.
7. How to Save Your Work
Once you’re happy with your report (or you’ve made some progress) you’ll likely want to save your work. You can do this by going to File > Save or File > Save As.
I suggest using Save As as this saves a new copy of the document. This way you keep a copy of the original template too.
From here, you can give your document a name. Place it in a folder where you can retrieve it later.
Annual Reports can be a big project, so I suggest saving many versions as you progress. You never know when you might need to revert to an older version.
8. How to Change Background Color
If you don’t like the background color of your annual report, you can easily change it.
Begin by clicking on the Design tab above the toolbar. Next, click on the Page Color button in the toolbar. When you click on this button, a color menu drops down.
9. How to Delete an Object
Sometimes you don’t like an object that is part of the design or in the way. To get rid of an object on your annual report template, select the object that you want to get rid of. Then, press Delete on your keyboard.
10. How to Change Object Color
If you want a new color scheme on your annual report Word template, change the color of the objects in your annual report Word template to match the color scheme.
Begin by selecting the object that you want to change the color of. When the object is selected, a Shape Format tab appears. Click on that tab.
Next, click on the Format Pane button in the toolbar. Clicking on this button opens a side panel in your window. Click on the Fill & Line tab on the Format Shape side panel.
In the Fill section of the panel, click on the Solid Fill option. When you click on this option, a Color field appears. Click on the button in that field. A color menu drops down. Choose the colors you want from the menu.
11. How to Add a New Text Box
To add more text to your annual report template you need to add a new text box. Click on the Insert tab. Next, click on the Text Box button in the toolbar. When you click on this button, a menu drops down.
Choose the right option for you from the drop-down menu. Next, click where you want the new text box to be and draw a diagonal line. Click inside the box and start typing your new text.
12. How to Save a File as a PDF
To email your annual report template, you’ll need to save it as a PDF file.
To save your annual report file as a PDF file, click File at the top of your screen. When you do, a menu drops down. Choose the Save As option. A window opens in the File Format field. Click on the PDF option to save your annual report as a PDF file.
Five Best Envato Elements Annual Report Design Template Word Documents
Take a look at some of the annual reports you can download right now on Envato Elements. Remember, they’re all included for one price, and you can customize them in Microsoft Word:
1. MS Word Report and Proposal (Annual Report Format in Word)
This stylish, multipage design has plenty of potential. Just open it up on Microsoft Word and add your content. Or customize the design to best suit your business needs.
2. Annual Report Template Word Design Document
If you’re looking for even more options, try out this design. It comes in two different sizes with plenty of different layouts to customize. Add your content to this template today.
3. Annual Report Design Template Word
Here’s another elegant design you could download today. It’s got 28 pages to choose from and includes a variety of file formats for your convenience.
4. Annual Report Word Design
Isn’t this design stylish? Download it today and easily edit the pages in Microsoft Word. This is just a sample of the 24 included pages. Change up the designs, color, and more.
5. Annual Corporate Report Template
Here’s another template with a lot of options. Customize the included 12 pages, duplicate them, and add your content. Includes a variety of file formats for your convenience and uses free fonts.
5 Quick Tips How to Make a Good Annual Report
We’ve just explored some ways how to make annual report designs quickly and easily with templates. But you might still wonder about how to make a good annual report work for you. What should it have? What do you need?
Check out these quick tips to help you create the perfect annual report:
1. Don’t Overwhelm the Reader
It can be tempting to put a lot of content on each page. But it’s wise to practice restraint. Too much content can be both overwhelming to read and overwhelming to look at. If you find yourself with a full page, consider breaking it up.
Empty space is just as important as your content. Think of it like breathing room for the eyes. This extra space can also help push the aesthetic of your design. Well balanced content that has both occupied and empty spaces can help make your work look more professional.
2. Make Sure All Text Is Clear and Legible
It’s essential that your text content is easy to read. For example, avoid the following pitfalls in your annual report format in Word:
- Don’t make your text too small. Even if it looks good, if it doesn’t read easily you’ve missed the point.
- Be careful about contrast. The text shouldn’t blend into the background. For example, light gray text on a white background is harder to read, especially at small sizes.
- Choose simple, clean fonts for paragraphs and body copy. You don’t want a busy, decorative fonts for long text. It can be very difficult to read.
If you aren’t sure, ask a friend or colleague to give your text a test read. Also remember, some may have more difficulty reading smaller sizes than others. Font legibility will also greatly vary depending on the font.
3. Keep Your Design Consistent
Your annual report format should exhibit consistency from page to page. Think about it: this is one, continuous presentation. It should look that way as you browse through it. If the design is jarringly different from page to page, it’ll feel really disjointed.
You can establish consistency in many different ways. For example, you could have a repeating header. You could have key colors that you keep consistent throughout.
The example below is a collection of some annual report format pages in Word. Notice how, while they vary, they share key elements in common.
4. But Don’t Let Things Get Boring Either
The same page layout, over and over again, would be visually boring. In fact, it might even be easier to get lost in the presentation. So, while consistency is good, it’s just like variety: you need to find a balance.
Above is an example annual report format in Word. Again, note how each page has some common elements:
- They use the same fonts.
- They share the same color scheme.
- But the layouts themselves mix things up.
You can also use different images. These pages basically have a theme, but they aren’t clones of each other. This keeps them looking related without being repetitive.
5. Consider Your File Formats
So, what annual report format is right for your project? Sharing your work as a Word document might not be the most effective way to do so. This would mean the viewer would have to have Microsoft Word installed. Also, you might put yourself in a position where your work is easily editable. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it might not be what you want.
Here are some questions to think about:
- Will you print your annual report?
- Will you offer it online?
Microsoft Word exports as PDF, so this can be a great option to explore.
Learn More About How to Make Annual Report Designs
There’s plenty more to learn about annual report design and Microsoft Word. Check out these free tutorials from Envato Tuts+. There are a great way to get start, keep learning, and do it all for free.
Check Out More Annual Report Templates
Looking for even more annual report design templates? Here are some inspiring collections to view today. There’s plenty of design inspiration and even more downloads you can check out.
Customize Your Annual Report Template in Word Today
Microsoft Word can be a great choice for your annual report format. Using a template can really help speed up the process too. There’s no better time to dig in and start designing, so why not begin your annual report design today?
Remember, if you’re looking for templates, you can find the perfect annual report format in Word over on Envato Elements. There’s so many files to choose from, and one fee gets you access to all of them. With unlimited downloads, you can grab as many as you’d like to try.
Or, if you prefer single downloads, remember to check out the annual report templates on GraphicRiver. There’s plenty more design inspiration over there to see too.
Good luck with your annual report, and happy designing!
Update: This post has been updated with help for Sarah Joy.
You can create a variety of different reports in Access, ranging from the simple to the complex. Begin by thinking about your report’s record source. Whether your report is a simple listing of records or a grouped summary of sales by region, you must first determine which fields contain the data you want to see in your report, and in which tables or queries they reside.
After you choose your record source, you will usually find it is easiest to create your report by using the Report Wizard. The Report Wizard is a feature in Access that guides you through a series of questions and then generates a report based on your answers.
What do you want to do?
-
Choose a record source
-
Create a report by using the Report tool
-
Create a report by using the Report Wizard
-
Create labels by using the Label Wizard
-
Create a report by using the Blank Report tool
-
Understand the report sections
-
Understand controls
-
Fine-tune your report in Layout view
-
Fine-tune your report in Design view
-
Add controls to the report
-
Save your work
-
View, print, or send your report as an e-mail message
-
View your report
-
Print your report
-
Send your report as an e-mail message
Choose a record source
A report consists of information that is pulled from tables or queries, as well as information that is stored with the report design, such as labels, headings, and graphics. The tables or queries that provide the underlying data are also known as the report’s record source. If the fields that you want to include all exist in a single table, use that table as the record source. If the fields are contained in more than one table, you need to use one or more queries as the record source. Those queries may already exist in your database, or you may need to create new queries specifically to fit the needs of your report.
