MochaMama Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 I am printing out sheets of labels in MS publisher, but I notice that the very first label on each page is printing out black. I can see the actual label, but it seems to have a black square printed over it. This does not show up in the print preview and I don't know how fix it. The rest of the labels on the sheet are perfect - just the very first one is messed up.Does anyone know how to solve this problem?Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerJill Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Maybe there's something in that first label space that's not showing up in the preview, such as an empty text box which is printing with black as its fill color. You might have something in there that needs to be deleted or its fill color removed. Try clicking around on the bad label area and changing the order of things, bringing the label image forward, etc.Good luck! Heavens knows I love my computer until it starts doing goofy little things like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 Thank you for the response, but that's not the problem. If only it were that simple. I'm beginning to think it's the old drivers on my printer because when I print the same thing on my new printer, it doesn't happen. I like using the older printer because then I can melt soap and print labels at the same time....but we can't all have our druthers.Why oh why do things have to be so complicated sometimes???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerina Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 You could be right... might be a driver issue...but I use Publisher extensively and i'm going to try to see if maybe there is something you can do to fix it.First I need to know if what you are saying is that there is essentially a black square sitting on top or below the full size of your label. Does it fill the entire label? Or is it a smaller square, etc? Did you use the built in label maker template or did you customize a label sheet by making a few boxes and copy and pasting them to your page set up/ design?If it was the built in template, it only shows you one label at a time to format right? So it's probably then NOT a stray design component. They would all show up same as the ONE you formatted. If it was customized then there is more chance of that stray.Going on that possibility- have you tried to shrink the top layer down enough to see if there is anything underneath to click on? You may have, as Farmer suggested, put something to the back or accidentally done a fill. It just won't show up if the box on top of it is either bigger or same size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi Blazerina:I used both a built in template and a custom template. I went to page setup, chose "label" then selected the appropriate Avery #. For the custom, I chose "custom" then set up the margins and the horizontal gap etc. as outlined by Onlinelabels.In my page view, I see one label. Publisher then duplicates this label for the whole sheet.Now, only the very first label has a black square over it. I can see the label through this black square - it seems to be superimposed over the actual image on the label. I used an autoshape to create the circular label, then filled that autoshape with a jpeg using "fill effects" command.The black square does not cover the entire label. It seems to be the exact size (radius) of the autoshape circle that I used, if that makes sense. Like the circlelabel fits exactly inside the black square.As you wrote, it would seem to me that it should be on ALL the labels on a sheet, not just the first one, since I'm only formatting/working on one version of the label. I really appreciate your help on this. It is so puzzling!I ran a diagnostic through the Hewlett Packard site and it says my drivers are updated.I took the whole label apart last night and did not see anything amiss. This is truly a mystery. I just hate wasting one label per sheet, especially with the larger 2x4 labels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerina Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hmm.. i'm really wishing I could recreate this for myself so I could 'see' it. It's very hard for me to think in abstract terms if you know what I mean... gotta SEE it, lol. What version of MS Pub. are you working with? I think mine is 2000 and the one I use at work is 2002. They are very different. I much much prefer my older version. If yours is not newer than mine, then you could send me the file and I can see if I can deconstruct it. But if it's newer it won't let me open it. On the one hand, I don't totally understand the custom AND template combo... but on the other hand, I totally manipulate ms pub in all kinds of crazy ways and that's why I love it, lol. So i'm sure you are just describing a way that you have found works best for you. And like I said, my imagination for the abstract is nonexistent.:rolleyes2 I'm guessing also that you are not able to find it's border, correct? So as to be able to outline it and make it clickable or moveable? If you could, or can get an outline on it try hitting ctrl and T. That should at least make it transparent (aka invisible- unless an outline remains of course. But then you should be able to click for options and go down to 'change object', then 'line' then either click 'no line' or make it a white line depending on the color of your label background) OR you have made your text box transparent already and design format behind it is showing through. This is where you need to be able to shrink the box to get an idea what may be under it. And pressing ctrl T again would make it not transparent.But I just get the feeling you know all this already, lol. So hopefully, if you want to, if you are willing, your version isn't too new and you can send it my way for a look see. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Oh, I have MSpub 2003, or I would def. send you the file. I will try the cTRL T - maybe its the autoshape that's having the issue. (And I didn't know about that, so you taught me something today )Blazerina - thank you so much for the tips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share Posted February 6, 2008 Well, I figured it out!Turns out that it was the autoshape that was the problem. I tried to set it to transparent, but that didn't work. So I filled it with white (since I was printing on white paper) and "sent it to back" and that did the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerina Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Awesome!So happy for you! And not only did you fix it, but it sounds like you even went so far as to be able to figure out WHAT was the problem in the first place. This is when my ultimate stubbornness comes out. "Yeah yeah yeah, I fixed it, it's fine now, but what WAS IT??" <~~~ That's me when I have a problem like that- after which I spend hours on end, annoying everyone, trying to figure it out because I just CAN NOT give up on it til I KNOW. KWIM? :rolleyes2Very glad ya got it taken care of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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