Publisher no longer displays transparent gradients correctly.

[Hunter]

I have been working faithfully w/Pub 2003 now for a few years; I use the
program predominantly for superimposing MS drawing objects and text over
imported jpgs and other photo/graphic formats, which I then export with Save
as Picture.

As such, I have a "template" file where I keep several designs I have
created and use regularly. All of these consist of a basic MS drawing object
shape grouped with Word Art. The fill (for both) consists of a gradient with
separate transparency settings for each color.

I have never experienced *any* problems whatsoever with Publisher until
recently, when I opened the above-mentioned file to find that all of the
designs (word art and shapes - jpgs still display correctly) I had been using
for months now display in what appears to be a 16-color mode. In
troubleshooting the problem, I find that the program still displays gradients
correctly, and that the problem manifests when I attempt to apply any
transparency whatsoever to the object. (This applies to newly created
objects as well.) Further, when I group the object with a jpg and Save as
Picture as I have in the past, the transparency displays correctly in the
independent jpg, as it has always done.

Rather curiously (and I suspect most telling), when I attempted to draw the
same shape in Word, I experienced the same problem when applying the
transparency to the shape - UNTIL I set the transparency to 100% and lowered
it from there. I no longer experience this problem with Word, but this
'solve' did not work for Publisher.

I have subsequently run a 'fix problem' installation and complete
reinstallation of Publisher to no avail and all drivers are current.

....So the problem is basically one of convenience; it becomes rather
difficult to design efficiently when I am forced to export the entire graphic
to view it correctly. Why would Publisher simply begin to render differently
like this?


Thanks for the help,
H

 

[Mary Sauer]

Have you checked to see if your video/graphics driver needs updating? Are you
certain it is current?
Read the fourth FAQ here
http://ed.mvps.org/Static.aspx?=Publisher/FAQs

 

[Hunter]

Mary:

...Yes, as mentioned, I am certain that my drivers are current. I went
ahead and did both the tests mentioned that you linked to, and neither
indicated that the problem was there. As I said, this is a problem that is
exclusive to Publisher (does not affect the rest of the suite.), and just
began happening out of the blue where it previously worked without issue.


H

 

[Mary Sauer]

The only thing I can say is Publisher has always had problems with transparency
and gradients. Not so much on the screen but as a printed document.

That said have you changed printers lately? If you select a different printer,
does that make any difference? You don't need the physical printer to select a
different driver.

I usually convert transparent and gradient objects to .png, they will print
correctly.

Publisher 2003 does not print transparent areas
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/829174/en-us

WordArt gradient fill may print incorrectly in Publisher 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828829/en-us

 

[Hunter]

The only thing I can say is Publisher has always had problems with transparency
and gradients. Not so much on the screen but as a printed document.

That said have you changed printers lately? If you select a different printer,
does that make any difference? You don't need the physical printer to select a
different driver.

I usually convert transparent and gradient objects to .png, they will print
correctly.

---

No, the problem is not at all in the documents Publisher prints;
additionally, it still displays the graphic and wordart correctly in the
exported (.jpg) file, the problem is within the Publisher program itself and
how it displays these graphics as I'm working with them.