What are paginated reports?

A paginated report is a type of report that is formatted to fit well on standard pages.

Paginated reports are ideal when you need to generate detailed, structured documents that maintain their format across different pages, whether for printing or digital distribution.

Paginated reports are often referred to as “pixel-perfect” because they allow you to have precise control over the layout, including the positioning of elements, page headers and footers, and pagination. Paginated reports are commonly used in scenarios where the data needs to be presented in a fixed, structured format, such as invoices, financial statements, or other professional and operational reports.

  1. Fixed layout: Paginated reports have a fixed layout that ensures the content is presented consistently across different pages, unlike other report types that may dynamically adapt to screen size or data volume based on the content.
  2. Multiple pages: As the name suggests (paginating originally refers to page numbering), paginated reports are designed to span multiple pages. They handle large amounts of data by breaking it up across several pages, with features like page breaks, headers, footers, and page numbers to maintain readability and structure.
  3. Precision in formatting: These reports allow for precise placement of text, images, tables, charts, and other elements. This precision ensures that the report looks exactly as intended when printed or exported, with control over margins, page size, orientation, and more.
  4. Interactive elements: While paginated reports are primarily static, they can include some interactive elements like drill-downs, drill-throughs, and sorting, enabling users to explore the data in more detail if needed.
  5. Data sources: They can pull data from various sources, such as SQL databases, Excel files, or other data providers. They are typically built using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) or tools like Power BI Report Builder in the Microsoft ecosystem.
  6. Export and distribution: Users can export paginated reports to multiple formats, including PDF, Excel, Word, and more.

The most common use cases that require using them are:

  • Invoices and billing statements
  • Financial reports
  • Operational reports
  • Legal and regulatory documents

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