I am pretty new at this, but I have built a few small databases for various personal groups and projects. Currently I have a database that looks great in layout mode, but when I go to Preview (and when I print it) there is a large band of blank space between the body and the footer (both have patterned backgrounds) and the pagination does not print fully, as it is too low on the page. I cannot make a footer "slide up", and I have tried to adjust the size of both body and footer, to no avail. I have searched the Help, but found nothing that helps. Many thanks for any advice.

Change the footer (by double click) to mutate into a trailing grand summary :

-jens

Thanks, Jens... but, unless I've done something wrong (which is entirely likely) that just eliminates the entire footer, so I have no background fill at the bottom of the page and no page numbers. Any other ways to do this?

Use both footer and trailing grand summary parts. See also this thread.