Article ID: 829174
Article Last Modified on 1/12/2006
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
SYMPTOMS
When you try to print transparent areas on a PostScript print device in Microsoft Office Publisher 2003, the transparent area does not print.
CAUSE
Publisher 2003 can print transparent areas in raster-based graphics to PostScript Level 3 print devices in the following cases:
- The raster graphic is an RGB TIFF with one alpha channel. The alpha channel is treated as a transparency mask.
- The raster graphic is a transparent GIF. The transparent color is treated as a transparency mask.
- The raster graphic is a transparent PNG. The transparency channel in the PNG is treated as a transparency mask.
- The raster graphic is an EPS with a clipping path. This actually prints correctly to PostScript Level 2 or 3.
- The raster graphic is any raster format (except EPS) to where you use the transparency wand to create a transparency mask.
WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, you can print a raster image (bitmap) with a transparency effect applied with the transparency wand in Publisher 2003 on a PostScript level 3 print device. The transparency wand applies an alpha channel transparency to one color that a PostScript level 3 print device recognizes and supports. To do this, follow these steps:
- Select the bitmap that you want to create transparent areas in.
- On the Picture toolbar, click Set Transparent Color.
Note If the Picture toolbar is not visible, click Toolbars on the View menu, and then click Picture.
- Click the color that you want to make transparent.
- Print the document to a PostScript level 3 print device.
MORE INFORMATION
Definition of terms
- Alpha Channel
An extra 8-bit (or 16-bit) color channel, additional to the Red, Green, and Blue (or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black.) This does not have to mean transparency. Files can have more than one alpha channel.
- Transparency Channel
An extra 8-bit color channel, additional to the Red, Green, and Blue color channels. Unlike an alpha channel, a transparency channel always means transparent, and each image can have only one. Each pixel can have one of 256 levels of transparency. An image can have both a transparency channel and one or more alpha channels.
- Transparent Color
Used in GIF files; one of the 256 colors in the file is defined as "Transparent." Every pixel is either "Transparent" or it is not.
- Transparency Mask
All areas that are 100% transparent print as transparent. Any area that is less than 100% transparent prints opaque.
Additional query words: wrong incorrect gradient transparency printing
Keywords: kbnofix kbprb KB829174
