Format | Background is intended for Web pages. The only way to print the
background in Word versions through 2002 is to save the document as a Web
page, open it in a browser, set the browser to print background colors and
images, and print from the browser. Word 2003 does allow you to print the
background using the "Print background colors and images" check box on the
Print tab of Tools | Options.
The "Background printing" check box on that tab has nothing to do with
printing the background. It controls printing *in* the background, that is,
while you continue to work, and this is usually a good thing; sometimes this
option has to be disabled to force a document to print correctly.
In versions before Word 2003, the correct way to create a "background" for a
document is to add a "watermark." In Word 2002 and 2003, you can do this
with the Format | Background | Printed Watermark command. For earlier
versions, see “HOW TO: Create a Watermark in Word 97 and in Microsoft Word
2000†at
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=211324
--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
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