Printing an Access form

Although Printing Forms is not ideal, if there is a situation where you must then try this

This function has been tested to work in MS Access 2013 but should also be compatible with 2007 and 2010

It requires both parts be completed to work properly (Call to the function and the Manual Page set up on the Print Preview)

In your OnClick Event (Print Button on the SubForm)

Add the call to a sub

 Call printSubformInLandscape(Screen.ActiveForm, Screen.ActiveForm.ActiveControl.Form.Name)

Cut and paste this in as your sub

Sub printSubformInLandscape(ByRef ParentForm, ByVal SubForm)

On Error GoTo Err_printSubformInLandscape

    Dim MyForm As Form

    Dim prtr As Access.Printer

    Set MyForm = ParentForm

    Set prtr = Application.Printer

    Set MyForm.Printer = prtr

    DoCmd.SelectObject acForm, SubForm, True

    prtr.Orientation = acPRORLandscape

    DoCmd.PrintOut

    DoCmd.SelectObject acForm, MyForm.Name, False

Exit_printSubformInLandscape:

    Exit Sub

Err_printSubformInLandscape:

    MsgBox Err.Description & " printSubformInLandscape "

    Resume Exit_printSubformInLandscape

End Sub

You must Also go into your SubForm in Design Mode

 - For Access 2013 --> Select File - Print - Print Preview and change the Orientation to Landscape

• Save your form changes

Test it

I tried this in 2010 and it only prints the subform.

The short answer is don't print forms. Forms were not meant for printing but for entering and viewing data.

In a report you may not need a subform, but can use Grouping to accomplish the same thing.

I'd endorse what Daniel and Scott have said; printing a form is rarely a good solution.  A form will generally be designed with screen display in mind, whereas a report can cater much better for printed output.  You'll find an example of a report which outputs the data from a the current record of a form which includes subforms as InvoicePDF.zip in my public databases folder at:

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=44CC60D7FEA42912&id=44CC60D7FEA42912!169

If you have difficulty opening the link copy its text (NB, not the link location) and paste it into your browser's address bar.

While this little demo file is primarily intended to illustrate how to output a report as a PDF file, the 'Open Invoice' button on the form simply opens a report in print preview.  With minimal modification to the button's code it could send it to a printer of course.  The report in question does include a subreport, for the totals, but is mostly designed by grouping the report and using group headers and footers in addition to the detail section.

How are you printing it, VBA?  Can you provide us with your code.

Have you ensured the 'Display When' property is set to 'Always' and not 'Screen Only'?

Normally you print a report, not a form.  You'd be better off basing a report on your form and would get much better control and results.