Printing the same colors as on the screen in Word 2003

[AE]

I create some pictures in Word 2003 and carefully adjust the colors'
transparency, so it looks nice on the screen. When I print it on my HP
printer, all transparency settings are ignored and pictures come out
completely messed up.
Any advice?
Thanks.

 

[CyberTaz]

Sure - here are three little tidbits & others will have comments as well

1- Even if it is well-calibrated don't rely on your monitor to accurately
display color as it will print,

2- Don't rely on Word to accurately handle color under *any* circumstances,

and

3- Understand that printers (inks) have no concept of "transparency" - the
transparent effect applied on screen is made possible because it employs
light, not inks - which are opaque. The transparent effect has to be
flattened to be printed - IOW the inks have to be blended to attempt
replicating the effect [i.e. Color] produced by the light on screen.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Keith Howell]

You have to ignore the screen and work backwards from the printer. Try
making up a page of color filled rectangles and then some extras set to
different levels of transparency. Keep a printed copy as a reference sheet so
that you will know what your particular screen / printer relationship will
create/. If you want a particular effect you may have to experiment quite a
bit until you find the right
setting on the screen to give the right output on YOUR printer. If you then
send your file to someone else you can almost guarantee it will produce
different colors on their system.

 

[AE]

Thanks for the valuable information. To me it means that Word does not have
means of printing what I see on the screen in true colors.
I've been advised to use Print Screen, paste the image in the Photoshop and
get it back to my Word document instead of the original.
It does work, colors are fine, but it takes a lot of time.
Is there any program that can do something like that for me?
IMHO if Word provides all those transparency options, it should also provide
some means of reproducing those fine colors on a printed document.
Thanks again,
--
AE

Sure - here are three little tidbits & others will have comments as well

1- Even if it is well-calibrated don't rely on your monitor to accurately
display color as it will print,

2- Don't rely on Word to accurately handle color under *any* circumstances,

and

3- Understand that printers (inks) have no concept of "transparency" - the
transparent effect applied on screen is made possible because it employs
light, not inks - which are opaque. The transparent effect has to be
flattened to be printed - IOW the inks have to be blended to attempt
replicating the effect [i.e. Color] produced by the light on screen.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

I create some pictures in Word 2003 and carefully adjust the colors'
transparency, so it looks nice on the screen. When I print it on my HP
printer, all transparency settings are ignored and pictures come out
completely messed up.
Any advice?
Thanks.

 

[AE]

Thanks for the valuable information. To me it means that Word does not have
means of printing what I see on the screen in true colors.
I've been advised to use Print Screen, paste the image in the Photoshop and
get it back to my Word document instead of the original.
It does work, colors are fine, but it takes a lot of time.
Is there any program that can do something like that for me?
IMHO if Word provides all those transparency options, it should also provide
some means of reproducing those fine colors on a printed document.
Thanks again,