PPT98: Imported Graphic Is Surrounded by White Box (188755)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft PowerPoint 98 Macintosh Edition

This article was previously published under Q188755

SYMPTOMS

When you import a bitmap or pixelmap (color) graphic into Microsoft PowerPoint from a painting program, such as MacPaint, SuperPaint, or PixelPaint, a white box sometimes surrounds the graphic. If the slide has a background color, the background does not show through the blank areas of the graphic. It appears as if the graphic is on top of a solid white box.

CAUSE

This behavior sometimes occurs if you copy the graphic by using the marquee (box) tool rather than the lasso tool in the painting program.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Apply the Slide Background to the Graphic

  1. On the View menu, click Slide Sorter.
  2. Click a slide that has no elements on it except the background.
  3. On the Edit menu, click Copy.
  4. Switch to the graphics program and paste the background.
When you bring the graphic back into PowerPoint, the graphic has a background that matches the PowerPoint slide instead of white.

Method 2: Recolor the Graphic

If the white background remains, select the graphic in PowerPoint and click Recolor Picture. In the Recolor Picture dialog box, click OK without making any adjustments. This usually works for bitmaps but may not work for pixelmaps.

NOTE: When bitmaps or pixelmaps are printed against a colored background to the LaserWriter printer, the white box appears even though it may not show on the screen. This behavior occurs because the LaserWriter driver does not allow pixels of a bitmap or pixelmap to be transparent. Bitmaps and pixelmaps use "region masks" which are not supported in PostScript.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/3/2002
Keywords:kbconversion kbgraphic kbprb KB188755