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: Automatic Font Color Won't Print Properly.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 19, 2016)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Alan notes that his Word documents all come out blank when he prints them on the printer. The only way he can get them to print properly is to select all the text in the document, display the Font dialog box, and change the font color from Automatic to black. Alan is wondering why the Automatic color in Word results in invisible text when printing and how he can fix the problem.
There are two possibilities, and both of them have to do not with Word, but with your printer driver.
The first and most likely possibility is that you have a printer driver that has a glitch in it. You should make sure that you visit the Web site of your printer's manufacturer and see if there is an update available for the printer driver. If so, download it and install it to see if the problem goes away.
The second possibility is that the printer driver has some internal setting that results in the behavior you are seeing. When you display the Print dialog box in Word, click on the Properties button for your printer and explore the settings that you see. These settings are all controlled by your printer driver, and you may discover one that is resulting in the behavior you note. This will require some trial-and-error poking about, so make sure that you have time to spend with the exploration.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (579) 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: Automatic Font Color Won't Print Properly.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
Want a printed record of the AutoCorrect entries you've created in Word? There is no built-in way to do it, but you can ...
Discover MoreNeed to have a series of documents customized for individual users? Mail merge may be overkill, but the macro presented ...
Discover MoreNeed to create a booklet with Word? Depending on your version, it could be as easy as changing how you print your final ...
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