Create a report by using the Report tool
The Report tool provides the fastest way for you to create a report, because it generates a report immediately without prompting you for information. The report displays all the fields from the underlying table or query. The Report tool may not create the final, polished product that you ultimately want, but it is quite useful as a means to quickly look at the underlying data. You can then save the report and modify it in Layout view or Design view so that it better serves your purposes.
-
In the Navigation Pane, click the table or query on which you want to base the report.
-
On the Create tab, in the Reports group, click Report.
Access builds the report and displays it in Layout view.
-
For more about viewing and printing your report, see the section View, print, or send your report as an e-mail message.
After viewing the report, you can save it and then close both the report and the underlying table or query that you used as a record source. The next time that you open the report, Access will display the most recent data from your record source.
Create a report by using the Report Wizard
You can use the Report Wizard to be more selective about what fields appear on your report. You can also specify how the data is grouped and sorted, and you can use fields from more than one table or query, provided you have specified the relationships between the tables and queries beforehand.
-
On the Create tab, in the Reports group, click Report Wizard.
-
Follow the directions on the Report Wizard pages. On the last page, click Finish.
When you preview the report, you see the report as it will appear in print. You can also increase the magnification to zoom in on details. For more about viewing and printing your report, see the section View, print, or send your report as an e-mail message.
Note: If you want to include fields from multiple tables and queries in your report, do not click Next or Finish after you select the fields from the first table or query on the first page of the Report Wizard. Instead, repeat the steps to select a table or query, and click any additional fields that you want to include in the report. Then, click Next or Finish to continue.
Create labels by using the Label Wizard
Use the Label Wizard to easily create labels for a wide variety of standard label sizes.
-
In the Navigation Pane, open the table or query that will be the record source for your labels by double-clicking it.
-
On the Create tab, in the Reports group, click Labels.
-
Follow the directions on the pages of the Label Wizard. On the last page, click Finish.
Access displays your labels in Print Preview so that you can see them as they will appear when they are printed. You can use the slider control on the Access status bar to zoom in on details. For more information about viewing and printing your report, see the section View, print, or send your report as an e-mail message.
Note: Print Preview is the only view you can use to see multiple columns — the other views show the data in a single column.
Create a report by using the Blank Report tool
If you aren’t interested in using the Report tool or the Report Wizard, you can use the Blank Report tool to build a report from scratch. This can be a very quick way to build a report, especially if you plan to put only a few fields on your report. The following procedure explains how to use the Blank Report tool:
-
On the Create tab, in the Reports group, click Blank Report.
A blank report is displayed in Layout view, and the Field List pane is displayed on the right side of the Access window.
-
In the Field List pane, click the plus sign next to the table or tables containing the fields that you want to see on the report.
-
Drag each field onto the report one at a time, or hold down CTRL and select several fields, and then drag them onto the report at the same time.
-
Use the tools in the Header/Footer group on the Design tab to add a logo, title, page numbers, or the date and time to the report.
Understand the report sections
In Access, the design of a report is divided into sections. You can view your report in Design view to see its sections. To create useful reports, you need to understand how each section works. For example, the section in which you choose to place a calculated control determines how Access calculates the results. The following list is a summary of the section types and their uses:
-
Report Header This section is printed just once, at the beginning of the report. Use the report header for information that might normally appear on a cover page, such as a logo, a title, or a date. When you place a calculated control that uses the Sum aggregate function in the report header, the sum calculated is for the entire report. The report header is printed before the page header.
-
Page Header This section is printed at the top of every page. For example, use a page header to repeat the report title on every page.
-
Group Header This section is printed at the beginning of each new group of records. Use the group header to print the group name. For example, in a report that is grouped by product, use the group header to print the product name. When you place a calculated control that uses the Sum aggregate function in the group header, the sum is for the current group.
-
Detail This section is printed once for every row in the record source. This is where you place the controls that make up the main body of the report.
-
Group Footer This section is printed at the end of each group of records. Use a group footer to print summary information for a group.
-
Page Footer This section is printed at the end of every page. Use a page footer to print page numbers or per-page information.
-
Report Footer This section is printed just once, at the end of the report. Use the report footer to print report totals or other summary information for the entire report.
