Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Forcing Printouts to Black and White.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 16, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Kevin has created a performance assessment document (about 12 pages long) that includes many tables separated by sections of text. Many of the tables have rows that have been shaded. He is wondering if there is a way, preferably without using a macro, that he can "force" the document to print the shaded rows in black and white, even when it is being printed on a color-capable printer.
There is no way to do this in Word, and it is not entirely clear if it is possible to do it using a macro. There is a way to configure color graphics so that they print as grayscale, but you want to print colored shading, which doesn't have the same configuration settings available as do graphics.
It is possible, with some printer drivers, to force a document to print in grayscale, but this capability will vary from printer to printer. (You access these individual printer capabilities by displaying the Print dialog box and then clicking the Properties button for the printer you are using.) Since these capabilities are handled by the printer driver, there is no way to access them with a macro, and even if you could, there is no guarantee that they are available for all printers.
The best solution might be to changing the shading used in the tables in the first place. It won't look as colorful on-screen, but it will provide the desired black and white printout.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (452) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Forcing Printouts to Black and White.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
If you want to print a list of all the AutoCorrect entries in your document, Word doesn't provide a method. You can use ...
Discover MoreDo you see a notification balloon pop up from your System Tray whenever you print a document? If this bothers you, then ...
Discover MoreDo you want to transfer fonts from one computer system to another? It is relatively easy to do, but there is one ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments