Publisher Transparency query

[NathanK]

I'm having difficulty completeing something in MS Publisher namely:

I want to have a Text for or Draw box fade from 1 colour to another, but i
want one of those colours to be transparent (Thus fading from 1 colour to
nothing). Currently no matter what i do, the transparency bars are frozen and
can't be used, unless i go Fill->Fill Effects, and then click the other tabs,
then return to the Gradient tab. Then they are moveable, but they keep going
back to their original position when i let go. I've done this once before and
it worked beautifully, but i stupidly overwrote that file and have tried many
different ways to replicate this but with no avail.

Thanks,
A slightly mystified Games for Windows MVP

 

[Mary Sauer]

Fill your shape, fill effects, tint, select the a tint (lighter tints will be
best), okay out. Go back to fill effects, select gradient, select two colors,
color 2 should be white. Move the transparency slide.
The secret here is to use the tint tab, close the fill menu and then return.

 

[NathanK]

I've done this verbatim and a few times with a few twists too, and the
Transparency sliders are "unlocked/coloured" as opposed to greyed out, but
they aren't able to be moved fromthe lar left side. The Percentage area is
greyed out too, at 0%. Any idea?

I'm using Publisher 2003 SP2 if it makes a difference.

 

[Mary Sauer]

The way I described works for me in versions 00, 02, 03 and 07. Are you sure you
didn't use a preset?
Might do a detect and repair.

 

[NathanK]

Any method of doing this that's somewhere under a menu? Or is it via the
Control Panel - Repair? I'd think the latter, but if there's an easier way
that doesn't involve trying to find the discs i'd go for that.

Oh, and thanks for the help.

 

[Mary Sauer]

Detect and Repair is found under help. Not sure if you need the disks or not.