KB174652 - FIX: PrintForm Method Does Not Print Entire Form

Article ID: 174652

Article Last Modified on 11/18/2003

Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Learning Edition
Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Professional Edition
Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Enterprise Edition

This article was previously published under Q174652

SYMPTOMS

Executing a PrintForm method to print a maximized form results in only a portion of the form being printed. This bug may also occur when you click Print on the File menu to print a Form Image.

CAUSE

The PrintForm method prints an image of the Form window in its normal state. Those controls that are not visible on the Form when the Form's window state is normal will not print.

RESOLUTION

Workaround #1

To workaround this bug, resize the form so that all controls on the form display, and then execute the PrintForm method.

Workaround #2

You can also workaround this problem by capturing the on-screen image of the form and then printing that image. For more information, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

161299 HOWTO: Capture and Print the Screen, a Form, or any Window

Please note that this workaround will not work in situations where the form is larger than the display area, or if a portion of the form is not visible for any other reason. For an alternate approach, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

178076 HOWTO: Use a PictureBox to Control Orientation Printing a Form

230502 HOWTO: Print a Form That Is Too Large for the Screen or Page

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This bug has been fixed in Visual Basic 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Start a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
Maximize Form1 and place a command button on the lower-right corner of the form.

Copy the following code to the Code window of Form1:

      Option Explicit
      Private Sub Command1_Click()
         Me.PrintForm
      End Sub

Press F5 to run the program. Maximize the form with the maximize button and then click the command button. Only part of the form is printed.

Additional query words: printer printing truncate

Keywords: kbbug kbfix kbprint kbvbp600fix KB174652