# Should You Print a View or a Report?

Both views and reports can be printed. They differ in the kinds of information they contain and in how they display that information.

Most often, a printed view includes only the information that’s displayed on your screen when you use the Print command (including parts of the screen to which you need to scroll in order to see the entire screen). If the project view you see on the screen meets your needs, go ahead and print it.

A printed report comprises a predefined set of detailed information about a specific aspect of your plan. Microsoft Project comes with more than 20 predefined reports. For example, the Who Does What report automatically includes each resource’s task assignments, as well as the work, delay, and start and finish dates for each assignment.

Further differences arise when you consider whether to print a report or a view.

Activity | In a report | In a view
--- | --- | ---
Printing | You can print from the preview window or from the Custom Reports dialog box. | You can print from the project window or from the preview window.
Editing | You can’t edit specific information in a report. | You can edit specific information before printing.
Formatting | You can change the formatting of a category of text. | You can change the formatting of a category of text or specific text.

If you decide to print a view, it’s a good idea to check the pages in the preview window first to see how they’ll look when printed. Microsoft Project automatically displays a preview of a report when you select the report.

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