MacPPT: Colors on Screen and Color Printout May Not Match (188747)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2001 for Macintosh
- Microsoft PowerPoint 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q188747 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 color that
you want by increasing the brightness of the color as it appears on the screen.
WORKAROUND Identifying and using colors that print reliably is the
best way to achieve predictable and desirable results. To test how
colors are rendered on your device, print the PowerPoint color palette to your
color printer. Keep this printout near your printer, and refer to it when you
apply color to your PowerPoint presentations. 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 about
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.
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).
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 3/9/2006 |
|---|
| Keywords: | kbdownload kbprb kbprint KB188747 |
|---|
|