Gradient background is lost when you open a publication that was created in a later version of Publisher in Publisher 2000

When you create a Microsoft Office Publisher 2007, Microsoft Office Publisher 2003, or Microsoft Publisher 2002 publication that has a gradient fille background on a page and save that publication by using either the Microsoft Publisher 2000 files or the Microsoft Publisher 98 files formats in the Save As dialog box, the background fill may be discarded. When you open the file in Publisher 2000, the background fill is missing.

Publisher 2000 can only apply a fill for the background in Web page mode. It does not have this feature in print mode. In Web page mode, you can apply a solid color, a tint, a shade, or a texture, but not a gradient.

To work around this problem, do not apply a background fill. Instead, draw a full-page rectangle on the page where you want the background, and then apply the fill effect that you want. The rectangle retains the gradient fill when you save your publication in Publisher 2000 or Publisher 98 format. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open a blank publication.
2. On the Objects toolbar, click the Rectangle icon, and then draw a rectangle the size of the page.
3. Right-click the rectangle, and then click Format AutoShape.
4. In the Format AutoShape dialog box, click the Color drop-down list, and then click Fill Effects.
5. In the Fill Effects dialog box, click the Gradient tab, and then click Two colors.
6. Apply two contrasting colors of your choice.
7. Choose a shading style, and then click OK.
8. On the File menu, click Save As. Give the file a name. In the Save as type list, select either Publisher 2000 file or Publisher 98 file.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

Versions of Publisher that are later than Publisher 2002 use the term "background" in very different ways. Publisher 2000 refers to "background" as the layer behind the primary workspace where objects can be placed that are intended to appear on every page of a publication. With Publisher 2002 and later, this concept is called "Master Page". In Publisher 2002 and later, "Background" refers to an additional layer that can accept a gradient fill, texture, pattern, picture, solid color, or tint, and can be changed on individual pages.