PPT97: How To Print Shadowed Text to PCL Printers (190324)

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to print shadowed text to any of the following Windows 95 PCL printer drivers, you do not get the desired results:

Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series II and compatible printers
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Series III and compatible printers
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4 and compatible printers
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 5 and compatible printers
Okidata OL Laserjet Printers

CAUSE

In order to print shadowed text correctly, a printer driver must support printing text in shades of gray. The Windows 95 drivers for these printers do not support printing gray text. Earlier Windows 3.x versions of the LaserJet 4 printer drivers do print shadowed text properly. Although you can use these drivers to print in Windows 95, you may encounter other printing problems.

RESOLUTION

You can use one of the following methods to print the effect of shadowed text to LaserJet-type printers:

Method 1: Create the shadowed text using Microsoft WordArt

Method 2: Convert the shadowed text to a bitmap

Select the text box that contains the shadowed text.
On the Edit menu, click Copy.
Start Windows Paint.
In Paint, click Attributes on the Image menu. Change the Width and Height to 1. Click OK.
On the Edit menu, click Paste. Paint asks if you want to resize the image. Click Yes.
On the Edit menu, click Copy.
Switch back to PowerPoint.
On the Edit menu, click Paste.

This procedure pastes a bitmap picture of the shadowed text into your PowerPoint presentation. When you print the picture, it prints shadowed text as it appears on the screen.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

190094 PPT97: Text Shadows Don't Print Properly to PCL Printers

139689 PUB: Gray Text Prints as Black to LaserJet 4 with Windows 95