XL97: White Text May Not Be Printed or Appear in Preview

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you print a worksheet that contains white text on a colored background or view such a worksheet in print preview, the text may not appear in either the printed output or in print preview.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:

• You use open the Display icon in the Windows Control Panel, click the Appearance tab, and then change the color of window text to white and the color of the windows text background to a color other than white.

      -and-
  

• You save the workbook that contains the worksheet in the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook format.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods:

Method 1

Move or copy the worksheet to a new workbook. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click the worksheet.

2. On the Edit menu, click "Move or Copy Sheet."

3. In the To Book list, click "(new book)." If you want to copy the worksheet, click to select the Create A Copy check box. Then, click OK.

Method 2

Format the white text with any color EXCEPT white. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell (or cells) that contain the white text.

2. On the Format menu, click Cells. Select the Font tab.

3. In the Color list, select any color except white or Automatic.

4. Click OK.

Method 3

Copy the contents of the worksheet and paste it in a new worksheet in a new workbook. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click the Select All button, which is located above in the upper-left corner of a worksheet where row and column heading meet.

2. On the Edit menu, click Copy.

3. Create a new workbook and click a worksheet in the new workbook.

4. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

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.