XL97: Text May Print on Top of Drawing Objects

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, text contained in worksheet cells may print in front of drawing objects, rather than behind them.

CAUSE

This may occur if you are using a printer driver that does not properly handle the mix of text and graphics generated by Microsoft Excel 97 when you print a worksheet.

RESOLUTION

There are two possible solutions to this problem:

• Turn on the "Print TrueType as graphics" option for your printer. To do this:

      1. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
  

      2. Secondary-click the printer whose settings you want to change. On
         the shortcut menu, click Properties.
  

      3. Click the Fonts tab.
  

      4. Select the "Print TrueType as graphics" option button.
  

      5. Click OK.
  

  Once this setting is enabled, text contained in cells should print correctly behind drawing objects, not in front of them.

      -or-
  

• Obtain a newer printer driver for your printer. If your printer manufacturer has a home page on the Internet, you may be able to obtain a driver by visiting their home page. Web addresses for some popular printer manufacturers are included here:

        Printer Manufacturer   Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
        -----------------------------------------------------
        Canon                  http://www.canon.com
        Epson                  http://www.epson.com
        Hewlett-Packard        http://www.hp.com
        IBM / Lexmark          http://www.lexmark.com
        Toshiba                http://www.toshiba.com
  
     NOTE: These addresses are current as of 10/1/96 and may change at
     any time.
  
     Some drivers are also available from the Microsoft Software Download
     Library (MSDL). To connect to MSDL, dial (425) 936-6735 with your
     modem set to 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity (8N1).
  
  

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online
               Services

   If you do not have Internet access and the driver you need is not
   available from the MSDL, you may need to contact your printer's
   manufacturer directly to see if a newer driver is available.

   If you install a newer printer driver and the problem remains,
   use the first workaround (enable "Print TrueType as graphics").

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel, you can use the various tools on the Drawing toolbar to create drawing objects or AutoShapes within your worksheets. Such objects float above the worksheet, in an area known as the drawing layer.

When you view or print preview a worksheet that contains such drawing objects, the objects appear in front of cells in the worksheet. This is correct behavior.

However, some printer drivers contain a problem that will cause text behind drawing objects and AutoShapes to print in front of them instead. If you print a worksheet and the text and objects print incorrectly, you should follow one or both of the workarounds in the RESOLUTION section to eliminate the problem.