Printing a gradient background

How can I get Word2003 to print a single full-page-stretched 2-colour
gradient background, rather than tiling the small image many times across the
page? The gradient background is displayed correctly in print preview, but
then prints wrongly. We've tried many different pages, PCs and printers -
all do the same so we presume the 'fault' is within Word.

SteveKiddyNewbie
Sat Dec 16 10:31:00 CST 2006

Sorry - i've just seen the post thread "back groung effects" (sic) and notice
there's no real solution?

"Steve Kiddy Newbie" wrote:

> How can I get Word2003 to print a single full-page-stretched 2-colour
> gradient background, rather than tiling the small image many times across the
> page? The gradient background is displayed correctly in print preview, but
> then prints wrongly. We've tried many different pages, PCs and printers -
> all do the same so we presume the 'fault' is within Word.

Jay
Sat Dec 16 11:15:45 CST 2006

That's correct. The feature has been broken for a long time.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 08:31:00 -0800, Steve Kiddy Newbie
<SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Sorry - i've just seen the post thread "back groung effects" (sic) and notice
>there's no real solution?
>
>"Steve Kiddy Newbie" wrote:
>
>> How can I get Word2003 to print a single full-page-stretched 2-colour
>> gradient background, rather than tiling the small image many times across the
>> page? The gradient background is displayed correctly in print preview, but
>> then prints wrongly. We've tried many different pages, PCs and printers -
>> all do the same so we presume the 'fault' is within Word.

SteveKiddyNewbie
Sun Dec 17 05:23:01 CST 2006

Thanx. Any workarounds? - OpenOffice? Publisher? -I'm a schoolteacher
and my kids just love the gradient background for posters, pamphlets,
leaflets etc.

"Jay Freedman" wrote:

> That's correct. The feature has been broken for a long time.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Jay Freedman
> Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
> Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
> newsgroup so all may benefit.
>
> On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 08:31:00 -0800, Steve Kiddy Newbie
> <SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >Sorry - i've just seen the post thread "back groung effects" (sic) and notice
> >there's no real solution?
> >
> >"Steve Kiddy Newbie" wrote:
> >
> >> How can I get Word2003 to print a single full-page-stretched 2-colour
> >> gradient background, rather than tiling the small image many times across the
> >> page? The gradient background is displayed correctly in print preview, but
> >> then prints wrongly. We've tried many different pages, PCs and printers -
> >> all do the same so we presume the 'fault' is within Word.
>

Mary
Sun Dec 17 05:42:40 CST 2006

Copy the gradient, paste special as an image, .png would be the best choice.
This works in Publisher. You cannot copy/paste a background. If you draw a
rectangle the size of your page and fill with a gradient...

--
Mary Sauer MSFT MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/
http://msauer.mvps.org/
news://msnews.microsoft.com

"Steve Kiddy Newbie" <SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:2D7DEE1C-034B-4943-BEFA-A2824C221F93@microsoft.com...
> Thanx. Any workarounds? - OpenOffice? Publisher? -I'm a schoolteacher
> and my kids just love the gradient background for posters, pamphlets,
> leaflets etc.
>
> "Jay Freedman" wrote:
>
>> That's correct. The feature has been broken for a long time.
>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>> Jay Freedman
>> Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
>> Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
>> newsgroup so all may benefit.
>>
>> On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 08:31:00 -0800, Steve Kiddy Newbie
>> <SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> >Sorry - i've just seen the post thread "back groung effects" (sic) and
>> >notice
>> >there's no real solution?
>> >
>> >"Steve Kiddy Newbie" wrote:
>> >
>> >> How can I get Word2003 to print a single full-page-stretched 2-colour
>> >> gradient background, rather than tiling the small image many times across
>> >> the
>> >> page? The gradient background is displayed correctly in print preview,
>> >> but
>> >> then prints wrongly. We've tried many different pages, PCs and printers -
>> >> all do the same so we presume the 'fault' is within Word.
>>

Terry
Sun Dec 17 08:05:16 CST 2006

I've just played with this and agree with Mary's suggestion. Inserting a
picture certainly works correctly and as expected. So you need to get a
gradient fill effect saved in a graphics format (.gif or jpeg would be fine)
and then add a picture background using your fill effect graphic. There
seems to be a plethora of background effects available if you search Google.

Don't forget that if you want to print this, you need to check the 'Include
Background' option under Printer Options as normally the background is only
for web pages (but note this can be very greedy on ink!).

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"Steve Kiddy Newbie" <SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:2D7DEE1C-034B-4943-BEFA-A2824C221F93@microsoft.com...
> Thanx. Any workarounds? - OpenOffice? Publisher? -I'm a
> schoolteacher
> and my kids just love the gradient background for posters, pamphlets,
> leaflets etc.
>
> "Jay Freedman" wrote:
>
>> That's correct. The feature has been broken for a long time.
>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>> Jay Freedman
>> Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
>> Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
>> newsgroup so all may benefit.
>>
>> On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 08:31:00 -0800, Steve Kiddy Newbie
>> <SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> >Sorry - i've just seen the post thread "back groung effects" (sic) and
>> >notice
>> >there's no real solution?
>> >
>> >"Steve Kiddy Newbie" wrote:
>> >
>> >> How can I get Word2003 to print a single full-page-stretched 2-colour
>> >> gradient background, rather than tiling the small image many times
>> >> across the
>> >> page? The gradient background is displayed correctly in print
>> >> preview, but
>> >> then prints wrongly. We've tried many different pages, PCs and
>> >> printers -
>> >> all do the same so we presume the 'fault' is within Word.
>>

Suzanne
Sun Dec 17 09:25:52 CST 2006

If the background is added as a "watermark," the Print Options requirement
is not necessary.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Terry Farrell" <terryfarrell@msn.com> wrote in message
news:C5A63628-FAF1-4586-A629-AC5D3402D2DE@microsoft.com...
> I've just played with this and agree with Mary's suggestion. Inserting a
> picture certainly works correctly and as expected. So you need to get a
> gradient fill effect saved in a graphics format (.gif or jpeg would be
fine)
> and then add a picture background using your fill effect graphic. There
> seems to be a plethora of background effects available if you search
Google.
>
> Don't forget that if you want to print this, you need to check the
'Include
> Background' option under Printer Options as normally the background is
only
> for web pages (but note this can be very greedy on ink!).
>
> --
> Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP
>
> "Steve Kiddy Newbie" <SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message news:2D7DEE1C-034B-4943-BEFA-A2824C221F93@microsoft.com...
> > Thanx. Any workarounds? - OpenOffice? Publisher? -I'm a
> > schoolteacher
> > and my kids just love the gradient background for posters, pamphlets,
> > leaflets etc.
> >
> > "Jay Freedman" wrote:
> >
> >> That's correct. The feature has been broken for a long time.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Regards,
> >> Jay Freedman
> >> Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
> >> Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
> >> newsgroup so all may benefit.
> >>
> >> On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 08:31:00 -0800, Steve Kiddy Newbie
> >> <SteveKiddyNewbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Sorry - i've just seen the post thread "back groung effects" (sic) and
> >> >notice
> >> >there's no real solution?
> >> >
> >> >"Steve Kiddy Newbie" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> How can I get Word2003 to print a single full-page-stretched
2-colour
> >> >> gradient background, rather than tiling the small image many times
> >> >> across the
> >> >> page? The gradient background is displayed correctly in print
> >> >> preview, but
> >> >> then prints wrongly. We've tried many different pages, PCs and
> >> >> printers -
> >> >> all do the same so we presume the 'fault' is within Word.
> >>
>