Project 2003: Printing Reports

Written by: Ronda Roberts • Edited by: Marlene Gundlach
Updated Apr 23, 2010 • Related Guides: Microsoft | Microsoft Project

This article takes the reader step-by-step through printing reports in Microsoft Project 2003. Learn how you can print MS Project reports in this article.

Printed reports are a great asset in project management meetings. They allow all team members to see the progress of the project, the budget of the project, or the allocation of resources. Printing reports, however, can be a bit tricky. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to print reports in Microsoft Project 2003.

1. Choosing Which Reports to Print

click to enlarge

Before you can print reports, you have to first know what reports to print. The different reports that are available for printing from Microsoft Project 2003 include:

Gantt Chart with various filters
Project Summary
Task Sheet
Budget
Completed Tasks
Tasks Starting Soon
Resource Usage
Calendar
To-Do List
Resource Sheet
Resource Graph
Network Diagram

Once you have chosen the type of report you wish to print, then you can select the print preview option from the drop down menu.

2. Select the Timescale

Once you chose to print the document, you may or may not have an option asking you to chose the timescale. The timescale you choose will allow you to select all dates or a specified time period. This is a useful option because it allows you to focus the printed report on just what you need.

3. Double Check the Print Preview

Before printing, take the time to double-check the print preview. This step cannot be emphasized enough. You want to make sure that you are printing just what you need, not hundreds of pages. By checking the print preview and clicking "multiple pages" you can view, in thumbnail size, all of the pages that will be produced by your printer. This way, there are no suprises when your laser printer spits out fifty pages.

4. Remember What you See is What you Get

If you are printing, remember that what you see on your screen is what you will get on paper. If you have something you do not wish to appear in a report you are sharing with others (personal information, abbreviations, etc.) now is the time to fix it. Also make sure you are printing the report you require. Take time to become familiar with the different capabilities of the reports.

5. Print the Report

Finally you can select print, and wait for the report to print. Double check to make sure what you have is what you had wanted to produce. For information on how to print reports in Project 2007, you may wish to read twhatley's article, "Project 2007: Printing Reports". Another article you may wish to read is Deanna's article, "Project 2007: Creating Custom Reports."