Note: In Design view, the report footer appears below the page footer. However, when the report is printed or previewed, the report footer appears above the page footer, just after the last group footer or detail line on the final page.
Top of Page
Understand controls
Controls are objects that display data, perform actions, and let you view and work with information that enhances the user interface, such as labels and images. Access supports three types of controls: bound, unbound, and calculated:
-
Bound control A control whose source of data is a field in a table or query is a bound control. You use bound controls to display values from fields in your database. The values can be text, dates, numbers, Yes/No values, pictures, or graphs. A text box is the most common type of bound control. For example, a text box on a form that displays an employee’s last name might get this information from the Last Name field in the Employees table.
-
Unbound control A control that doesn’t have a source of data (a field or expression) is an unbound control. You use unbound controls to display information, lines, rectangles, and pictures. For example, a label that displays the title of a report is an unbound control.
-
Calculated control A control whose source of data is an expression rather than a field is a calculated control. You specify the value that you want in the control by defining an expression as the source of data for the control. An expression is a combination of operators (such as = and + ), control names, field names, functions that return a single value, and constant values. For example, the following expression calculates the price of an item with a 25 percent discount by multiplying the value in the Unit Price field by a constant value (0.75).
= [Unit Price] * 0.75
An expression can use data from a field in the report’s underlying table or query, or from a control in the report.
When you create a report, it is probably most efficient to add and arrange all the bound controls first, especially if they make up the majority of the controls on the report. You can then add the unbound and calculated controls that complete the design by using the tools in the Controls group on the Design tab.
You bind a control to a field by identifying the field from which the control gets its data. You can create a control that is bound to the selected field by dragging the field from the Field List pane to the report. The Field List pane displays the fields of the report’s underlying table or query. To display the Field List pane, on the Design tab, in the Controls group, click Add Existing Field.
Alternatively, you can bind a field to a control by typing the field name in the control itself or in the box for the ControlSource value in the control’s property sheet. The property sheet defines the characteristics of the control, such as its name, the source of its data, and its format.
Using the Field List pane is the best way to create a control for two reasons:
-
A bound control has an attached label, and the label takes the name of the field (or the caption defined for that field in the underlying table or query) as its caption by default, so you don’t have to type the caption yourself.
-
A bound control inherits many of the same settings as the field in the underlying table or query (such as for the Format, DecimalPlaces, and InputMask properties). Therefore, you can be sure that these properties for the field remain the same whenever you create a control that is bound to that field.
If you already created an unbound control and want to bind it to a field, set the control’s ControlSource property to the name of the field. For details about the ControlSource property, search Help for «ControlSource.»
Top of Page
Fine-tune your report in Layout view
After you create a report, you can easily fine-tune its design by working in Layout view. Using the actual report data as your guide, you can adjust the column widths, rearrange the columns, and add grouping levels and totals. You can place new fields on the report design and set the properties for the report and its controls.
To switch to Layout view, right-click the report name in the Navigation Pane and then click Layout View.
Access shows the report in Layout view.
You can use the property sheet to modify the properties for the report and its controls and sections. To display the property sheet, press F4.
You can use the Field List pane to add fields from the underlying table or query to your report design. To display the Field List pane, do one of the following:
-
On the Design tab, in the Tools group, click Add Existing Fields.
-
Press ALT+F8.
You can then add fields by dragging them from the Field List pane to the report.
Top of Page
Fine-tune your report in Design view
You can also fine-tune your report’s design by working in Design view. You can add new controls and fields to the report by adding them to the design grid. The property sheet gives you access to a large number of properties that you can set to customize your report.
To switch to Design view, right-click the report name in the Navigation Pane and then click Design View.
Access shows the report in Design view.
You can use the property sheet to modify the properties for the report itself and the controls and sections it contains. To display the property sheet, press F4.
You can use the Field List pane to add fields from the underlying table or query to your report design. To display the Field List pane, do one of the following:
-
On the Format tab, in the Controls group, click Add Existing Fields.
-
Press ALT+F8.
You can then add fields by dragging them from the Field List pane to the report.
Top of Page
Add fields from the Field List pane
-
To add a single field, drag the field from the Field List pane to the section where you want it displayed on the report.
