I write snail mail letters with Word 97. (My OS is Win98SE) I also often make my own stationery to do that LETTER WRITING on W/97 as well. When writing, I like to insert free clipart/icons that I have downloaded to my PC in my letters as I go along (to help with creating expression to my words for the snail mail reader).

I have noticed that some downloaded images have transparent backgrounds that print fine from W/97 after insertion into a document. Some, however, don't. They will show either an undesirable white or colored bg that especially doesn't go well on patterned stationery I've created with other gifs. or jpgs. into document files in Word/97.

I know Word/97 does not have the capability to make transparent gifs. I downloaded the freeware "Ultimate PAINT" software IMAGE editing program in an attempt to take the images that wouldn't print well and make their bg's transparent. Following the instructions for making transparency and saving as a gif. or png. works fine with web documents, but still doesn't print with no bg in W/97.

Since some downloaded clipart images do print fine, I'm trying to find out what is the difference between those and the ones that show a bg even after using an image editing program like UP to make them transparent? And, what I need to do with the ones that show the bg to make them like the ones that print with transparent bg's.

TIA for any help!