How do I stop unwanted printing of custom background?
I set custom colors in Windows because of vision problems (can't take bright white backgrounds, so I use a 20% gray), and have Firefox set to "Use System Colors." Now, after going to Firefox 5, when I print anything, my system background prints (even though I have NOT checked "Print background" in Page Setup. This did NOT happen when I was using Firefox 3 or earlier versions.
How do I turn this off? Do I have to try to return to Firefox 3 (is that even possible?)? Unless there's a practical fix to this, I'll have to abandon Firefox entirely.
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Printing a web page
Problems printing web pages
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The links you provided are meaningless to my problem. As I stated in my original post, I could print anything without difficulty using Firefox 3.6. Then I upgraded to Firefox 5.0.1 yesterday, and now a gray background (my Windows system color setting) prints, even though I have NOT checked "Print background" on the Page Setup screen.
Again, this is a problem with Firefox 5 picking up my Windows color settings, not any ignorance on my part about how to set up a printer to print a web page, something I've been doing without difficulty for years with earlier versions of Firefox and for years before that using IE.
Troubleshooting extensions and themes
Troubleshooting plugins
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No, this is not a problem with plug-ins or anything else. This is a problem that began when I upgraded to Firefox 5, making no other changes to my settings.
Did you try the Reset as mentioned in Problems printing web pages ??
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Modified by Hasan
No, this is not a problem with my printer, the settings for which worked just fine until I went from Firefox 3.6 to 5.0.1 yesterday. (And, yes, I reset the printer, even though that's not the problem, so I could say I had followed your suggestion.)
I can print just fine using IE or any desktop application.
The problem is something to do with Firefox 5.0.1, which chooses to use my Windows custom background color when printing many web pages, even though I have NOT checked "Print background" on the Page Setup screen.
(Interestingly, though I don't have this problem on ALL pages I try to print, it seems to occur universally when I try to print a "Print" version of a web page. To repeat, this problem only started after I upgraded to Firefox 5.0.1 yesterday. For example, yesterday morning I was able to print a "Print" version of a column from the Washington Post. Today, when I tried to print a "Print" version of a column from the Post, I get my Windows background color. The Post hasn't changed. My printer hasn't changed. The only thing that has changed is Firefox.)
Firefox prints incorrectly
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Sorry, this is of no help. I have used Firefox for years, and know full well how to print. This is a problem I didn't have in Firefox 3.n (and earlier), but have with Firefox 5 and now with Firefox 6.
Again, here's the problem: I have Windows system colors set to a gray background because I have vision difficulties and can't bear the bright white Windows default background. In Firefox, I have checked "Use system colors" (Tools>Options>Colors). In earlier versions, this gave me my Windows background color on screen, but disregarded it when I printed anything. Now, the backgroud sometimes prints (typically on web pages that provide their own "Print" formats).
Of course, there's a clumsy workaround for this: Before printing, check print preview to see whether the background is going to print, then uncheck "Use system colors" (Tools>Options>Colors), then print, then recheck "Yse system colors." But I didn't have to go through these steps UNTIL I installed Firefox 5 and then Firefox 6.
So, please, don't everyone tell me stuff I've known for years. The problem is that something has changed in Firefox!
Warning: Firefox 3.6 will only be maintained with security and stability updates for a short period of time.
Download Firefox 3.6.21:
Uninstall your current Firefox
- https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Uninstalling%20Firefox
- DO NOT SELECT TO REMOVE USER DATA AND SETTINGS
Install Firefox 3.6.21
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Huh? You're suggesting that I should go back to an unsupported version of Firefox? Seriously?
Its not an Unsuspected version. Its still being maintained with Security & Stability fixes.
Since you said that you were having no problems with Firefox 3.6, that's why i provided you the link for Firefox 3.6.21.
I am Not Recommending you to Downgrade. Just suggested this since you said that you were having no problems with Firefox 3.6.
I don't have any custom background colors chosen, and never have. But I, too, have been getting gray backgrounds on printed docs that I never used to before! It's been very frustrating, and is using up ink at a record pace. Firefox was my default browser, but I've changed back to Internet Explorer in order to avoid this problem!!
@TucsonAZ
-> Problems printing web pages
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It seems Mozilla isn't listening, or maybe this issue comes up as a Firefox 5 problem and they don't look at it anymore.
I use "money green" (RGB 192,220,192) for my Windows background color, and firefox prints "a mess o' green" even though the web page was rendered on screen using white.
I think that Firefox may be rendering white for area where there is no CSS background color, but then using the Windows background color for the same regions when printed.
All developers should use non-default settings when testing their code, at least sometimes!
Amen to that, Cornan: Developers are generally too complacent about assuming everybody uses defaults all the time, so don't bother considering anything else. If it was up to most developers, TVs and other equipment would lack volume controls, on the assumption that everybody had "average" -- and therefore default -- hearing.
The problem persists into Firefox 8. I can never print anything without first doing a print preview. Some sites (those with considerate developers and testers) print fine. In other cases, I have to turn off the custom background color I must use (I have vision problems that make Windows default bright white background painful), print the Web page[s], and then turn my custom background on again.
I'd return to IE, but it's not much better. Chrome remains too primitive for my needs. So, for now, I'm stuck with Firefox and developers' indifference to anyone who, for any reason, want to set custom background colors.
See:
- bug 683139 - Using the 'High Contrast Black' 'Accessibility Option' in Win XP results in the screen colours being printed.
(please do not comment in bug reports)