-
To add several fields at once, hold down CTRL and click the fields that you want. Then, drag the selected fields onto the report.
When you drop the fields onto a report section, Access creates a bound text box control for each field and automatically places a label control beside each field.
Top of Page
Add controls to the report
Some controls are created automatically, such as the bound text box control that is created when you add a field from the Field List pane to your report. Many other controls can be created in Design view by using the tools in the Controls group on the Design tab.
Determine the name of a tool
-
Place the mouse pointer over the tool.
Access displays the name of the tool.
Create a control by using the tools in the Controls group
-
Click the tool for the type of control that you want to add. For example, to create a check box, click the Check Box
tool. -
Click in the report design grid where you want to position the upper-left corner of the control. Click once to create a default-sized control, or click the tool and then drag in the report design grid to create a control of the size that you want.
-
If you don’t position the control perfectly on the first try, you can move it by using the following procedure:
-
Click the control to select it.
-
Position the mouse pointer over the edge of the control until the pointer turns into a four-headed arrow
. -
Drag the control to the location that you want.
-
tool.
.This procedure creates an «unbound» control. If the control is the type that can display data (a text box or check box, for example), you need to enter a field name or expression in the ControlSource property for the control before it will display any data. See the Understand controls section in this topic for more information.
Display the property sheet
To display the property sheet in Design view, do one of the following:
-
On the Design tab, in the Tools group, click Property Sheet.
-
Press F4.
Top of Page
Save your work
After you save your report design, you can run the report as often as you need to. The report’s design stays the same, but you get current data every time you print or view the report. If your reporting needs change, you can modify the report design or create a new, similar report based on the original.
Save your report design
-
Click File > Save or press CTRL + S.
Alternatively, click Save on the Quick Access Toolbar.
-
If the report is untitled, type a name in the Report Name box, and then click OK.
Save your report design under a new name
-
If you’re using Access 2013 or higher, click File > Save As > Save Object As.
If you’re using Access 2010, click File > Save Object As.
-
In the Save As dialog box, type a name in the Save Report to box for the new report and then click OK.
Top of Page
View, print, or send your report as an e-mail message
After you save your report design, you can use it over and over again. The report’s design stays the same, but you get current data every time you view or print the report. If your reporting needs change, you can modify the report design or create a new, similar report based on the original.
View your report
There are several ways to view your report. Which method you choose depends on what you want to do with the report and its data:
-
If you want to make temporary changes to which data appears on the report before you print it, or if you want to copy data from the report to the clipboard, use Report view.
-
If you want to be able to change the design of the report while looking at the data, use Layout view.
-
If you simply want to see what the report will look like when it is printed, use Print Preview.
Note: If your report is formatted with multiple columns, you can only see the column layout in Print Preview. Layout view and Report view display the report as a single column.
View your report in Report view
Report view is the default view that is used when you double-click a report in the Navigation Pane. If the report is not open, double-click the report in the Navigation Pane to see it in Report view.
If the report is already open, right-click the report name in the Navigation Pane and then click Report View.
Work with your data in Report view
In Report view, you can select text and copy it to the clipboard. To select entire rows, click and drag in the margin next to the rows that you want to select. You can then copy these rows to the clipboard by doing one of the following:
-
On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy.
-
Right-click the selected rows and then click Copy.
-
Use the keyboard shortcut — Press CTRL+C.
Show only the rows you want by using filters
You can apply filters directly to your report without leaving Report view. For example, if you have a «Country/region» column and you want to see only those rows where the country/region is «Canada», do the following:
-
Find the word «Canada» in the report and right-click it.
-
Click Equals «Canada».
Access creates and applies the filter.
Toggle a filter on and off
You can switch between a filtered and non-filtered display by clicking Toggle Filter in the Sort & Filter group of the Home tab. This does not remove the filter — it just turns it on and off.
Remove a filter
-
Right-click the field from which you want to remove the filter.
-
Click Clear Filter from fieldname. (Your actual field is listed for fieldname.)
Once a filter has been removed, you cannot switch it back on by using the Toggle Filter command. You must first re-create the filter.
