If you are running Word v.X or Word 2004, there is a problem in the way the Mac version handles images that contain transparency. According to Microsoft’s web site, the problem is Apple’s fault. According to Apple’s web site, the problem is Microsoft’s fault and is fixed in the 2004 version of Word.

We downloaded a trial version of the new Word, and it turns out that both companies are wrong and the images still load as black in Word for Macintosh 2004.

At present, there is no known fix for this problem. To work around the problem, you can either use Word 98 for Mac or any version of Word for Windows. We can also provide PDF versions of the documents, which will allow you to do limited editing on a Mac.

Here are two things to look into on your Macintosh computer if you are running Word 98 or older:

1. If the button graphics are black on the computer screen, then you need to reinstall Word with more graphic import filters. They don’t take up much space, so just install them all to avoid problems. The particular import filter you need is the EMF filter.

2. If the buttons show up on the screen, but are black on the printer, then the problem is related to your printer driver. Probably your printer driver is set to print in color/grayscale. For many purposes that setting is fine; however, when printing these EMF graphics, you need to have the printer set to black and white. That should make the buttons print properly.

The place you change this setting depends entirely on your printer driver, but on most Macintosh computers you can get to it by choosing Print from Word 98, then choosing color matching from a drop-down menu in the print dialog box. This may be different on your Mac. However, after you set the printer to black and white you will likely be able to print those files just fine.

Note that this problem has been corrected in the EasyData MS Word (Macintosh)files in the latest “with Calculator” books published by Vernier Software & Technology.