Crystal 11.5 - custom page sizes

[Former Member]

I used to have Crystal 11.5 installed (an old installation, from CD ROMs) on Windows XP, and at that time I had the option to make custom page sizes, especially where reports are very wide (i.e. have many columns). Now I have Windows 7 and I installed from a download, and I have lost that ability.

My Page Setup screen is very limited. See attached screen shot: all there is Paper Size, Paper Source, Margins, and Orientation. For paper size there is only the drop-down list of standard sizes (the widest being Legal in Landscape format). There is no option to pick another printer, which I used to have, and which had the possibility of changing the options in the dropdown list. When I click on Custom size, there is no screen to select what that custom size is.

So, in short, I need a way to make a report that is wider than 14". I read the posts about printing basics, but those don't seem to apply to my situation (i.e. those screen shots already have the options that I am lacking). If this is a matter of downloading a printer driver, please suggest which one would work. Otherwise, it seems like part of the Crystal page setup is missing.

[former_member205840 · Accepted solution]

Hi Paul,

You can create your own page sizes using windows printer properties and newly created page size can be selected in crystal reports page setup.

or

When you look at the screen capture, you will see a No Printer check box, click on that and try to select your own sizes.

Thanks,

Sastry

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I looked at the windows printer properties and didn't see any option that correspond to creating new page sizes. That would be ideal if I could make it work because I am trying to change an existing report. But I just don't see that on any of the tabs.

The No Printer doesn't seem to provide any option for selecting my own sizes. It just reverts the report back to the default letter size.

Thanks,

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Actually I did find it, not under Properties but under Preferences. Unfortunately, it's not allowing me to add new ones until I delete some sizes, and it's not allowing me to delete any. But I'll try to figure it out.

Thanks.

[JWiseman]

hi Paul,

if you ever need to print those reports then the print driver option won't be that helpful. if you don't need to print then do a search for a plotter printer or try something like this hp 60" plotter driver. i haven't tested this as i don't have 11.5.

if you do need to print your reports, then have a look at the attached report. extract the contents and change the file extension from .txt to .rpt. this workaround creates a 'banner' style report by using a cross-tab object to create virtual pages. then subreports are added to create the wide style report. there are instructions on the report.

the above workaround is unfortunately only good for setting report widths. if you do need to print your reports in any size, then the only option would be to go to a newer version of crystal where this is a feature.

-jamie

Banner or Virtual Page Report.txt.zip

[Former Member]

Thanks, I wasn't clear about printing, I don't print directly from Crystal, I export usually to Excel.

So the PDF printer driver works, as would a plotter printer driver, just not as convenient as it used to be.

Before I could change the printer driver for the report on the Page Setup screen, and that would allow me to choose different sizes on the fly, and to change the page size for existing reports.

Now, I have to change my Windows default printer to the PDF printer, then create a new report and establish the size. After that I can go back and change the default printer, and the report will keep the PDF printer. Awkward, but not impossible.

Thanks to all for your help.

[raghavendra_hullur]

Hi,

We had the same situation and we installed a software called pdf Creator.

Once you install this and restart your Crystal Reports Designer, you will see many additional page setup options.

There are couple of drawbacks with this, that if you or your client isn't having printer with required paging option as per the new options available in this software, your report output cannot be printed.

Also, you need to have this software installed on server as well as the machine from which report design is being carried out.

You can try it with this link.

Thanks,

Raghavendra

[Former Member]

Thanks, I did install pdf Creator and it did add a lot of different page size options, but still nothing wider than 14" (US legal, in Landscape mode).

What I really need is for a way to make true Custom page sizes. This option is not currently available to me. I used to have it in my old installation, and I would sure like to get it back.

I wonder if there is any option on the program installation that I overlooked that would provide this function?

[raghavendra_hullur]

Hi,

Aren't you getting options like ARCH E1? which has page width of 41 inches? or ARCH E (which has 47 inch width).

Yes, I agree there is no custom size option with this.

Thanks,

Raghavendra

[Former Member]

I do see them but only on new reports. Unfortunately, I have an existing report that was created before I loaded this software, and these options don't show up there. I guess I have to re-create the report to get these sizes.