Note: If you apply a filter to a report and then save and close the report, the filter will be saved. However, the next time you open the report, Access will not apply the filter. To reapply the filter, on the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Toggle Filter.
Preview your report by using Print Preview
Right-click the report in the Navigation Pane, and then click Print Preview on the shortcut menu.
You can use the navigation buttons to view the pages of a report sequentially or to jump to any page in the report.
1. Click to display the first page.
2. Click to display the previous page.
3. Click to display the next page.
4. Click to display the last page.
5. Type a page number in this box and then press ENTER to jump to a specific page.
In Print Preview, you can zoom in to see details or zoom out to see how well the data is positioned on the page. With the cursor positioned over the report, click once. To reverse the effect of the zoom, click again. You can also use the zoom control on the Access status bar to zoom further in or out.
To close Print Preview, do one of the following:
-
On the Print Preview tab, click Close Print Preview.
-
Right-click the report in the Navigation Pane and then click Layout View or Design View on the shortcut menu.
Tip: After previewing your report, you can export the results to Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or several other Office programs. On the External Data tab, in the Export group, click the button for the format that you want and follow the instructions.
Top of Page
Print your report
You can print a report while it is open in any view, or even while it is closed. Before you print, be sure to double-check the page settings, such as the margins or page orientation. Access saves the page settings with the report, so you need to set them only once. You can set them again later, if your printing needs change.
Change the page settings
-
Open the report in Print Preview. You can change page settings in any view, but Print Preview is best because you can see the effects of any changes immediately.
-
On the Print Preview tab, in the Page Layout and Page Size groups, click Portrait
or Landscape to set the page orientation, Size to set the paper size, Margins to adjust the margins, and so on. -
After you make a change, use the navigation buttons to view several pages to ensure that you haven’t created any formatting problems on later pages.
or Landscape 
to set the page orientation, Size 
to set the paper size, Margins 
to adjust the margins, and so on.Send your report to a printer
-
Open the report in any view, or select the report in the Navigation Pane.
-
Click File > Print > Print.
Access displays the Print dialog box.
-
Enter your choices for options such as printer, print range, and number of copies.
-
Click OK.
Top of Page
Send your report as an e-mail message
You can send your report to recipients as an e-mail message instead of printing a paper copy:
-
In the Navigation Pane, click the report to select it. On the External Data tab, in the Export group, click Email.
-
In the Send Object As dialog box, in the Select Output Format list, click the file format that you want to use.
-
Complete any remaining dialog boxes.
-
In your e-mail application, type the message details and send the message.
Top of Page
i financial report image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
Writing a report in Microsoft Word can be done by using the available report templates. These templates have the complete report layout, so you can just add your content and adjust the template text. Once the adjustments are made, your report is personalized to your needs. Select the report template that fits your reporting style. Save the report when you are done so the report can be modified or retrieved at a later date.
Open Word 2010 and select the «File» tab. Select «New.» Select «Reports» from the left category task pane. Select one of the report sub-categories. For example, if you are doing an academic report, select this sub-category. Download the report template by clicking the «Download» icon in the right pane.
Highlight the default title text in the report and type your report name and details. Highlight additional default text and type your report information.
Change the report images by right clicking the image and selecting «Change Picture.» Search your computer for the image you want to use. Click the image and select the «Open» button. Your image replaces the default image.
Save your change by clicking the «Save» icon on the Quick Access Toolbar.
References
Writer Bio
Emmanuelle Douglas has been an avid writer since 1990. Her first professional writing assignment was for «Oscar News,» a local corporate Intranet website. She holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematical sciences from Clemson University.
Perfect your papers and reports with customizable templates
Your papers and reports will look as professional and well put together as they sound when you compose them using customizable Word templates. Whether you’re writing a research paper for your university course or putting together a high priority presentation, designer-created templates are here to help you get started. First impressions are important, even for papers, and layout can make or break someone’s interest in your content. Don’t risk it by freestyling, start with a tried-and-true template.
Remember, though: Papers and reports don’t have to be boring. Professional can still pop. Tweak your favorite layout template to match your unique aesthetic for a grade A package.