WD97: Font Colors Change Opening a Word 2000 Document

ID: Q209679


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows


SYMPTOMS

When you use Word 97 to open a Microsoft Word 2000 document [or a version of the document that has been saved in Rich Text Format (*.rtf)] that contains different font colors, the font colors do not appear as expected.


CAUSE

This behavior occurs because of the different way that each program handles color palettes. Word 2000 supports 24-bit RGB color, but Word 97 supports 16-bit color and has a limit of 50 RGB colors. Thus, colors that are similar to each other in Word 2000 are translated to a single color in Word 97.

For example, the font color Dark Green is translated to Green when a Word 2000 document is opened in Word 97. However, when a Rich Text Format version of the same Word 2000 document is opened in Word 97, the Dark Green font color is translated to Black.


WORKAROUND

If you are sharing your documents with Word 97 users, try using primary colors.


MORE INFORMATION

When you use Microsoft Word 97 for Windows to open a Word 2000 document that contains text formatted with different font colors, the font colors may change unexpectedly, as shown in the following table.

NOTE: The shading in some cells of the table was added so that the font colors could be more easily displayed.

Black retained as Black

Brown converts to Dark Red

Olive Green converts to Dark Yellow

Dark Green converts to Green

Dark Teal converts to Teal

Dark Blue retained as Dark Blue

Indigo converts to Gray - 50%

Gray - 80% converts to Black

Dark Red retained as Dark Red

Orange converts to Red

Dark Yellow retained as Dark Yellow

Green retained as Green

Teal retained as Teal

Blue retained as Blue

Blue - Gray converts to Gray - 50%

Gray - 50% retained as Gray - 50%

Red retained as Red

Light Orange converts to Yellow

Lime converts to Yellow

Sea Green converts to Bright Green

Aqua converts to Turquoise

Light Blue converts to Blue

Violet retained as Violet

Gray - 40% converts to Gray 50%

Pink retained as Pink

Gold converts to Yellow

Yellow retained as Yellow

Bright Green retained as Bright Green

Turquoise retained as Turquoise

Sky Blue converts to Turquoise

Plum converts to Pink

Gray - 25% retained as Gray - 25%

Rose converts to Pink

Tan converts to Yellow

Light Yellow converts to Yellow

Light Green converts to Bright Green

Light Turquoise converts to Turquoise

Pale Blue converts to Turquoise

Lavender converts to Pink

White retained as White



When you use Microsoft Word 97 for Windows to open a Word 2000 document saved as Rich Text Format (*.rtf) and containing text formatted with different font colors, the font colors may change unexpectedly, as shown in the following table.

NOTE: The shading in some cells of the table was added so the font colors could be more easily displayed.

Black retained as Black

Brown converts to Dark Red

Olive Green converts to Black

Dark Green converts to Black

Dark Teal converts to Dark Blue

Dark Blue retained as Dark Blue

Indigo converts to Dark Blue

Gray - 80% converts to Black

Dark Red retained as Dark Red

Orange converts to Red

Dark Yellow retained as Dark Yellow

Green retained as Green

Teal retained as Teal

Blue retained as Blue

Blue - Gray converts to Gray - 50%

Gray - 50% retained as Gray - 50%

Red retained as Red

Light Orange converts to Yellow

Lime converts to Dark Yellow

Sea Green converts to Teal

Aqua converts to Turquoise

Light Blue converts to Blue

Violet retained as Violet

Gray - 40% converts to Gray - 50%

Pink retained as Pink

Gold converts to Yellow

Yellow retained as Yellow

Bright Green retained as Bright Green

Turquoise retained as Turquoise

Sky Blue converts to Turquoise

Plum converts to Violet

Gray - 25% retains Gray - 25%

Rose converts to Gray - 25%

Tan converts to Gray - 25%

Light Yellow converts to Gray - 25%

Light Green converts to Gray - 25%

Light Turquoise converts to White

Pale Blue converts to Gray - 25%

Lavender converts to Gray - 25%

White retained as White


REFERENCES

For additional information about how Word 2000 shading properties appear in Word 97, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q209677 WD97: Shading Changes Opening a Word 2000 Document

For additional information about font colors in Word 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q224776 WD2000: How to Find and Replace Font Color Formatting

Additional query words: white gray grey black shades grayscale greyscale 16-bit 16 bit 24 24-bit fill pattern shading

Keywords : word8 word97
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: December 7, 1999
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