ACC97: Can't Print Black Lines on Report When Spool Set to Raw

• Microsoft Access 97

SYMPTOMS

When you try to print a black line on a report, the line is not printed. However, if you view the report in Print Preview, you see the line. If you change the line's BorderColor property to a color other than black (0), the line is printed.

This behavior also occurs with tables, queries, or forms in Datasheet view if you change the gridline color of the cells to black.

CAUSE

When the Spool Data Format setting for the printer you are using is set to RAW, black lines will not print on your report, and gridlines will not print on your table, query, or form in Datasheet view.

RESOLUTION

If you want to have black lines print on your report and gridlines print on your table, query, or form in Datasheet view, change the spool setting of the printer to EMF (Enhanced Metafile format). Otherwise, change the color for the lines or gridlines you are printing to another color.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access 97.

MORE INFORMATION

The Enhanced Metafile format (EMF) allows Windows 95 and later to use a full 32-bit GDI instruction set. When you print using the EMF spooling option, Windows creates an EMF that contains a complete set of instructions that re-create the image as printed output. When you change your Spool Data Format printer setting to EMF, Windows can better handle printing black lines.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Open Microsoft Access 97 and the sample database Northwind.mdb.



2. Open the Invoice report in Design view.



3. Click on the line just below the Logo.



4. Change the BorderColor property of the line to 0 (black).



5. Set the Spool data format setting for your HP Laserjet printer to RAW by doing the following:
   
   
   1. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Printers. Select your HP Laserjet printer.
   
   
   
   2. In the Printers dialog box, using the right mouse button, click your printer, and then click Properties.
   
   
   
   3. In the <Printer> Properties dialog box, click the Details tab, and then click Spool Settings.
   
   
   
   4. In the Spool Settings box, in the Spool Data Format box, change the setting to RAW. Click OK. Click OK again to close the <Printer> Properties box.
   
   
   



6. Print the first page of the Invoice report. Note that the line does not appear on the report.

REFERENCES

For more information about changing print driver settings, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q128345 Troubleshooting Printing Problems in Windows 95

Additional query words: gridlines

Keywords          : kbprint PtrPrev PtrGraph acct 
Version           : 97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug 

Last Reviewed: April 20, 1999