PDFs are ideal for sharing reports and presentations with stakeholders. Whether you're distributing quarterly emissions summaries or preparing board-ready sustainability reports, a few adjustments help ensure your exported PDFs are clean, readable, and present your data effectively.
To configure PDF export formatting, you need the Create and edit workbooks permission in Altruistiq. This allows you to access Edit mode, where you can add page breaks and configure table export settings.
Plan your page layout
When you export a workbook page to PDF, the layout on screen translates directly to the exported document. Planning ahead helps avoid surprises.
We recommend putting a container that acts as a page in place and testing the export on that container. Once the size is right, you can build visualisations within it.
To create reports that export cleanly:
Keep elements within the page width boundaries
Leave some space at the edges of your layout
Consider how elements will flow when they span multiple pages
Test your export early in the design process to catch layout issues
You can adjust your workbook's page width in the workbook settings if you need a different size for your PDF output.
Use page breaks intentionally
Page breaks let you control exactly where content splits between PDF pages. Without them, elements may be divided awkwardly or appear in unexpected places.
To add a page break:
Open the workbook in Edit mode
Click the Add element button in the left sidebar
In the PDF export elements section, select Page break
Drag the page break element onto your workbook canvas where you want the new page to begin
Click Publish to save your changes
Place page breaks between logical sections of your report. For example, you might add a break after your summary dashboard before detailed data tables, or between different reporting periods.
Page breaks appear as a thin line on the canvas in Edit mode but are invisible in the final PDF—they simply force subsequent content to the next page.
Tables in PDFs
By default, tables in PDF exports only display the rows visible on screen. If you need to show more data, you can expand tables to display up to 1,000 rows.
To show additional rows in a table:
Open the workbook in Edit mode
Select the table you want to expand
Click More (⋮) > Export formatting
Select Expand table to first 1k rows
Click Publish to save your changes
There is an important constraint to be aware of: if you want to export a page containing a table with up to 1,000 rows, the table must be on its own row in the layout. It cannot have other elements beside it and cannot be inside a container element.
For tables with more than 1,000 rows, consider:
Filtering your data before export to focus on the most relevant records
Summarising data into groups rather than showing individual rows
Exporting to Excel or CSV instead, which support up to 1 million rows
When a table expands across multiple PDF pages, the column headers automatically repeat at the top of each page for readability.
Handle interactive elements
Controls and other interactive elements appear in your PDF, but they work differently than on screen. In a PDF, controls display as static elements showing their current values at the time of export.
Before exporting, consider:
Which control values matter for the PDF—set them before exporting
Whether filters applied to your data show the view you want to share
That viewers cannot interact with controls in the PDF
If you're setting up a scheduled export, you can configure specific control values to use each time the export runs. This ensures your reports consistently show the data you intend.
Export a page as PDF
To export a workbook page as a PDF:
Navigate to the page you want to export using the page tabs at the bottom of the workbook
Right-click the page tab (or click the page menu)
Select Export as PDF
Choose your layout orientation (portrait or landscape)
Click Export
The PDF downloads to your device with the current filter and control values applied.
Common issues and solutions
Issue | Possible cause | Solution |
Elements cut off at page edges | Content wider than page width | Resize elements to fit within 1050px (portrait) or 1380px (landscape) |
Awkward page breaks | No explicit page breaks defined | Add page break elements between logical sections |
Too much white space | Elements not sized to fill available space | Adjust element sizes and positions to use the page area effectively |
Table shows fewer rows than expected | Default behaviour limits visible rows | Enable Expand table to first 1k rows in export formatting |
Table still truncated after expanding | Table next to other elements or in a container | Move the table to its own row, outside any containers |
Wrong data appearing in export | Active filters or control values | Check filter and control settings before exporting |
Tips for polished exports
A few additional practices help create high-quality PDF reports:
Test exports during design: Don't wait until your workbook is complete. Export a PDF periodically to check how your layout translates.
Use consistent element sizing: Align elements and use consistent widths to create a clean, organised appearance.
Consider your audience: A board presentation might benefit from larger charts with less detail, while an operational report might need comprehensive data tables.
Add context with text elements: Include titles, explanations, and context that will make sense to readers viewing the PDF without access to the interactive workbook.
Review before sharing: Always preview your PDF export before distributing to stakeholders to catch any layout issues or data problems.