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DilbertIsMyHero
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Quote DilbertIsMyHero Replybullet Topic: Vertical Ruler and Preprinted Forms
    Posted: 20 May 2009 at 10:14am
I am creating a Bill of Lading in CR2008 which must be printed on a preprinted form on a dot matrix printer. 
 
There are boxes which have to have information in them.  I can measure on the form from the top and left where the data needs to go, but when looking at Crystal, it is hard to tell how the vertical ruler works.
 
In the Report Header, I have a 1 showing, then there is another 1 in the Page Header, another 1 in the Details. 
 
How can you accurately measure from the top edge of the page down using the vertical ruler?  Am I making this too complicated?
 
Thanks,
Gilley Estes
Welton USA
Gilley Ann Estes
Senior Technical Writer
Welton USA
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DBlank
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Quote DBlank Replybullet Posted: 20 May 2009 at 11:17am
That is a difficult question. YOu would have to use preview to see this ruler.
This is because depending on how you set up your report items move up and down on the page either due to setting items to "can grow" or the total number of groups and/or detail rows.
If you have more than one detail row that appears the footer will shift accordingly.
Does this make sense?
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lockwelle
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Quote lockwelle Replybullet Posted: 21 May 2009 at 6:32am
I would think that for a bill of lading most of the items that would be in boxes in a preprinted form would not grow as they are probably short terms, and they are usually at the top. 
 
You could keep adding up the numbers for the different sections as you go down, but the 'easier' way is probably trial and error using the ruler as a rough guide.  Might end up killing alot of trees to get the perfect fit.  To save some, you might try holding the form up to the screen  WYSIWYG.
 
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DilbertIsMyHero
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Quote DilbertIsMyHero Replybullet Posted: 21 May 2009 at 7:03am
Thanks for all the suggestions.  I am trying to be too 'technical' I guess.  Trying to avoid all that 'trial and error' stuff.
 
Someone else suggested using a lines per inch approach.  I am thinking about doing this for the initial layout then 'tweeking' as needed to make everything line up perfectly. 
 
That is another problem for me.  I am too particular and picky about printed lines lining up perfectly with the preprinted words.  I may have to let go a bit on this form Wink
 
Thanks again everyone.
 
Gilley
Gilley Ann Estes
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Welton USA
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Quote DBlank Replybullet Posted: 21 May 2009 at 7:18am
You can also use the x-y placement of any field if you know what it is suppose to be on your printed form.
Right click on a field and select the "Size and Position" option and you can manage this from there.
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lockwelle
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Quote lockwelle Replybullet Posted: 21 May 2009 at 7:26am
you won't be perfect...if the form is not set correctly (it is dot matrix and the setting can vary and even a 1/32 of inch will drive you crazy, but can't be helped) then nothing will align with the printed word.  If it was laser, I would say print everything from Crystal...but that isn't the case.
 
The position is not exact either, as you enter one number and Crystal shifts by a bit when you hit enter...I don't know, maybe it is trying to align it to a grid...either way it is not exact either.
 
No matter how you do it, the 'tweeking' is the trial and error part.  You can get close, but I've seen how operators load the printers...they get close, real close, but there is no guarantee that they will be dead on 100% of the time.
 
Good luck...don't worry too much about vertical alignment, you will get close and all of your text will align with each other...the horizontal should be dead on though.
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