Report layout

When creating a report, a good layout is essential to ensure that the information in the report is presented in a clear and effective manner.

Consider the following structural elements:

Define the page structure.
Determine what goes into the page header, body, and footer. The page header contains information that appears at the top of each page. The page body contains information that starts on the first instance of the page. If there is too much data to fit on a single page, it continues across all instances of the page. The page footer contains information that appears at the bottom of each page.
Identify horizontal bands of information.
Look for natural bands of information running across the page. Each of these bands typically translates into a block.
Identify vertical bands of information.
In each horizontal band of information, look for bands that run up and down the page. Each of these bands typically translates into table cells.
Decide which data frames to use to lay out the data.
Choose a list, crosstab, chart, repeater, or text frame.
Set properties at the highest level item possible.
By setting properties at the highest level, you set them once instead of setting them for each child object. For example, if you want all text items in a report to appear in a specific font, set the font for the page.

Tip: When setting properties for an object, click the Select ancestor icon in the Properties pane title bar to see the different levels available.
Use padding and margins to create white space.
Do not use fixed object sizing unless it is absolutely necessary. When you specify that an object has a fixed size, your layout becomes less flexible.