Question

How do you handle formatting issues when exporting Power BI reports to Excel or PDF, especially with large text tables?

When I export my Power BI report to Excel or PDF, large text tables often display formatting issues that affect readability, particularly with alignment and column widths. This is impacting the report’s usability for end-users who rely on these exports for offline analysis. What are some effective ways to manage formatting issues when exporting Power BI reports to ensure consistency?

Answer 1

• While utilizing Power BI, sometimes, there are issues faced in exporting bigger text tables in Excel or PDF formats due to the formatting, that is, alignment, column provision, and, in general, the clarity of the contents. The end-users who are these analytical experts would use more of the internet for some time, and they may find this even more stressful as the formatting is so bad, and the images may create a haze in the analysis. It sounds simple to enhance the formatting, but some of the techniques can make it possible to manage such types of issues.
• To begin with, it is very important to understand the different manners in which Power BI allows users to export their work. Suppose you are exporting straight out of Power BI Desktop. In that case, the export possibilities are quite constrained, leading to many often unexported formatted CSVs where there is little control over alignment and datatypes. For example, let’s say you have a large text table report in Power BI Desktop that has not been published, and you try to ‘export’ it. The exported file is in a text .csv format, which does not have design elements such as borders or even column widths. That is, a desktop does not offer such publishing and exporting design formatting possibilities. Hence, in such scenarios, one is advised to publish the report in the power service. In that case, one can click the ‘Export to Excel’ option, which is much more refined as it allows for structure and formatting that is much closer to the original visuals in Power BI after they have been exported.
• With regards to the utilization of Power BI Service, there are some benefits to exporting to Excel or PDF over using Power BI Desktop. In Power BI Service, for example, exporting tables or visuals in an Excel file will more often than not easily adhere to the column widths and fonts applied in the original file, making the exported file easier to read. In the case of exporting a PDF, for example, the use of Power BI service also takes care of the page layout parameters such as page size, orientation, scaling, and so on since they will be properly utilized to reduce the occurrence of page misalignment which is a common problem in Power BI desktop while exporting pages.
• When faced with the issue of how to export things while maintaining the formatting perceived as ‘in-house’, especially when dealing with big tables, or it could be the case that the focus will be on aim cutting corners and limited horizontal space given, one of the solutions would be building your tables with exteriors in mind. That is to say, refrain from thick text wrapping or using merged cells, as these often lead to the displacement of certain elements of the table during the export process. In these scenarios, the effectiveness of controlling the width of the tables being created alongside ensuring that the respective columns are sized appropriately for the corresponding pages comes out clearly. In as much as exporting options of Power BI cannot always guarantee such high levels of customization for the output design, these details can enhance the quality of the design after export by changing specific settings inside Power BI before exporting.