Need Creative Solution for P&L Formatting

[mdoan]

Hey there -- I'm working on a P&L that the client wants me to format exactly like their original PDF, which is not doable with native matrix features.

I've managed to find workarounds for everything except the row shading and borders. First, I tried using Power BI's native shapes and layering them above and below my matrix, but they'd shift when publish depending on the user's resolution, zoom and/or scaling. I tried to be clever and take a screenshot of the P&L at 100% zoom with my scaling also set to 100%, open PowerPoint and make the slide canvas the same size as my P&L canvas, and then overlay shapes to align properly and export it as an svg. Just as I was about to give myself a pat on the back since it was working with various resolutions, in waltzed the user with different scaling set in Windows, causing misalignment once more. So then I tried PNG instead. Same problem. To make matters worse, they also want this exported to PDF and that just exacerbates the alignment issues.

I can use a custom visual, but it has to be certified. I had tried using Deneb, but that didn't work out. I've heard ProfitBase might work, so I'm going to try a trial of that and see if I can get it set up as needed. Any other suggestions? I'm stumped at this point. I was really hoping to get this as near to pixel perfect for the client as possible, but these scaling issues are really giving me trouble.

[mdoan]

I might be getting closer with trying to print by going to File > Print this Page rather than Export > PDF. The only thing that didn't come through correctly here was the background color on some shapes that I can replace with text boxes. Even when I changed my scaling in Windows, it worked. It doesn't fit on the page exactly how I'd like, but it's close enough! Would still love to hear any other suggestions anyone might have though.

[v-aatheeque · Accepted solution]

Hi  @mdoan 
Thanks for using Fabric Community Forum.

From what you’ve shared, it seems you’ve tried several methods, including layering shapes, taking screenshots, and switching to print options, but there are still alignment issues, especially when it comes to backgrounds and scaling across different devices.

• If you have Power BI Premium (PPU or capacity), migrate your P&L into a paginated report. This gives you pixel-perfect control across all resolutions and easy PDF export.
• If Premium isn't available, then using certified visuals designed for financial reporting is your next. These offer far more flexibility than the native matrix/table visuals:
• ProfitBase Financial Reporting (Purpose-built for financial statements with native support for row-level styling, multi-formatting, and PDF exports.)
• Inforiver : A highly flexible and interactive grid visual supporting:Conditional formatting, indentation, borders, groupings,Export to Excel and PDF ,Pre-built P&L templates.
  
  

  Hope this helps !!

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @mdoan 

Just checking in on your P&L formatting challenge I hope the suggestions shared earlier were helpful. In particular, if you're working in a Premium workspace, transitioning to Paginated Reports might give you the pixel-perfect control and export consistency you're aiming for.

If Premium isn’t an option, visuals like ProfitBase or Inforiver (both certified) are purpose-built for financial reporting and offer features like row-level styling, conditional formatting, and reliable PDF exports.

Let us know if you had a chance to try any of these or if you're still facing alignment issues  happy to help further!

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @mdoan 

Just checking in to see if you had a chance to try any of the recommended approaches for aligning and formatting your P&L report in Power BI.

As shared earlier, if you're using Power BI Premium, migrating the report to Paginated Reports offers pixel-perfect formatting and consistent PDF exports.

If Premium isn’t an option, certified visuals like ProfitBase or Inforiver provide advanced formatting, styling, and export capabilities far beyond what's possible with native matrix visuals.

Let me know if you’ve had a chance to explore these or if you need help adapting any of them to your specific layout.

Happy to assist further!

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @mdoan 

Just following up to see if you’ve had a chance to try out any of the solutions we suggested for formatting your P&L report in Power BI.

As mentioned earlier, if you're working in a Power BI Premium environment, Paginated Reports could be a great option they allow for pixel-perfect layouts and consistent PDF exports.

If Premium isn’t available, you might consider using certified visuals like ProfitBase or Inforiver. These offer much more advanced formatting, styling, and export features compared to the native matrix visual.

Let me know if you’ve explored any of these tools yet, or if you'd like help customizing them to fit your layout requirements.

Always happy to support further!

If we don’t hear back , we’ll go ahead and close the thread in line with the community guidelines.

Thanks for your time and cooperation!