Introduction to Paginated Reports:
Paginated reports are designed to be printed or shared. They are called paginated because they are formatted to fit well on a page. They display all the data in a table, even if the table spans multiple pages. You can control their report page layout exactly. Power BI Report Builder is a standalone tool for authoring paginated reports for the Power BI service.
Business Challenge:
In today’s data-driven landscape, most businesses lean heavily on interactive dashboards for quick insights and decision-making. But here’s a question: What happens when you need a 30-page, print-ready report for your finance team, complete with precise formatting, page numbers, and fixed layouts?
Over 40% of enterprise reporting requirements still depend on paginated or pixel-perfect formats, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, and government. Whether it is generating invoices, regulatory submissions, or detailed operational reports, interactive dashboards alone can’t always get the job done. That’s where Paginated Reports come in.
In this post, we will explore why paginated reports are essential, how they differ from regular dashboards, and how to create them effectively using tools like Power BI Report Builder.
Business Use Case Example:
In the world of finance, exporting large volumes of General Ledger (GL)-level data is a common but often complex requirement. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a client who was struggling with this exact challenge.
They were using a matrix visual in Power BI to view and export their GL data. However, every time they exported the data, the formatting would break, making the output hard to consume and unusable for downstream processes.
Proposed Solution:
To address the issue, I recommended a shift to Paginated Reports that are perfectly suited for high-precision, printable, and export-friendly reporting. Paginated Reports allowed them to export exactly what they saw, in a well-structured and consistent layout.
Initially, the client opted for DirectQuery mode to always fetch the latest data. While this met the need for real-time visibility, it also resulted in increased cost and performance overhead, especially given the volume of data and frequency of access.
To resolve this, I proposed a smarter middle ground:
-Switch from DirectQuery to Import mode, using Power BI as the source dataset.
-Schedule dataset refreshes four times a day—perfectly aligning with their data freshness requirements without the constant hit of DirectQuery.
This simple yet strategic shift made a massive impact:
-Exported data was fast to retrieve.
-Costs were significantly reduced.
-And with a well-structured data model and optimized report design, the entire export process took just seconds.
Prerequisites:
License requirements for Power BI paginated reports (.rdl files) are the same as for Power BI reports.
-You do not need a license to download Power BI Report Builder from the Microsoft Download Center for free.
-With a free license, you can publish paginated reports to My Workspace in the Power BI service.
-With a Power BI Pro license or a PPU license, you can publish paginated reports to other workspaces. You also need at least a contributor role in the workspace.
-You need Build permission for the dataset.
How to Install Power BI Report Builder:
-Install Report Builder from the Download Center.
-Install Report Builder from the Microsoft Store.
Key Features of Paginated Reports:
-Print-Ready, Fixed Layout: Designed for precise, page-oriented formatting. They maintain structure across different export formats (PDF, Excel, Word, etc.).
-Handling Large Data Volumes: Can process and display millions of rows efficiently, generating tables that span multiple pages.
-Automated Scheduled Reports & Distribution: Can be scheduled to generate and email reports automatically.
Comparison between Paginated Report and Power BI Report:
Performance Optimization Tips:
-Use Filters Wisely: Apply filters at the dataset or query level instead of in the report body to minimize data load.
-Avoid Large Datasets: Only pull the data you need. Limit columns, rows, and unused fields.
-Optimize Data Model: Use aggregation wherever possible.
-Paginate Effectively: Design reports to load smaller pages instead of trying to render everything at once.
-Keep Layout Simple & Clean: Avoid overloading pages with too many visuals or nested tables.
-Use Page Headers & Footers Sparingly: Keep them light to avoid rendering delays on multiple pages.
-Consistent Formatting: Use report styles and templates for uniformity across pages and reports.
-Leverage subreports cautiously: While powerful, subreports can significantly increase rendering time. Use them only when necessary.
Conclusion:
Paginated Reports bridge a critical gap in enterprise reporting, enabling organizations to produce pixel-perfect, print-ready reports that scale with data volume and complexity.
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