Troubleshoot matching printer and screen colors

Depending on the desktop printer and the print settings you select, the colors in your printed publication might differ from the colors that you see on the screen. Printing a color sampler before you design your publication will help you decide what colors will work best with your printer.

1. On the Format menu, click Color Schemes.
2. In the Color Schemes task pane, click Custom color scheme.
3. Click the Standard tab, and then click Print color sampler.

Printers vary widely in the number of colors they support. Try formatting your publication in one or more of the following eight colors, and then print the publication again.

Black

Red

Blue

Violet

Bright Green

Yellow (on a colored background)

Orange

White (on a colored background)

You can recolor a piece of clip art as a single color that prints well on your printer.

1. Right-click the picture you want to change, and then click Format Picture.
2. In the Format Picture dialog box, click the Picture tab.
3. Click Recolor.
4. In the Recolor Picture dialog box, select the color you want.
5. Click Apply, and then click OK.

The printer you've selected probably prints only in black and white. If you have access to a color printer, select it for your publication, and print a color sampler to compare print and screen colors.