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Fixed Size Dashboards

By default, the views in a dashboard automatically scale to fill the entire window. This means that the size of the dashboard can vary from machine to machine, depending on the screen resolution and the size of the window. While sometimes you want the dashboard to automatically scale to fill the window, you can ensure a consistent layout by specifying a fixed size for the dashboard. The size of the dashboard is displayed at the bottom of the Dashboard window.

Here's how it works.

The dashboard below is set to automatically fit to the window, which means that each view is scaled smaller when it is opened on a small screen. To ensure that the dashboard looks the same on all screens, you can specify a fixed size.
The same dashboard shown at a small size and a normal size.

To specify a fixed size:

1. Click Edit in the Size area of the Dashboard window.
Image of the Size area of the Dashboard window.
2. In the Page Setup dialog box, select one of the following behaviors:
  • Automatic - the dashboard automatically resizes to fill the application window. This is the default behavior.
  • Exactly - the dashboard always remains a fixed size. If the dashboard is larger than the window; the dashboard becomes scrollable.
  • At Least - the dashboard automatically resizes to fill the application window, but will not scale smaller than a specified minimum size.
The Page Setup Dialog box with the dashboard size controls showing.
3. Select one of the following types of sizes:
  • Standard - select from a list of common sizes, such as 800 x 600 pixels.
  • Custom - Specify a custom width and height into the text boxes.
The size controls in the page setup dialog box.
4. When finished, click OK.
You can see the three types of behaviors on the dashboards shown below.
Each dashboard illustrates the three scaling behaviors.
Note: Fixed size dashboards are only available in Tableau v3.1 or later. This upgrade is available as part of your current maintenence agreement. For step by step instructions on how to access the application download or to retrieve your license key, please visit our Download Help Page.

If you have any questions or need additional assistance regarding the upgrade, please contact Customer Service.
 

To Learn More

  • Learn more about Dashboards by searching for Dashboard in the Tableau Online Help.
  • Contact Tableau Technical Support at: (206) 633 3400 x2
  • Learn this trick and many more at the Tips and Tricks index. Don't forget to bookmark it.