PUB: Gray Text Prints as Black to LaserJet 4 with Windows 95

If you print a publication that contains gray or colored text to a Hewlett- Packard (HP) LaserJet 4-series printer, the text will print as black.

The Windows 95 printer driver for the HP LaserJet 4 does not support printing gray text. All text prints as either black or white. This problem is not limited to Publisher; any program that supports colored text will have this problem.

If you run Publisher 95 under Windows NT 3.51, gray or colored text actually prints as gray.

This problem doesn't occur with the LaserJet 4 PostScript driver. If your LaserJet can accept PostScript, you can use the LaserJet 4 PostScript driver. Some models of LaserJet 4 (such as the 4SI) support PostScript directly. Other models (such as the LaserJet 4) require an add-on product to support PostScript.

If you can't use the LaserJet 4 PostScript driver, you can create the gray or colored text as WordArt objects. WordArt objects are pictures and will print in shades of gray to the LaserJet 4.

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.