One possible solution to your problem is to use a temporary table that has the same structure as your inventory table, but with 25 empty records. You can then append the records from your inventory table to the temporary table using an append query. This way, you will always have 25 records in your report, regardless of how many items you actually have in your inventory. You can use Access VBA to create and populate the temporary table before opening the report, and delete it after closing the report. Here is an example of how you can do this:

'Create a temporary table with 25 empty records
Dim db As Database
Dim rs As Recordset
Dim X As Integer

Set db = CurrentDb
db.Execute "CREATE TABLE TempInventory (ItemID Long, ItemName Text, ItemQuantity Long)"
Set rs = db.OpenRecordset("TempInventory")

For X = 1 To 25
    rs.AddNew
    rs.Update
Next

rs.Close
Set rs = Nothing

'Append the records from the inventory table to the temporary table
db.Execute "INSERT INTO TempInventory (ItemID, ItemName, ItemQuantity) SELECT ItemID, ItemName, ItemQuantity FROM Inventory"

'Open the report based on the temporary table
DoCmd.OpenReport "InventoryReport", acViewPreview

'Delete the temporary table after closing the report
DoCmd.Close acReport, "InventoryReport"
db.Execute "DROP TABLE TempInventory"

db.Close
Set db = Nothing

One way to do this is put your report as a *subreport* on another report, then put lines, boxes, etc., on top of that subreport.  The picture below shows the design view and the print preview result.  The tricky thing is have to your subreport line up perfectly with your lines and boxes.  This is made trickier since the horizontal ruler of the subreport is slightly off to the right of the main report's horizontal ruler.  The lines and boxes will always be on top of the subreport, and you don't really have to use "Send To Front" for them.

When there is no record, the detail section doesn't exist on the report, so that's why you can't put anything on the detail section when that happens.  This is quite a common problem, and I experienced this a lot in my old job.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try both techniques tommorrow.