PPT98: Color Objects Print Black and White to Color Printer (180074)

SYMPTOMS

If you print a color slide from PowerPoint 98 Macintosh Edition to a color printer, some or all elements may print in black and white (or in shades of gray). In addition, some slide objects may print with unexpected borders or outlines and shaded (gradient) fills may print as solid white.

CAUSE

PowerPoint 98 has a feature called Black And White Printing. This feature optimizes the way color slides print to black and white printers. PowerPoint for Windows 95 version 7.0 and PowerPoint 97 for Windows also have this feature.

The Windows versions of PowerPoint try to detect whether the currently selected printer is a color printer or a black and white printer. If they detect that you are using a color printer, this feature is turned off by default. If they detect a black and white printer, the feature is turned on by default.

On the Macintosh, there is no way for a program to detect whether the current printer is a black and white printer or a color printer. Therefore, the Macintosh version of PowerPoint turns the feature on by default.

RESOLUTION

Before you print, turn off black and white printing by clearing the Black & White check box in the printing dialog box.

If you are printing to a color printer that uses the LaserWriter 8.5.x printer driver, the Black & White check box may be hard to find. To find this option, follow these steps:

On the File menu, click Print.
In the list in the upper-left corner of the Print dialog box, click Microsoft PowerPoint.
Click to clear the Black And White check box.

NOTE: This has problem been partially resolved with the latest version of the Combined Office 98 Updater. PowerPoint now remembers the black and white printer setting as a global preference between sessions so it will always remember the last setting that it was changed to, either on or off. However, it still cannot detect if the printer is capable of color output or not.

For additional information about installing the Combinded Office 98 Updater, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

214785: OFF98: How to Install and Run the Combined Updater for Office 98

MORE INFORMATION

If the Office Assistant is visible when you click Print on the File menu, you will see the following tip:

   If you print to a color printer, remember to uncheck the "Black &amp; white"
   check box in the print dialog box to get a color printout.

For more information about black and white printing, click the Office Assistant, type "black and white printing," click Search, and then click to view "Print in black and white."