Article ID: 157093
Article Last Modified on 9/7/2001
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q157093
SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel 97, text contained in worksheet cells may print in front of drawing objects, rather than behind them.
CAUSE
This may occur if you are using a printer driver that does not properly handle the mix of text and graphics generated by Microsoft Excel 97 when you print a worksheet.
RESOLUTION
There are two possible solutions to this problem:
- Turn on the "Print TrueType as graphics" option for your printer. To do this:
- On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
- Secondary-click the printer whose settings you want to change. On the shortcut menu, click Properties.
- Click the Fonts tab.
- Select the "Print TrueType as graphics" option button.
- Click OK.
Once this setting is enabled, text contained in cells should print correctly behind drawing objects, not in front of them.
-or-
- Obtain a newer printer driver for your printer. If your printer manufacturer has a home page on the Internet, you may be able to obtain a driver by visiting their home page. Web addresses for some popular printer manufacturers are included here:
Printer Manufacturer Uniform Resource Locator (URL) Canon http://www.canon.com Epson http://www.epson.com Hewlett-Packard http://www.hp.com IBM / Lexmark http://www.lexmark.com Toshiba http://www.toshiba.com
NOTE: These addresses are current as of 9/23/99 and may change at any time.
If you do not have Internet access, you may need to contact your printer's manufacturer directly to see if a newer driver is available.
If you install a newer printer driver and the problem remains, use the first workaround (enable "Print TrueType as graphics").
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.
MORE INFORMATION
In Microsoft Excel, you can use the various tools on the Drawing toolbar to create drawing objects or AutoShapes within your worksheets. Such objects float above the worksheet, in an area known as the drawing layer.
When you view or print preview a worksheet that contains such drawing objects, the objects appear in front of cells in the worksheet. This is correct behavior.
However, some printer drivers contain a problem that will cause text behind drawing objects and AutoShapes to print in front of them instead. If you print a worksheet and the text and objects print incorrectly, you should follow one or both of the workarounds in the RESOLUTION section to eliminate the problem.
Additional query words: XL97
Keywords: kbprint kbprb kbfaq KB157093
