Formatting for print in Power BI - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

This feature helps you prepare your Power BI reports so they look good when printed or saved as PDF. It solves the problem of reports cutting off or not fitting well on paper by adjusting layout and page settings.

When you need to share a report as a printed document with your team or clients

When you want to save a report as a PDF with proper page breaks and margins

When your report visuals are too large or small for standard paper sizes

When you want to add headers or footers for printed reports

When you want to control the orientation (portrait or landscape) of the printed pages

Steps

Step 1: Open

- Power BI Desktop report you want to print

Your report is visible and ready for formatting

Step 2: Click

- File menu

File options appear

Step 3: Select

- Print or Export to PDF option

Print dialog or export settings open

Step 4: Click

- Page setup or Settings button in the print dialog

Page size, orientation, and margins options appear

Step 5: Choose

- Page size dropdown

Page size changes to your selected paper size (e.g., A4, Letter)

Step 6: Select

- Orientation option

Page orientation changes to portrait or landscape

Step 7: Adjust

- Margins settings

Margins update to control white space around the report

Step 8: Preview

- Print preview pane

You see how the report will look on paper or PDF pages

Step 9: Click

- Print or Export button

Report prints or saves as PDF with the chosen formatting

Before vs After

Before

Report visuals are cut off on print preview and do not fit the page

After

Report fits well on the page with correct margins and orientation, ready for printing or PDF export

Settings Reference

Page Size

📍 Print dialog > Page setup

Sets the paper size for printing or PDF export

Default: Letter

Orientation

📍 Print dialog > Page setup

Controls whether the report prints vertically or horizontally

Default: Portrait

Margins

📍 Print dialog > Page setup

Adjusts the white space around the report content on the page

Default: Normal

Common Mistakes

Not adjusting page size before printing

The report may be cut off or scaled incorrectly on paper

Always set the page size to match your paper before printing or exporting

Ignoring orientation settings

Report layout may not match the paper direction, causing poor fit

Choose portrait or landscape orientation based on your report layout

Using default margins without checking

Margins may be too wide or narrow, wasting space or cutting content

Adjust margins to balance white space and content visibility

Summary

Formatting for print helps reports look good on paper or PDF by adjusting page size, orientation, and margins.

Always preview your report before printing to avoid cut off or scaling issues.

Set page settings to match your paper and report layout for best results.