Paginated Reports
Create branded, fixed-layout business documents that export as pixel-perfect PDFs
Overview
Pixel Perfect Paginated Reports turn your Semaphor data into deterministic, fixed-layout business documents. Where dashboards are built for exploration, paginated reports are built for production output — revenue statements, shipment summaries, operational reports — that look the same every time you export them. You author the layout once, configure the inputs your readers fill in, and export a consistent, branded PDF.
When to use a paginated report
Dashboards and paginated reports answer different questions. Pick the one that fits the job.
| Use a dashboard when | Use a paginated report when |
|---|---|
| Readers explore data and ask follow-up questions | Readers need a fixed document they can share or file |
| Layout adapts to the screen | Layout must match an exact page size and margins |
| Filters apply across cards interactively | Inputs are supplied once before export |
| The output is a live view | The output is a printable, archivable PDF |
Common paginated reports include monthly revenue statements, customer-facing shipment summaries, regulatory filings, and routine operational summaries.
Core concepts
Sheets
A paginated report is a sheet inside a dashboard, alongside your regular dashboard sheets. Add one from New Sheet → Document and switch between sheets in the tab bar. See Building a report.
Sections
Reports are built from sequential sections that flow vertically down the page: text, tables, pivot tables, charts, spacers, and page breaks. Each section type has its own configuration. See Sections.
Document inputs
Inputs are document-scoped parameters that supply values before export — date ranges, customer selections, thresholds. They are isolated from dashboard filters, so a report always runs against the values you configure for it. See Inputs and variables.
Variables
Reference inputs anywhere in your report copy with {{inputAlias}} — in body text, headings, headers, and footers. Variables resolve at render time, so the same template can produce a different document for every customer or period. See Inputs and variables.
PDF export
Export to PDF at the page size and orientation you configured. Tables paginate automatically based on measured row heights, and the page count reflects the real document. See Export.
How it works
- Create a document sheet. From your dashboard, choose New Sheet → Document.
- Configure the page. Pick Letter or A4, portrait or landscape, and set your margins.
- Add sections. Stack text, tables, pivot tables, charts, spacers, and page breaks in the order they should appear.
- Add inputs. Define the parameters readers will supply — date ranges, account IDs, anything you want to vary per export.
- Use variables. Reference inputs in your text and headers using
{{inputAlias}}. - Preview. Review the rendered document at full page size and confirm pagination looks right.
- Export. Generate the PDF and share it.