Cathy,

Thanks! I tried this. It works. A few things:
I don't know how to set height and width at runtime - can I access report object via object syntax?
I didn't seem to need this anyway? I can put the object in page header then drag the bottom to below the detail band.
Biggest problem: resolution. I created a paint bmp. I need 6 pt type (maybe even 5) The resolution is somewhat hazy - even with the 8pt that paint let me create. What is the best image format with the best resolution, with what tool? I am not that well versed in image creation. Will I be able to approximate the quality of straight text?

If the resolution remains a problem I might have to try something else, e.g. word automation, or, figure out the listener thing.

>I still think you need a reportlistener but if you haven't used them yet, this is pretty complex.
>
>The only other creative way I can think of to solve this is to create an image of the text you want printed on the side, and then add the image to the page header band and change height and width to be the size you want at runtime.
>
>
>>Cathy,
>>
>>Thanks. I haven't used VFP 9 specific features much yet, so I'll have to study the reportlistener capabilities.
>>
>>In the meantime though let me try to describe this better, and what I did since I wrote this.
>>
>>At first I was trying to do this with label objects, but they don't have stretch with overflow.
>>
>>So then I tried it with a text object - once I did this I had a different set of problems. I checked stretch with overflow for the object. I put the top of the object in the page header band, and it extended through the detail band and slightly into the page footer band. I want the object to run from slightly above the detail band and then to just about even with the bottom of the detail band.
>>For the page header band I had 'constant band height' unchecked. (I think I read that in order for stretch with overflow to work I had to do this?)
>>So now I don't have the problem with the detail band too large. Instead my problem is that the page breaks 3 times with 20 items in my detail band,
>>(and the whole object prints on each page)
>>whereas if I don't have stretch with overflow I get all my detail lines on one page (which is how it needs to be)
>>
>>I don't know if this description changes anything or whether I will still need the reportlistener?
>>
>>>My only suggestion is to use a reportlistener. You could add some type of placeholder object in the page header. Then in the reportlistener, you could override the render method and use GDI+ to write the text manually. The FFC Class library has a class full of wrappers around GDI+ API calls. There's also a project on VFPx that has GDI+ classes to use. It's not a simple solution .. but it is possible.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>I have to build a Bill of Lading Report form according to the customer's layout.
>>>>On the right most part of the BOL there is legal text, in a column, that runs down the right side of the page. It starts above the detail area and ends below the detail area.
>>>>
>>>>If I put it in the page header then the page header is way too long, and the report errors out and says that the detail band is too large.