The best way to think of forms and reports is this: forms are for input and reports for output. Reports are the primary way that users consume information. Luckily, Access wizards guide us through the process of designing reports.

In the example below, we are creating a report on inventory.

Select the fields that need to be in the report

The wizard provides several options for the display of the information, such as sorting.

Here is the quick Inventory report for sake of example. The report has been sorted according to Product ID as was specified in the wizard.

There is a rich set of formatting options for reports. There is also a robust “Print Preview” capability where professional-looking touches can be added to the appearance of the report.