Removing blank spaces in printouts

Often, the amount of information in the fields in your database varies. When you print, FileMaker Pro can shrink field boundaries and shift objects to the left or up on your layout to close up the blank space caused when the information in a field doesn't fill the field boundary.

For example, in a catalog, a description for one item may be longer than for another. If you use the sliding feature, you can close up the space between items and print more items per page.

You can slide any object, including fields, portals, other objects, and even layout parts. Here is how certain objects slide:

Fields shrink to eliminate empty space within field boundaries. A field can also slide if there is a sliding or shrinking field above or to the left of the field.
Non-field objects, like a horizontal line or a text object, can slide if there is a sliding field above or to the left of the objects. When a non-field object slides, it moves to another place on the layout but it doesn't shrink.
Portals slide like any other non-field object, but objects within a portal can't slide. If you specify that a portal slides up and the enclosing part shrink, FileMaker Pro omits empty portal rows.
You can set layout parts to shrink when the fields in them slide up. Headers, footers, title headers, title footers, and top navigation and bottom navigation parts never shrink or slide up. Don't set a part to shrink on a layout that requires fixed vertical spacing, like labels.

All objects slide left (or up) corresponding to the amount of space that the fields to the left of (or above) the objects shrink. However, sliding does not remove empty space you leave between fields, or other empty spaces on parts. For example, if you create a body part with one inch of space below the lowest object, and set all the objects to slide and the part to shrink, FileMaker Pro leaves one inch below the lowest object when you print.

To set sliding options:

Note The effects of the sliding options you set only appear in Preview mode and printouts, not in Browse mode.

In Layout mode, select both the objects you want to slide and the leftmost (or topmost) field that you want the other objects to slide into so it can shrink.
In the Inspector, click the Position tab.
In the Sliding & Visibility area, select the sliding options you want.

To	Select this option
Reduce the width of the selected fields to the minimum needed for their data, and then slide all selected objects left based on the amount of space the fields shrink.	Sliding left
Reduce the height of the selected fields to the minimum needed for their data, and then slide all selected objects up based on the field above that shrinks the least. Note This option maintains consistent vertical spacing among columns and repeating fields.	Sliding up based on, and click All objects above
Reduce the height of the selected fields to the minimum needed for their data, and then slide all selected objects up based on the amount of space the fields directly above shrink. Note This option allows the spacing in a column to adjust independently of other columns and repeating fields.	Sliding up based on, and click Only objects directly above
Close up the space in the layout part that contains the selected fields. To slide the part up relative to all objects, set this option for all the objects that are sliding up. To slide the part up relative to a single object, set this option for that object only.	Also resize enclosing part

To see the effects of the sliding options you set, choose View menu > Preview.
See Previewing data on a layout.

To modify or remove the sliding options for objects:

In Layout mode, select the objects you want to change.
If you want to remove sliding from a group of objects, remember to select the leftmost (or topmost) field along with the other objects that are sliding.
In the Inspector, click the Position tab.
In the Sliding & Visibility area, deselect options you don't want.

Notes

In many cases, you can achieve the same sliding effects by using merge fields. The following table summarizes when to use sliding objects and when to use merge fields.

Use sliding objects when you want to:	Use merge fields when you want to:
slide non-text objects, like graphics shrink a layout part to fit more on a page align formatted fields, like value lists and repeating fields use a layout for data entry (you can't enter data into a field formatted as a merge field)	slide fields together in one continuous block of text, such as for mailing labels slide fields and text together in one continuous block of text, such as for form letters See Placing merge fields on a layout.

Use sliding objects when you want to:

Use merge fields when you want to:

slide non-text objects, like graphics
shrink a layout part to fit more on a page
align formatted fields, like value lists and repeating fields
use a layout for data entry (you can't enter data into a field formatted as a merge field)

slide fields together in one continuous block of text, such as for mailing labels
slide fields and text together in one continuous block of text, such as for form letters

See Placing merge fields on a layout.

In Layout mode, choose View menu > Show > Sliding Objects to see which objects slide and in which directions.
When you slide objects or parts, FileMaker Pro prints the objects relative to each other, not precisely as you placed them on your layout.