Vanishing borders ?

[Jeb]

I'm a long time Publisher user and recently have been experiencing a problem
with vanishing borders.

It doesn't happen all the time but when it happens it's like ruthless!

It happens with text boxes, images, shapes,and sometimes just simple lines
and I can't seem to put my finger on the precise setting or situation(s) that
trigger the problem.

The typical way the probblem manifests is like I select an object, set a
black border color from the tool bar, then select a border thickness and
everything looks and prints as expected .... BUT, if I save and close the
file and later reopen the file the border is gone. If I select the object
that should still have had the border and check
the border color it's no longer set to anything. Once that happens where the
border vanishes when the file is closed it then always happen that way for
that object and i can count on the border not surviving a file closing.
Meanwhile, the border on other objects on the same publication continue to
function as expected.

The problem also happens ... sometimes ... on multiple page publications.
When I switch pages the borders around some object may vanish. Once that
happens, like with the file closing situation, it will always happens with
that particular object/frame. If I just delete the object and rebuild a
replacement, the odds are about 50/50 that the replacement object will have
the same border problem.

A situation that ... seems .. to trigger the problem is with partially
overlapping objects/frames where i've altered the z-order. Even if the object
had previously overlapped another object that seems enough to make it a
border problem candidate.

Other sitituation that ... seems ... to trigger the problem (2) working
with larger publications, like 4 or more pages; (3) extensive reworking of
old publications and (4) when I copy and past from outside Publisher, like
Power point. For example, with a 12 page booklet where I've pasted layout
frames from previous similar booklets ... I am almost assured that i'll have
border problems on 3 or 4 of the objects.

In frustration, I have moved publisher files to different computers that
also have Publisher installed and the problem goes with me ... so I'm pretty
sure it's in the file. I've even tried different versions of Windows and
the problem persists.

The only consistency is that the problem gets worse. A few months ago it was
an occassional mysterious problem ... now it's like every other project.

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

 

[Mary Sauer]

You left out the most important information, what version Publisher? If you slide the
acceleration down on your adapter, does it help? Control panel, display folder,
settings tab, advanced button, troubleshoot tab? If this solves the problem you need
an updated graphics driver.
Have you tried opening the file in safe mode, does it make a difference?
Have you grouped some of your objects? Grouping will solve some of the wrapping
problems.
Earlier versions of Publisher saved printer information with the publication, is your
printer driver current?
Do you have a border that spans the whole page? Might send it to the back. You may
not be able to see this border but if you look at print preview it will be there.

 

[Jeb]

Ohhh! sorry. It's Publisher Xp .... OS wise I've tried it on Xp-Media,
Xp-Pro, and 2000-Pro. and all the same ... and 3 machines: an HP .. a I-Will
home brew and another home-brew with a MB whose name I can't remember.

It happens both in printed and display. ie ...what prints is the same as
what displays. I'll try your suggestions.

The most common circumstance seems to be that the publication has a history.
By that I mean that some parts of the publication have had extensive
"handling" in one way or another AND it's it's fairly large or complex. I
know it's all relative but from my reference I'm talking about publications
of 35+ frames or pieces and where all the peaces get "played" with a dozen+
times. The more the publication gets "played" with the more likely that the
object/frame I've played with will experience a vanishing border.

Grouping, ungrouping and grouping again seems to be some of the activities
that agrivate the problem. As does adjusting the z-order.

It's difficult to pinpoint the causing activities because everything may
initially look and print right .... but the borders I set don't survive when
i save the file.

My suspicion is that there may be an all time limitation to the number of
objects or properties that I can set on a given publication or the number of
times that the property gets changed, and maybe I'm exceeding that limit.

-
Jebster

 

[Mary Sauer]

Did you begin the publication in an earlier version of Publisher?

Try, view, pictures, check the "fast resize and zoom."

How to troubleshoot a damaged publication in Publisher
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;198256


This article explains how some objects are retained even though you have deleted
them.
PUB2002: Publication Retains Large File Size When Pages Are Deleted
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279368

You may have to copy/paste to a new publication. I know this is not what you want to
do, however If you have edited this project as much as you have reported, it simply
may be damaged.

 

[Jeb]

Did you begin the publication in an earlier version of Publisher?

It's very likely that the publications with border problems may have at
least some part(s) of them that were originated in earlier versions, or may
have great-great-great grandparents that were initiated in earlier versions.
Some parts may go back to the very dawn of MS Publisher Actually, some
pub documents may have been originated ... 10 years ago. For example, a
monthly news letter is usually the previus month news letter with the file
name changed and the inside worked over.

Interestingly, the years old static parts of these regurgitated
publications don't have border problems. The problem seems to pop up when
when the parts get resized or moved, or when old stuff gets deleted and
replaced with new stuff that the problem pops up.

Besides trying your suggestions, I will start my next round of publications
from "scratch" to make sure they all have a Pub Xp (or current version)
beginning, and see if/how that affects my problem.

Jebster