# Ghost text in MS Word 2007



## jmcfadden (Dec 8, 2009)

This is long-winded but the background is important to understand the problem

BACKGROUND: I'm working on a template for production of documents that can serve as either an instructors lesson plan or a Student Guide. 

The idea is that information and graphics on Odd pages will display in both the lesson plan and the student guide. 

Information on the even pages will display in just the lesson plan. Pictures of Presentation Slides will also show on the even pages but will be half page size in the student guide and small thumbnails in the lesson plan. 

I've created two new styles to support this scheme: INotes for the instructors notes on the even page. And ISlide for the Pictures of Presentation Slides on the even pages.

I've written a macro for the template that allows a user to prepare the document to print either a lesson plan or student guide: 

- If the user chooses the lesson plan option then the macro sets the INote Style "Hidden" Attribute to False and scans through all the in-line graphics in the document. If it finds a graphic of Style ISlide then it re-sizes the graphic to the thumbnail size.

- If the user chooses the Student Guide option then the macro sets the INote Style "Hidden" Attribute to True and scans through all the in-line graphics in the document. If it finds a graphic of Style ISlide then the graphic re-sizes it to the half-page size.

The macro work great! The problem is that after the macro completes the document seems to reproduce some text and/or graphics in other areas of the document. I say "Seems" because the reproduced text or graphics are ghost text / images. Trying to select the ghost results in the real text or graphic being selected. It's very strange.

If I save out, close, then reopen the document the ghosts are gone until I run the macro again then they reappear.


Thanks for patiently reading through this and for any ideas or advice. I have a sample document which I can forward to anyone who would like to see the behavior first hand.

Thanks
Joe Mcfadden
[email protected]


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## macropod (Apr 11, 2008)

Hi Joe,

Does the 'ghost' material appear in Print Preview or on the printed pages? If not, probably all you need to do is a Print Preview to clear the artefacts.


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## jmcfadden (Dec 8, 2009)

macropod,

Thanks for your interest and reply. Yes the artifact does appear in print preview but does not clear after the preview. Interestingly, the artifacts do not print when sent to a printer. Your idea prompted me to also try saving the file to PDF and the artifacts do not appear in the PDF...curious...but similarly do not clear after the save. 

Really challenging problem.

Thanks for any and all ideas

Joe


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## rmbstein (Jan 29, 2010)

Ghost printing an issue here to. Thought it might be limited to the HP printer - lots of buzz on HP support sites re ghost printing. Checked it out and it appears on our Lexmark laser printer, as well.
Difference - ghost text does not show in Print Preview.

Suggestions?


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## marcusb67 (Feb 18, 2010)

Hi jmcfadden,

Did you find a solution for your problem? I've got a similar problem in Excel 2007,
When running a macro, some text that's in the macro is shown in the excel file when the macro is already closed. When scrolling down and up again the text magically disappears.

Marc


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