How do I prevent text from being printed?

[Guest]

I am using Word 2003. I want to provide a message for on-screen readers of my
legal document. BUT I do not want to use "hidden text" and thus require my
readers to change their Word settings to "view hidden text". The reason
being that this would require some sort of UNhidden notice within the
document to announce to onscreen readers that they would need to change their
Word settings to see the hidden message. Being a legal document, I cannot mar
it with such comments.

In Excel it would be easy (Text Box - Properties - deselect Print object),
but Word appears to prohibit me from doing what I want to do.

 

[Guest]

In Excel it would be easy (Text Box - Properties - deselect Print object),
but Word appears to prohibit me from doing what I want to do.

Just as easy in Word using a text box, but different terminology in a
different dialog, as it isn' a property of the text box. What you are looking
for is in Tools>Options>Print, deselect Drawing Objects. Unfortunately this
is also a setting which is _not_ document-specific & has to be implemented by
the user at print time.

You could use Insert>Comment, but this also would require action by the user
in order to be viewed but not printed.

The basic process in Word is that if it shows, it prints & if it prints, it
shows... with the exception being Hidden Text - which, by the way, does _not_
actually require change to the Options setting to be viewed. The viewer need
only click the Show/Hide (¶) button to reveal non-printing characters. If the
doc is saved with them displayed, that is how it will reopen, but the
non-printing characters still do not print.

I don't know if any of this will be useful to you, but I can think of no
other way to prevent content from printing, yet have the doc be smart enough
to know when to display it on screen without some sort of action being taken
by the viewer.

HTH |:>)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

One correction: display of nonprinting characters is *not* saved with the
document; it is a (semi)global setting on the user's machine. I wish I
*could* send documents with nonprinting characters displayed; I keep hoping
that if users who send me documents could see what a dog's breakfast they're
creating (tab-tab-tab-space-space-space-enter-enter-enter), they'd be
ashamed and resolve to do better!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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[Guest]

Thanks, Suzanne... Correction noted. I guess I'm so accustomed to working
with the d*mned thing turned ON I forget that it isn't 'natural'

Regards |:>)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

Dog's breakfast? Ha ha! I like that! The stuff I see tends to be the last
phase of said breakfast. ;-)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The reason I say "(semi)global" is that if I turn it off in a given window
for some reason, then any other document opened from that window has it
turned off, but I'm not entirely sure that it's also turned off in other
open windows, though it certainly should be, since it's a global Tools |
Options | View setting. I know I often get bitten on the @$$ by displaying
field codes in one doc and then wondering WTH is going on in another doc I
open, which is a similar situation.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Just out of curiosity I opened 2 docs, turned ¶ ON in both, switched windows,
turned ¶ OFF, switched back to the other doc window & the ¶ were still
displayed. Interesting!

Regards |:>)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

That's what I kind of suspected, and yet it should *not* be happening that
way!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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all may benefit.