WD97: Line Pattern Printed Solid If Pasted as Picture or Bitmap (179493)

SYMPTOMS

When you print a Microsoft Word AutoShape or object that contains a pattern fill of lines, like the Light Downward Diagonal pattern, it is printed as a solid color.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you copy a Microsoft Word AutoShape or object and then paste it as a picture or bitmap.

This occurs because the resolution for a picture or bitmap object is less than that for a Word AutoShape or object; thus, Word prints it as a solid object without lines.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Paste as an MS Office Drawing Object

To paste the object as an MS Office Drawing Object, follow these steps:

After copying the AutoShape or object, click Paste Special on the Edit menu.
Under As, click MS Office Drawing Object and then click OK.

Method 2: Change the Printer Resolution

Set the printer resolution to either 75 or 150 dots per inch (dpi) by following these steps:

On the File menu, click Print.
Click Properties and then click the Graphics tab.
Change the Resolution to either 75 or 150 dpi.

NOTE: This method may cause other graphic printing problems.

MORE INFORMATION

In Word, an object pasted as a picture or bitmap appears as a black-and- white image. Word sends its fill patterns to the printer as bitmaps (that is, patterns of dots or pixels); therefore, the patterns are dependent on the printer resolution setting to determine the distance between the individual pixels in the pattern. With a low resolution, the patterns are recognizable. With a high resolution, the width of the lines and the spacing between each line is so small that the resulting pattern is printed as a smooth, solid gray color.