XL97: Printing at Non-Square Resolution Distorts AutoShapes

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you print or print preview a worksheet or chart in Microsoft Excel 97, drawing objects and AutoShapes may appear distorted. For example, you may notice the following problems:

• Arrowheads are distorted and uneven with the lines they are attached to.
• Thick lines do not end squarely; instead, they are cut off at an angle.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when the following conditions are true:

• The active printer is a dot matrix printer.

      -and-
  

• The printer driver is set to a non-square printer resolution: that is, with different values for horizontal and vertical resolution, such as 360 x 180 dots per inch (dpi).

RESOLUTION

To prevent this problem from occurring, set the printer driver to print using a square resolution, such as 360 x 360 dpi or 180 x 180 dpi. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In Excel 97, click Print on the File menu.

2. In the list of Printers, click to select the dot matrix printer, and then click Properties.

3. On the Graphics tab, click to select a square resolution in the Resolution list, and then click OK.

4. In the Print dialog box, click OK, Preview, or Cancel, depending on whether you want to print, print preview, or return to the worksheet or chart.

STATUS

This is a known problem that occurs only when printing to a dot-matrix printer that is set to use a non-square resolution. Note that the problem does not always occur when printing using non-square resolution.

MORE INFORMATION

Most printers, including laser printers, PostScript printers, and some InkJet printers, print using square resolution: that is, the horizontal resolution equals the vertical resolution. For example, a laser printer might use a resolution of 300 x 300 dpi or 600 x 600 dpi. However, some dot matrix printers can print using non-square resolution.