Home > Using FileMaker Pro > Previewing and printing information > Previewing data on a layout

Previewing data on a layout

When you switch to Preview mode, you see the layout as it appears on the printed page. You can’t enter or edit information in fields in Preview mode.

In Preview mode, you see:

•	how many records fit on a printed page

•	how the pagination settings you choose affect page breaks (see Defining page breaks and numbering)

•	subsummary parts with calculated summary fields (see New Layout/Report (New Layout/Report assistant))

•	variable information supplied by FileMaker Pro, like page numbers, the current date, and so on (see Inserting the date, page number, or other variable onto a layout)

•	the page margins you define (see Specifying page margins)

•	how fields set with sliding options close up blank space (see Removing blank spaces in printouts)

•	records arranged in columns if the Layout Setup dialog box is configured to print in columns (see Setting up to print records in columns)

•	the front-most tab panel or slide panel if the page contains panel controls (see Working with panel controls on layouts)

•	popover buttons, but not their associated popovers or the contents of popovers (see Working with popovers on layouts)

To preview data on a layout:

1.	Follow the same preliminary steps that you perform when you print:

•	Specify a printer and printing options.

•	Verify that the found set contains the records you want to preview.

See steps 1 through 4 in Printing records.

2.	Click Preview in the layout bar (Browse mode), or choose Preview from the Mode pop-up menu at the bottom of the document window.

To move through pages in Preview mode:

Use the navigation controls in the status toolbar. Click and , drag the slider left and right, or type a page number in the current page number box and press Enter or Return.

•	Choose Records menu > Go to Record > Next, Previous, or Go To to move to the next, previous, or a specific page. (These menu items are not available if the status toolbar is hidden and locked by a script step.)

•	Use the vertical scroll bar to move up and down on the page you are viewing. You might need to go to the end of the report before the total number of pages is accurately displayed.

Notes

•	You can’t use Preview mode to see how your database looks when published on the web. You must use a web browser.

•	Placeholder text is not visible and navigation parts do not display in Preview mode.