WD97: Line Pattern Printed Solid If Pasted as Picture or Bitmap

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you print a Microsoft Word AutoShape or object that contains a pattern fill of lines, like the Light Downward Diagonal pattern, it is printed as a solid color.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you copy a Microsoft Word AutoShape or object and then paste it as a picture or bitmap.

This occurs because the resolution for a picture or bitmap object is less than that for a Word AutoShape or object; thus, Word prints it as a solid object without lines.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Paste as an MS Office Drawing Object

To paste the object as an MS Office Drawing Object, follow these steps:

1. After copying the AutoShape or object, click Paste Special on the Edit menu.

2. Under As, click MS Office Drawing Object and then click OK.

Method 2: Change the Printer Resolution

Set the printer resolution to either 75 or 150 dots per inch (dpi) by following these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Print.

2. Click Properties and then click the Graphics tab.

3. Change the Resolution to either 75 or 150 dpi.

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 Word, an object pasted as a picture or bitmap appears as a black-and- white image. Word sends its fill patterns to the printer as bitmaps (that is, patterns of dots or pixels); therefore, the patterns are dependent on the printer resolution setting to determine the distance between the individual pixels in the pattern. With a low resolution, the patterns are recognizable. With a high resolution, the width of the lines and the spacing between each line is so small that the resulting pattern is printed as a smooth, solid gray color.