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Q112451: WD97: Gray Drawing Layer Lines Printed in Black on HP LaserJet

Article: Q112451
Product(s): Word 97 for Windows
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb3rdparty kbprint kbdta winword word97 kbPrinting
Last Modified: 14-MAR-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Word 97 for Windows 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you create a gray-colored line for a drawing object (using the tools on the
Drawing toolbar in Word for Windows), the line may be printed in black on
Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet series printers. This behavior occurs with
circles, ellipses, squares, arcs, freeform objects and autoshapes.

CAUSE
=====

Word sends correct gray color instructions to the printer driver, which means
Word is not responsible for this behavior. Some versions of the HP LaserJet
Series printer drivers translate gray color formatting to black printer
instructions for all shapes except the ellipse (except when using the Windows 95
printer driver).

Specifically, when a non-ellipse is formatted as gray, the printer driver sends a
NULL brush and solid pen (pen width = 0) instruction, which tells the printer to
print in black instead of gray. In contrast, for a gray- colored ellipse, the
printer driver sends a brush instruction that corresponds to the Windows
Universal Printer Driver (Unidrv.dll) instruction for dithered solid red color,
which the HP LaserJet printer prints as gray.

This problem may occur with the following printers:

  HP LaserJet
  HP LaserJet II
  HP LaserJet IIp+
  HP LaserJet III
  HP LaserJet IIIp
  HP LaserJet IIIsi
  HP LaserJet 4M/4P (HPPCL5E.DRV version 1.27)
  HP LaserJet 4si (HPPCL5E.DRV version 1.27)
  HP LaserJet 4si MX (HPPCL5E.DRV version 1.27)
  HP LaserJet 4si version 3.78 (Windows 95 printer driver)
  HP LaserJet 5

WORKAROUND
==========

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

Method 1: Create an Object That Uses a Gray Fill
------------------------------------------------

Depending on the type of drawing object needed, it may be possible to create the
object that uses a gray fill, but to which you do not add a line color.
Gray-colored object fills print correctly. For example, to create a gray-colored
line, create instead a narrow rectangle that has no lines and uses a gray fill.

Method 2: Use a PostScript Printer Driver
-----------------------------------------

If your printer supports PostScript, use a PostScript printer driver.

Method 3: Change the Graphics Mode from Vector to Raster
--------------------------------------------------------

To change the graphics mode from vector to raster, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.

2. Right-click the printer icon for your particular printer driver and click
  Properties.

3. Click the Graphics tab.

4. Under Graphics mode, select Use Raster Graphics, click Apply, and then click
  OK.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are
listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent
of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these
products' performance or reliability.


Additional query words: grey watermark water mark

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Keywords          : kb3rdparty kbprint kbdta winword word97 kbPrinting 
Technology        : kbWordSearch kbWord97 kbWord97Search kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : :
Issue type        : kbprb

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