>I defined a Generic Text Printer to send straight ASCII streams on a DOT MAtrix Printer, problem is to align the columns.
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>The report designer shows a total different layout than what I get on the actual paper print out. I tried pulling the objects one character to the right, even just one pixel to the right or left and the result does not follow these simple changes.
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>Any guidelines to accomplish this?.

The key here is to use a monospaced font not a proportional font in designing the report. Monospaced fonts use the same amount of space per character displayed, and so what you see on-screen is much closer to what you end up with on the report.

The real solution here is to not use the native Report Writer where you don't want to use the Windows Printer capabilities. Since the row/column paradigm you need for this type of output is not reflected well in the report writer, because VFP's Report Designer is based on exploiting the Windows GDI for producing output, not producing unformatted ASCII streams you're hurting yourself needlessly. In essense you're fighting the tool because it wasn't designed to do what you'd like it to do.

Your approach is at least in part invalidating the basic concept of hardware independent printed output that lies behind Windows-based printer tools. You'll find it far less frustrating to either accept the decreased print speed of using the Windows GDI and gaining all the font and formatting capabilities the GDI offers, or deciding that you need to create row/column aligned ASCII streams that completely bypass the Windows printing logic.