WD2000: Complex Script Font Color Changes When Opening Right-to-Left Word 97 Document

ID: Q232127

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word 2000
NOTE: This article discusses complex scripts functionality. Complex scripts functionality is available when you use the Office Language Settings tool to enable a language, such as Arabic or Hebrew, that requires this functionality. For more information about multilingual features, click Microsoft <your Office product> Help on the Help menu, type multilingual features in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

SYMPTOMS

When you open a right-to-left language (such as Arabic) Word 97 document in the English version of Microsoft Word 2000, if the document contains font color formatting for Latin fonts that differs from the font color formatting for complex script fonts, the original color of the complex script text in the document may change to the same color of the Latin text.


CAUSE

In right-to-left versions of Microsoft Word 97, you can specify different font colors for complex script fonts as well as for Latin fonts using the Font dialog box.

In right-to-left versions of Word 2000, you can only specify one font color from within the Font dialog box, and that font color applies to both right-to-left text and Latin text.

As a result, when you open a right-to-left Word 97 document in Word 2000, the font color is preserved according to the following rules:

  • If the Word 97 document has specified colors for both the Latin font and the complex script font, the color of both fonts in the document is preserved.

  • If the Word 97 document has specified a color for the complex script font but the Latin font color is set to Automatic, the color of both fonts in the document is preserved.

  • If the Word 97 document has specified a color for the Latin font, but the complex script font is set to Automatic, only the Latin font color is preserved and the complex script font and text take on the color of the Latin text.


WORKAROUND

To reapply the text font color formatting to a document that has lost its original color formatting:

  1. Open the right-to-left Word 97 document in Word 2000.


  2. Manually select the complex script text that has lost its original color.


  3. On the Format menu, click Font, and select the color you want for a complex script font, using the Font color box.


  4. Click OK.



STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words: bi directional bi-directional right-to-left right left bidirectional

Keywords : kbdta kbBidi wd2000
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug


Last Reviewed: November 10, 1999
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