PPT: Colors on Screen and Color Printout May Not Match (78138)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 4.0
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Macintosh 2.0
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Macintosh 2.01
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Macintosh 3.0
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for Macintosh 4.0
This article was previously published under Q78138

SYMPTOMS

When you print a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on a color printer, the colors on the screen may not exactly match the colors on the printout. This is also true for other programs that produce color output.

CAUSE

This discrepancy in color results from the fundamental differences between how color is produced on a video monitor and how it is produced on a color printer.

The discrepancy is particularly noticeable when you print the colors blue and yellow. Blue usually prints darker than it appears on the screen and has a purple tint. Yellow usually prints with a golden-brown tint. In both cases, you can attain the desired color by increasing the brightness of the color as it appears on the screen.

WORKAROUND

To avoid undesirable results in color printing requires experience. Identifying and using colors that print reliably is the best way to achieve predictable and desirable results.

To test how colors render on your device, print the PowerPoint color palette to your color printer. Keep this printout near your printer, and refer to it when applying color to your PowerPoint presentations.

You can obtain the Printme.exe file from the Microsoft Download Center. This file is a self-extracting archive that contains the Printme.ppt file. The first slide contains instructions on how to use the presentation.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Printme.exe Contains: Printme.ppt; Release Date: September 11, 1997

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

PowerPoint 95

Open the Printme.ppt file located in the ValuPack\PPSample folder on the PowerPoint compact disc.

NOTE: The Printme.ppt presentation included with PowerPoint 95 is an updated version of the file included with PowerPoint 4.0. However, the slides in Printme.ppt do not have direct correspondence with any of the PowerPoint 95 dialog boxes. The Genigraphics Color Palette is available as the Other Color dialog box in PowerPoint 4.0.

PowerPoint 4.0 for the Macintosh and Windows

Open the "Printme.ppt - Colors & Patterns" file (Macintosh) or the Printme.ppt file (Windows). This file is located in the Microsoft PowerPoint 4.0:Samples folder (Macintosh) or the Powerpnt\Samples folder (Windows). Print the Genigraphics Color Palette (slide 2).

The Genigraphics Color Palette slide corresponds with the Other Color dialog box. Use the following steps to open the Other Color dialog box:
  1. Draw a box on the slide and select it.
  2. On the Format menu, click Colors And Lines.
  3. From the Fill or Line list, select Other Color.

PowerPoint 3 for Macintosh

Open the "Drawcolr.ppt - Color Palettes" file located in the Samples folder.

PowerPoint 3 for Windows

Open the Drawcolr.ppt file located in the Samples folder.

MORE INFORMATION

Your video display is based on a process that combines various amounts of red-, green-, and blue-emitted light to produce the various colors that you see on the screen. This is known as an additive color process. With this process, combining all three colors produces white; combining none of the colors produces black.

In contrast, almost all color printers produce color by combining various amounts of cyan, magenta, and yellow pigment (and sometimes black). This is known as a subtractive color process. With this process, combining all three colors produces black; combining none of the colors produces white (assuming you are printing on white paper).

REFERENCES

For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

163792 PPT97: Sample Color Wheel Available For PowerPoint 97

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/16/2005
Keywords:kbdownload kbdownload kbprb kbprint KB78138
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