printable/non-printable shapes on saved web pages

[Scott]

There appears to be an inconsistency in the handling of
printable/non-printable objects when saving as a web page. Here's the
scenario:
-- Shape A is "normal", i.e., it's on a visible, printable layer and is
printable
-- Shape B is on a visible layer but is set to be non-printable
-- Shape C is on an invisible layer, but the layer is set to be printable
(the shape itself is also printable)

When I print, Shapes A and C appear on the page. This is correct.

When I save as web page, only shape A appears. Apparently, the save as web
page function respects the non-printable property for shape B but doesn't
respect the printable setting for the invisible layer.

Is my assumption about what should happen, that C should appear on the web
page, correct? Any thoughts or workaround suggestions?

 

[Chris Roth [Visio MVP]]

Hi Scott,

Hmmm. To me, it seems wrong that an invisible layer prints! There must
be some reason for this, probably something CAD-related that I haven't
thought of.

Other than that, it's probably a philosophical question. Can you simply
turn on C's layer before Saving as Web?

Save As Web doesn't seem to me to be exactly a Print operation, so I can
see that perhaps the Visio developers were stuck in an unclear situation

When I think of non-printing shapes, I think of guides and such - things
that consumers don't want to see. So they shouldn't appear in a web export.

With layers, my instinct would be to depend solely on visibility for
what appears in the web, not on the print flag.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling...

--
Hope this helps,

Chris Roth
Visio MVP


Visio Guy: Smart Graphics for Visual People
http://www.visguy.com

 

[Scott]

Save As Web doesn't seem to me to be exactly a Print operation, so I can

see that perhaps the Visio developers were stuck in an unclear situation

I agree with you about this -- in fact, I was surprised during my initial
testing that non-printable shapes didn't show up on the web page (I didn't
think save as web page would bother with that setting). But having learned
save as web page does respect the "don't print" setting, I expected (hoped?)
that the printing/non-printable setting for layers would behave the same way.

Hmmm. To me, it seems wrong that an invisible layer prints! There must
be some reason for this, probably something CAD-related that I haven't
thought of.

For layers, there is invisible and there is printable -- two different
things entirely. As David Parker points out on his web site, one application
is for watermarks. You don't want to see them on the screen but you do want
them on the printed page.

In my case, it's not a watermark but a shape that I don't want to see on the
screen, but do want to have appear on the web page. Using David's suggestion
of putting it on an invisible but printable layer seemed like just the
ticket. And it does work for the printed page, but not where I need it on the
web page.

Other than that, it's probably a philosophical question. Can you simply
turn on C's layer before Saving as Web?

I could do what you suggest... but can't rely on people who use my product
to have that kind of discipline >

 

[Chris Roth [Visio MVP]]

Thanks for the clarification, Scott.

Sorry I don't have a good answer for you, though...other than replacing
the Save As Web... UI command with your own code that does a quick tweak
of layer settings, then calls Save As Web... then puts the layer
settings back.

--
Hope this helps,

Chris Roth
Visio MVP


Visio Guy: Smart Graphics for Visual People
http://www.visguy.com