PUB2000: Trap Width on Text is Half the Default Trap Width (218645)

SYMPTOMS

If you turn on Automatic Trapping in Microsoft Publisher 2000, you may find the trap width applied to text is one half the trap width that you specify in the Trapping Preferences dialog box.

For example, if the trap width in the Trapping Preferences dialog box is set to .3 pt., you might find some text that is set to spread only .15 pt.

CAUSE

This occurs if the following statements are true for your publication:

The Only allow spread traps on text glyphs check box in the Trapping Preferences dialog box is selected.
The ideal trapping scenario would be to apply a centerline trap to the text (for example, a situation where the text is printing in one spot color and the background is printing in another spot color, and both spot colors have a similar luminance.)

In this case, Publisher converts the correct width centerline trap to a half-width spread.

WORKAROUND

Method 1: Clear the Only allow spread traps on text glyphs check box

This feature prevents problems trapping extremely complicated symbols (such as Chinese ideographs). If your publication does not contain any such characters you can turn this feature off.

On the Tools menu, point to Commercial Printing Tools, point to Trapping, and click Preferences.
Click the Only allow spread traps on text glyphs check box to remove the mark from it.
Click OK.

Method 2: Manually set the trapping.

You can override the Publisher default settings. To do this, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, point to Commercial Printing Tools, point to Trapping, and click Per Object Trapping.
Highlight the affected text.
In the Setting column, Text to Background row, click Custom from the list.
On the Placement list, click Spread.
Type the desired trap width in the Width text box.