I am trying to solve a problem when I print from a spreadsheet. I have an HP all in one j5780 printer. When I receive a spreadsheet via email or try to print my own spreadsheets the rows come out black as if the system does not see the figures if there is any shading in the rows they come out completley black but I can see the figures in clear rows and not in the shaded ones. I have spent a lengthy amount of time with HP support and they have told me it is not the printer it is the application I am completely stumped with this as I use spreadsheets on a daily basis. Please help

Please inform us what spreadsheet application are you using..

I am using MS office so I suppose it would be excel but this occurs when I receive a spreasheet via email

Do shaded and/or colored portions of WORD documents print properly? That would be good to know... if Word prints properly and Excel does not.

If Word prints properly, the next test would be to copy a section out of an Excel doc into a Word doc and printing from there, again to see if Word will give you the preferred result.

Does it?

Also, you could just try the setting your document to print in Black and White only, see if that helps:

File > Page Setup > Sheet > [x] Black and white

Do shaded and/or colored portions of WORD documents print properly? That would be good to know.... if Word prints properly and Excel does not.

If Word prints properly, the next test would be to copy a section out of an Excel doc into a Word doc and printing from there, again to see if Word will give you the preferred result.

Does it?
Shaded area come out black but I can see the unshaded areas

Do shaded and/or colored portions of WORD documents print properly? That would be good to know.... if Word prints properly and Excel does not.

If Word prints properly, the next test would be to copy a section out of an Excel doc into a Word doc and printing from there, again to see if Word will give you the preferred result.

Does it?
Sorry word prints fine

Also, you could just try the setting your document to print in Black and White only, see if that helps:

File > Page Setup > Sheet > [x] Black and white
Done that shaded areas still come out black we have instructions on our sight cannot print them at all

So pasting an Excel excerpt into Word and printing it, you get the Excel excerpt printing legibly? It looks as desired?

Try removing all shading from the cells, does it print OK then?

It seems to be just the shaded area that are not printing even if it just a slight shaded darker then the background, this solution is fine for my own spreadsheets but when I receive others via email they are quotes for shipping etc.. They are protected and I cannot take out the shading our machine instructions on the site are a mixture of both pictures and words they come out black.

I forgot to say the instructions are in PDF format some one else said on another forum to change the resolution but I cannot seem to change it its set on 600 dpi minimum up to 1200dpi

i forgot to say the instructions are in PDF format some one else said on another forum to change the resolution but i cannot seem to change it its set on 600 dpi minimum up to 1200dpi

Let me get this straight. The problem is not XLS files, but PDF files. In that case, do you have the latest Adobe Reader?

Yes I do I also in my printer files I have
Under the list of printers Adobe PDF, Microsoft XPS writer, plus my HP J5780 all in one. I wondered if I should be shifting between them to print various items they appeared on there own I did not install.

This has only happened since I have had this printer I had a HP all in one before but without the fax but I ditched my fax machine and bought this new all in one.

Let me get this straight. The problem is not XLS files, but PDF files. In that case, do you have the latest Adobe Reader?

The spreadsheets that are mailed to me are not in PDF format though?

No, The PDF entry is used to create PDFs. The XPS is a virtual printer. You may have the full version of Acrobat, but what specific version is your reader?


Can you attach one of the spreadsheet files?

The spreadsheets that are mailed to me are not in PDF format though?
Sorry just checked they are PDF

That's what I thought. I've had a similar problem with PDFs created using older versions of a PDF writer. Make sure you have the latest version of the Reader which is at 9.0.

But if the problem persists, try contacting Adobe tech support. The vendors sending you these PDFs may have to upgrade their software.

No, The PDF entry is used to create PDFs. The XPS is a virtual printer. You may have the full version of Acrobat, but what specific version is your reader?


Can you attach one of the spreadsheet files?
Yes here you go

You sir are all wizards problem sorted Thank you so very much I have now managed to print off our instructions for the first time and all my spreadsheets. Thanks again this site invaluable for all PC users will use and recommend

It printed fine for me. I'm using Reader 8.1.3

I recreated the PDF using my PDF writer. See if the attached works.