MS Word

Print Colored Text as Black on a Monochrome Printer

The Problem:

My colleagues keep sending me documents formatted in all sorts of colors that print in varying shades of gray on my wretched (I mean, trusty) old laser printer. How can I make them print in black?

The Solution:

Choose Tools » Options, click the Compatibility tab (see Figure 6-2), choose the version of Word that you're using in the "Recommended options for" drop-down list, and then check the "Print colors as black on noncolor printers" box. Click the OK button.

Figure 6-2. Select the "Print colors as black on noncolor printers" box to make colored text print darker on a black-and-white printer.

Print the document on your trusty old printer, and the colored text will print firmly in black rather than gray. If in the future you want to return to printing the colors in shades of gray, go back and uncheck the box.