Printing tables with color.

[zieglel]

Does anyone have an idea as to why the colored shading of different parts of a table does not print after compiling? The table prints but none of the colors appear, whether I print on a color printer or as gray. This page will be used as a form, and the different areas need to appear as different colors or at least as shades of gray. Using RH 7.00.145 - Lenda

[Captiv8r · Accepted solution]

Hi zieglel

Try printing after you make the following changes to your Internet Explorer.

Click Tools > Internet Options
Click the Advanced tab
Scroll down to the section titled Printing
Enable the option "Print background colors and images"
Click OK to dismiss the dialog

Now print and see if you have what you want.

Cheers... Rick

[zieglel]

Thanks, but I have no Advanced tab in Tools/Internet Options - just tabs General, Privacy, and Connections. Am using IE 6 with XP.

[Pete_Lees]

Hi, zieglel,

It sounds like you're using Internet Explorer in a locked-down environment where some features of the user interface have been removed for security reasons. If it's important for you to regain access to the Advanced tab, you may need to talk to your IT Support staff.

As Rick indicated, the print settings in Internet Explorer have a bearing on the output when you print from HTML Help (.chm) or WebHelp. In particular, the "Print background colors and images" option, which is disabled by default, determines whether the shading in tables is printed or not.

Pete

[zieglel]

Thanks to all who responded. I've sent this issue to my Helpdesk. I really appreciate this forum. - Lenda

[zieglel]

Helpdesk changed those settings in IE, and it still does not print. I printed the screen before compiling it, and it did print all the colors, so it it not the printer settings.

I also printed the compiled version on a color printer and the colors in the table were not there.

Any other ideas - like RoboHelp settings?

[RoboWizard]

Hi again Lenda

You said the settings were changed. So I would ask if you have restarted your browser since having them changed?

I could be wrong here, but the issue may require a browser restart. And just to be on the safe side, I'd also restart the help file after restarting the browser.

Cheers... Rick

[Pete_Lees]

Hi, Lenda,

If yours is a compiled HTML Help (.chm) file, does the print output differ from the onscreen layout in more ways than just the disappearing table shading? There is a bug in the HTML Help viewer whereby, when you select the option to "Print the selected heading and all subtopics", the style sheets to which the topics are linked are not applied. This bug is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=830609

As well as the workaround described in this article, there is another workaround described in snippet 46 on Peter Grainge's site.

http://www.grainge.org/pages/snippets/snippets.htm

Pete

[zieglel]

It was only the shading that disappeared when I printed. The problem was actually the browser settings. It is just that when the Helpdesk person changed them, as directed by Captiv8r, the change did not stay with my computer. Another Helpdesk person gave me full access and all seven tabs, so I can now make other changes as needed.

Thanks to all who gave your ideas. I do so appreciate having this forum available, as I am the only person here who knows anything about RH, and when I have a problem, none of my company's people can help. Thanks again to all. Lenda