BUG?: Control transparency in Word 2000/XP

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D.T.Calmes - 27 Jan 2006 03:24 GMT

I haven't been successful in making a textbox control transparent over an
image inserted into a document. My image is set to "behind text" under the
layout tab. My textboxes are inserted and set "in front of text". Also, under
the textbox properties I have set BackStyle to transparent and SpecialEffect
to flat.

While in design mode, my textboxes appear transparent, showing the image
beneath them. However, upon exiting design mode, they all become opaque,
covering the background image.

I have experienced this problem on both XP and 2000 versions of Word on
seperate computers. Can anyone else confirm this behaviour, and can anyone
suggest a suitable workaround?

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Cindy M -WordMVP- - 27 Jan 2006 18:11 GMT

Hi =?Utf-8?B?RC5ULkNhbG1lcw==?=,

As far as I know, it can't be done. ActiveX controls have different
properties/behavior depending on the container. So a textbox control on a form
will behave differently in some respects to one embedded in a document.
Apparently, transparency isn't available when a control is embedded in a
document (or the background and foreground colors are overriding it).

If you're planning to protect this document (or some sections of it) as a form,
draw a FRAME (Forms toolbar) and insert a FORMS textbox into it. Turn off the
Forms SHADING, and you'll find that this is quite transparent.

> I haven't been successful in making a textbox control transparent over an
> image inserted into a document. My image is set to "behind text" under the
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> seperate computers. Can anyone else confirm this behaviour, and can anyone
> suggest a suitable workaround?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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Cat - 19 Apr 2007 15:54 GMT

I have a similar problem but in a table. I tried to add a frame as you
suggested, but the frame will not go into the table.

What I am attempting is to shade the cell behind the controls (option
buttons and check boxes) and have the control transparent, letting the color
show through. I tried setting the shading of the control itself to match, but
it doesn't show up...just white.

~Cat

> Hi =?Utf-8?B?RC5ULkNhbG1lcw==?=,
>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
> in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

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Mike Starr - 19 Apr 2007 16:29 GMT

Are you sure you're setting the color of the right property for the control?
There's Background Color and there's Disabled Background Color.

Mike

> I have a similar problem but in a table. I tried to add a frame as you
> suggested, but the frame will not go into the table.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> ~Cat

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Cat - 19 Apr 2007 17:08 GMT

Well, I don't have either of those things, but I did notice that I have
BackColor in the Properties of the control. I couldn't match the color I had
chosen for the table cell fill (because the control had a restricted
palette), so I chose grey and changed my cell color to that. This did the
trick.

My problem was that I was trying to change the fill color in the Format
Control, Colors and Lines tab. This does not work. But the BackColor in
Properties does work.

Thanks for joggin my noggin.

> Are you sure you're setting the color of the right property for the control?
> There's Background Color and there's Disabled Background Color.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> >
> > ~Cat

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