Access Report Prints Form Instead — Seeking Insights from the Community

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone here can shed light on a frustrating issue we've been facing with Microsoft Access. We have a database where users click a button on a form (labeled “Delivery Sheet”) to open a report in Print Preview mode. The report displays correctly in a new tab, but when users click the Print button in the ribbon, it prints the form instead of the report — even though the report is visibly in front.

Here's what we've tried so far:

• The embedded macro behind the button uses OpenReport (Print Preview) followed by SelectObject to set focus on the report

We've tested adding Maximize as a macro action between OpenReport and SelectObject

The issue persists even after updating the Brother printer driver, repairing Office/Access, and verifying that other Office apps print fine

Pressing Ctrl + P from the report preview prints the correct report — every time

Selecting the specific printer manually also works

Switching to “Use Default Printer” in Page Setup works inconsistently

From what we can tell, it seems like Access still considers the form to be the active object when using the ribbon Print button, even if the report is in preview mode.

Has anyone run into this issue before?

Are there more reliable ways to ensure report focus when using macros?

Would switching to overlapping windows mode solve the issue reliably?

Is there a VBA-free workaround that works 100% of the time?

Should we just train users to always use Ctrl + P or bypass preview with direct printing?

Any insights, workarounds, or lessons learned would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone here can shed light on a frustrating issue we've been facing with Microsoft Access. We have a database where users click a button on a form (labeled “Delivery Sheet”) to open a report in Print Preview mode. The report displays correctly in a new tab, but when users click the Print button in the ribbon, it prints the form instead of the report — even though the report is visibly in front.

Here's what we've tried so far:

The embedded macro behind the button uses OpenReport (Print Preview) followed by SelectObject to set focus on the report

We've tested adding Maximize as a macro action between OpenReport and SelectObject

The issue persists even after updating the Brother printer driver, repairing Office/Access, and verifying that other Office apps print fine

Pressing Ctrl + P from the report preview prints the correct report — every time

Selecting the specific printer manually also works

Switching to “Use Default Printer” in Page Setup works inconsistently

From what we can tell, it seems like Access still considers the form to be the active object when using the ribbon Print button, even if the report is in preview mode.

Has anyone run into this issue before?

Are there more reliable ways to ensure report focus when using macros?

Would switching to overlapping windows mode solve the issue reliably?

Is there a VBA-free workaround that works 100% of the time?

Should we just train users to always use Ctrl + P or bypass preview with direct printing?

Any insights, workarounds, or lessons learned would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!