How to automate the process of selecting the printer for a report in Microsoft Access (319317)

MORE INFORMATION

1. Create the following three reports:
   
   
   • rptLaserPrinter
   • rptDotMatrix
   • rptMyReport
   
   
   NOTE: rptMyReport represents the actual report that you want to print.
2. To set the printer options, follow these steps:
   1. Open rptLaserPrinter in Design view.
   2. On the File menu, click Print.
   3. In the Name box, click the laser printer that you want to use.
   4. Click Properties, set any print options that you want, such as the orientation and paper size, and then click OK.
   5. Repeat steps a through d for rptDotMatrix. Click the dot-matrix printer in step c.
3. In the Database window, click Modules, click New, and then type the following function:
   
   

   Function ChangePrinter(rptToChange As String, rptPrinter As String)
   
      Dim rpt1 As Report, rpt2 As Report
              
      DoCmd.OpenReport rptToChange, acViewDesign
      DoCmd.OpenReport rptPrinter, acViewDesign
              
      Set rpt1 = Reports(rptToChange)
      Set rpt2 = Reports(rptPrinter)
              
      rpt1.PrtDevNames = rpt2.PrtDevNames
              
      DoCmd.Close acReport, rptPrinter, acSaveNo
      DoCmd.OpenReport rptToChange, acViewPreview
   End Function
   						

   NOTE: The ChangePrinter function copies the PrtDevNames property from one report to another. You can then copy the print options that you set for the rptLaserPrinter and rptDotMatrix reports to a specific report that you want to print.
   
   NOTE: The "acSaveNo" property is used in the "DoCmd.Close acReport, rptPrinter, acSaveNo" line of the code that is shown earlier in this section. If you do not use this option and you save the PrtDevName of a nondefault printer to the report design, the report will not be able to find the printer when it runs the next time. You will receive the following error message:
   This document was previously formatted for the printer <PrinterName> on <Port>; but that printer isn't available. Do you want to use the default printer <DefaultPrinterName> on <Port>?
4. Save the module as Module1, and then quit the Visual Basic Editor.
5. Create the following form:

      Form: frmForm1
      ------------------------------
         RecordSource: Unbound
   
      Control Type: Command Button
         Name: cmdLaser
         Caption: Laser
      Control Type: Command Button
         Name: cmdDotMatrix
         Caption: Dot Matrix
   					

6. On the View menu, click Code.
7. In the Visual Basic Editor, type the following procedures:

   Private Sub cmdLaser_Click ()
   
     Call ChangePrinter("rptMyReport", "rptLaserPrinter")
     DoCmd.PrintOut
   
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub cmdDotMatrix_Click ()
   
     Call ChangePrinter("rptMyReport", "rptDotMatrix")
     DoCmd.PrintOut
   
   End Sub
   					

8. Quit the Visual Basic Editor, and then change the On Click property of both command buttons to [Event Procedure]. To do so, follow these steps:
   1. In Design view, click the command button, and then click Properties on the View menu.
   2. Click the Event tab, click the On Click property, click the down arrow, and then click [Event Procedure].
9. To print rptMyReport to a specific printer, open frmForm1 in Form view, and then click the appropriate button.