Power BI Paginated Reports features and limitations

Introduction

Power BI Paginated Reports are a type of report that is designed to be printed or shared. They are formatted to fit well on a page, and they display all the data in a table, even if the table spans multiple pages. You can control the report layout exactly. Here are some of the features and Limitations of Power BI Paginated Reports:

Featured
Pixel-Perfect Layouts	Paginated Reports in Power BI are designed to create fixed-layout, pixel-perfect reports. Users have precise control over report elements' placement and sizing, ensuring consistent formatting and alignment, which is crucial for printed or PDF-based reports.
Print-Ready Reports	Paginated Reports are optimized for printing or exporting to formats like PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others. This makes them suitable for scenarios where hard copies of reports are required, such as financial statements, invoices, or regulatory filings.
Data Source Support	Paginated Reports can connect to various data sources, including Power BI datasets, Azure SQL Database, Azure Analysis Services, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), Oracle, SharePoint lists, and more. This enables users to fetch data from different systems for reporting purposes.
Advanced Pagination Options	Users can define page breaks, headers, footers, and repeating rows or columns to control the report's layout for printing and reading convenience. This allows for improved report organization and navigation.
Rich Formatting Options	Paginated Reports offer extensive formatting capabilities, allowing users to customize fonts, colors, borders, background colors, and other design elements. Users can apply consistent styling across the entire report.
Expressions and Parameters	Users can use expressions and parameters in Paginated Reports to create dynamic and interactive reports. Parameters enable users to customize report outputs based on selected values, making the reports more flexible.
Drill through Actions	Paginated Reports can include drill-through actions, enabling users to navigate from summary reports to detailed information. This helps in exploring data at various levels of granularity.
Data Regions	Paginated Reports support data regions like tables, matrices, charts, and other data visualizations. Users can create tabular reports, cross-tab reports, and charts with different chart types.
Data Export and Distribution	Paginated Reports allow users to export data directly from the report to supported formats like CSV, Excel, and PDF. The reports can be scheduled for automatic distribution via email or stored in SharePoint libraries.

 

Limitation
Limited Interactivity	Paginated Reports lack the interactive features found in other Power BI report types. They are designed for static viewing and are not suitable for ad-hoc data exploration or interactive analysis.
Complexity in Design	Creating and designing Paginated Reports may require more effort and time compared to other Power BI report types due to their fixed layout nature. Achieving complex designs might be challenging.
Premium or Premium Per User Licensing	To use Paginated Reports in the Power BI Service, organizations need to have Power BI Premium or Power BI Premium Per User (PPU) licenses. This can add to the overall cost of deploying Paginated Reports.
Limited Data Visualizations	While Paginated Reports offer tables, matrices, and charts, they do not provide the same breadth of data visualization options as other Power BI report types. They are more suitable for structured and tabular data presentations.
Not Suitable for Data Exploration	Paginated Reports are not designed for interactive data exploration or data discovery. Users seeking ad-hoc analysis should use other Power BI report types like interactive Power BI reports, or Power BI reports with paginated pages.
Less Flexibility in Layout	The fixed layout nature of Paginated Reports can limit the flexibility in accommodating varying screen sizes and device orientations compared to responsive designs seen in other report types.

Conclusion

Power BI Paginated Reports are well-suited for scenarios that require precise and formatted reporting, especially for printing or sharing in PDF format. They offer a range of features for creating pixel-perfect, print-ready reports with advanced pagination options. However, they have limitations in interactivity, design complexity, and licensing requirements, which organizations should consider when deciding to use Paginated Reports in their Power BI environment.