Microsoft KB Archive/157540

= Gray Shading Prints as Black to HP DeskJet 660c =

Article ID: 157540

Article Last Modified on 8/17/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows 95

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This article was previously published under Q157540





SYMPTOMS
When you print to a Hewlett Packard DeskJet 660c printer, cells shaded with a gray fill color will print twice their expected intensity. A cell shaded 50% gray will print as a solid black color, 40% gray will print as 80% gray, 25% gray will print as 50% gray.

NOTE: This problem does not occur on a computer running Microsoft Windows NT.



WORKAROUND
This behavior can be corrected by performing either of the following:
 * Shade another cell with a fill color other than gray.

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 * Draw an object on the worksheet and format that object with a fill color other than gray.



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



MORE INFORMATION
This is a result of the dithering algorithms used by the printer driver in Microsoft Windows 95. This problem does not exist in Microsoft Windows NT.

For additional information about problems printing to the Hewlett Packard 660c, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

157066 XL: Patterned Cells Printed Lighter with Object in Worksheet

