Word: Objects in Word 5.0 Picture Print as Black

• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.1

SYMPTOMS

When you create a graphic in the Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, Picture Window, graphic elements such as circles and squares have a default background fill of 100%. If this object is then printed and the printer is setup to print Black & White, the graphic will print solid black. Even if the color of the filled graphic is white.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word for the Macintosh versions 5.0, 5.1. This problem was corrected in Word for the Macintosh version 6.0.

WORKAROUND

Method 1:

The graphic can be printed as a white solid fill if the printer is set to Color/Grayscale. To set the LaserWriter to Color/Grayscale, select Print from the File menu and choose the Color/Grayscale button.

Method 2:

To print a series of overlapping graphic images (such as the Olympic rings symbol) the image must be created with a transparent fill.

To create a graphic element with a clear background, use the following steps:

1. Select the graphic element in the Picture Window.

2. Choose the Fill Pattern Palette icon (the right paint bucket).

3. Select the dotted outline (located in the lower-left corner of the Fill Pattern palette), which indicates no background.

MORE INFORMATION

Dashed lines created in an Aldus PageMaker document and copied to Word will appear fine on the screen but will print as solid lines. The reason for this is PageMaker creates two lines to create the dashed line. The top line is black and the underlying one to give the image of dashes is actually a white line underneath the black line.