Excel: Chart Text Truncated in Print Preview and When Printed

ID: Q93561

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 1.x, 2.2, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.0a
Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, if you are working with charts that contain unattached text or attached text (such as chart titles and category axis labels), the text may be truncated when you view the document in print preview or when you print the document.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because text is sometimes truncated when a LaserWriter font (printer font in Microsoft Windows) is substituted for an Imagewriter font (screen font in Microsoft Windows). In Microsoft Excel, the Normal default font is an Imagewriter/screen font. Geneva is the default font in Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh and MS Sans Serif is the default font for Microsoft Excel for Windows (if you are using a version of Windows earlier that version 3.1, the default font for Microsoft Excel is Helvetica).

Also, chart titles may be truncated if you are using the LaserWriter printer driver version 7.2 or earlier.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1: To prevent text from being truncated when you print it, format the text with LaserWriter/printer (or TrueType) fonts.

If you are using Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, you can also clear the Font Substitution check box in the Page Setup dialog box. Clearing the Font Substitution check box will create bitmap (72 dots per inch) versions of the screen fonts when you print your document. As the LaserWriter prints at 300 dots per inch, this is not recommended.

Method 2: Update to LaserWriter printer driver version 8.0 or later.

Method 3: Change the Font of the chart title text to a TrueType font, such as Arial.

Method 4: Add two or more spaces to the end of your chart title text followed by a period. This way, only the period and a space or two will be truncated.

MORE INFORMATION

The process where a LaserWriter font is substituted for an Imagewriter font on the Macintosh is called font substitution. For Microsoft Windows, the process of substituting a printer font for a screen font is called font mapping.

On a Macintosh, Imagewriter fonts are generally fonts that are named after cities such as Geneva and New York.

Additional query words: 1.00 1.03 1.04 1.06 1.50 2.00 2.01 2.10 2.20 laser postscript title


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Last Reviewed: March 30, 1999