Microsoft KB Archive/198399

= Unwanted Empty Black Plate Prints to Color Separations =

Article ID: 198399

Article Last Modified on 7/8/1999

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Publisher 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q198399



SYMPTOMS
If you print a publication that appears to contain no black to color separations, an empty black plate may print anyway. This occurs even if you select the Don't Print Blank Plates check box in the Advanced Print Settings dialog box.

Although it is theoretically possible for this symptom to occur if you are printing CMYK process color separations, the symptom is most likely to occur if you are printing spot color separations.



CAUSE
When you import (or link to) a picture, or when you insert an OLE object (such as a WordArt object), that object or picture appears in Publisher as a Windows Metafile. A Windows Metafile may contain the definition for the color black, even if there is nothing in the graphic that appears to contain black.

When you print your publication to color separations, Publisher interprets that color definition as an actual color that is in use.



WORKAROUND
To work around this behavior, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Print one color separation at a time.

 * 1) On the File menu, click Print.
 * 2) In the Print dialog box, click Print Separations.
 * 3) On the Print Separations list, click Spot Color 1.
 * 4) Click OK. This prints the first spot color plate for all pages.
 * 5) Repeat steps one through four, but this time click Spot Color 2 on the Print Separations list.

Method 2: Use the Recolor Command On All OLE Objects and Imported Pictures
For each picture and OLE object (such as WordArt), follow these steps:
 * 1) Select the frame that contains the picture or object.
 * 2) On the Format menu, click Recolor Picture or Recolor Object (whichever command is available.)
 * 3) On the Color list, click one of your Spot colors (or a CMYK color that matches the original color.)
 * 4) Click OK.



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



MORE INFORMATION
If you are encountering this problem, the culprit is either a WordArt object or an EPS file.

When you insert most types of imported pictures and OLE objects into a spot color publication, they appear in grayscale until you use the Recolor command. If you (for example) open a spot color publication that contains an Excel Chart, and that chart appears in a spot color, that chart has already been recolored.

Additional query words: pub9 pub2k pre-press kbpress imagesetter service bureau too many empty film extra wasted kbprepress

Keywords: kbbug kbprepress kbsep kbpending KB198399

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