How To Print Two Excel Charts on Single Page w/OLE Automation

It is possible using OLE Automation with Excel version 5.0 to print two charts on a single page. This article demonstrates how to do it in Visual Basic version 3.0.

Excel version 5.0 exposes its printing capabilities through OLE Automation. The Excel Worksheet object supports the PrintOut method. The PrintOut method prints the Worksheet to the printer using the current PageSetup.

The following example creates and positions two Charts on a Worksheet. Then it modifies the PageSetup, and prints the Worksheet to the printer.

Step-by-Step Example

1. Start a new Project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
2. Add a command button (Command1) to Form1.
3. Place the following code in the command button click event:

    Sub Command1_Click()
   
         ' Define Excel Constants:
         ' Constant values can be found with "MsgBox xlConst" in Excel
         ' Constants are also in XLCONST.BAS in Office Developer's Kit 1.0
         Const xlColumn = 3
         Const xlRows = 1
         Const xlLine = 4
         Const xlPortrait = 1
         Const xlPaperLetter = 1
         Const xlAutomatic = -4105
         Const xlDownThenOver = 1
   
         ' Dimension Variables:
         Dim XL As Object
         Dim WS1 As Object
         Dim WS2 As Object
         Dim PS As Object
         Dim Col As Integer
   
         ' Create an Excel Application object:
         Set XL = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
   
         ' Make Excel visible:
         ' If the following line is changed to a comment, Excel will not be
         ' visible, but the charts will still print
         XL.Visible = True
   
         ' Add a Workbook and set Worksheet objects to the first two Sheets:
         XL.Workbooks.Add
         Set WS1 = XL.WorkSheets(1)
         Set WS2 = XL.WorkSheets(2)
   
         ' Fill in Cells of first Worksheet with data for Charts:
         Randomize Timer
         For Col = 1 To 10
            WS1.Cells(1, Col).Value = 10 * Rnd
            WS1.Cells(2, Col).Value = 10 * Rnd
         Next
   
         ' Display the second Worksheet:
         WS2.Select
   
         ' Add a Chart object at specified position:
         ' Top and Left are relative to Cell A1
         ' Enter the following two lines as one, single line of code:
         WS2.ChartObjects.Add(0, 0, XL.InchesToPoints(6),
            XL.InchesToPoints(4)).Select
   
         ' Use the ChartWizard method to fill in the Chart:
         ' Enter the following three lines as one, single line of code:
         WS2.ChartObjects("Chart 1").Chart.ChartWizard
            WS1.Range(WS1.Cells(1, 1), WS1.Cells(1, 10)), xlColumn, 1, xlRows,
            0, 0, 1, "Chart 1 (Column Chart)", "Columns", "Value", ""
   
         ' Create a second Chart on the same Worksheet:
         ' Enter the following two lines as one, single line of code:
         WS2.ChartObjects.Add(0, XL.InchesToPoints(5), XL.InchesToPoints(6),
            XL.InchesToPoints(4)).Select
         ' Enter the following three lines as one, single line of code:
         WS2.ChartObjects("Chart 2").Chart.ChartWizard
            WS1.Range(WS1.Cells(2, 1), WS1.Cells(2, 10)), xlLine, 4, xlRows,
            0, 0, 1, "Chart 2 (Line Chart)", "Points", "Value", ""
   
         ' The following lists various property settings for the PageSetup
         ' Object in Excel. There may be additional properties available for
         ' different printers. Please check the Excel documentation for
         ' details on the PageSetup object.
         Set PS = WS2.PageSetup
         PS.PrintTitleRows = ""
         PS.PrintTitleColumns = ""
         PS.PrintArea = ""
         PS.LeftHeader = ""
         PS.CenterHeader = "Two Charts on a Page"
         PS.RightHeader = ""
         PS.LeftFooter = ""
         PS.CenterFooter = "Page &P"
         PS.RightFooter = ""
         PS.LeftMargin = XL.InchesToPoints(.75)
         PS.RightMargin = XL.InchesToPoints(.75)
         PS.TopMargin = XL.InchesToPoints(1)
         PS.BottomMargin = XL.InchesToPoints(1)
         PS.HeaderMargin = XL.InchesToPoints(.5)
         PS.FooterMargin = XL.InchesToPoints(.5)
         PS.PrintHeadings = False
         PS.PrintGridlines = False
         PS.PrintNotes = False
         PS.CenterHorizontally = True
         PS.CenterVertically = True
         PS.Orientation = xlPortrait
         PS.Draft = False
         PS.PaperSize = xlPaperLetter
         PS.FirstPageNumber = xlAutomatic
         PS.Order = xlDownThenOver
         PS.BlackAndWhite = False
         PS.Zoom = 100
   
         ' Print the WorkSheet:
         WS2.PrintOut 1
   
         ' Close the Workbook without saving the contents:
         ' The brackets [] around Close are necessary because Close is
         ' a Visual Basic method.
         XL.ActiveWorkbook.[Close] (False)
         ' Shut down instance of Excel:
         XL.Quit
   
         Set XL = Nothing
         Set WS1 = Nothing
         Set WS2 = Nothing
         Set PS = Nothing
   
      End Sub
   						

4. Save the project.
5. Run the example, and click the command button.

Excel should become visible. You will see data being put into the cells. After the data is entered, you will see the creation of the charts. Finally, Excel will begin printing.