FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual

Printing

Printing typically involves two specific commands on Windows or Mac OS X: File → Print Setup or File → Page Setup and File → Print. ScriptMaker sees it this way, too.

You use the Print Setup script step to set the options in the Print Setup or Page Setup dialog box. Turn on “Specify print setup” or “Specify page setup” to see the standard dialog box. You can pick the option you want to associate with the script step. When the script runs, FileMaker restores these same options. You can also turn on a “Perform without dialog” checkbox. When this option is off, the user sees—and gets a chance to configure—the dialog box when the script runs. If you just want to set the options without user intervention, turn on “Perform without dialog.”

The Print script step works very similarly. You can specify the exact print options (number of pages and so forth) or let the user make the choice. Either way, when the step runs, FileMaker prints the current record or found set.

Note

Many of the options you can set in the Print dialog box are specific to a particular printer model. For example, some printers let you pick color or black-and-white printing or have settings for different kinds of paper. If someone uses your database and script on a different printer, these options don’t work.