Semitransparent paragraph over image - paragraph background inconsistent

[fixer1234]

In LO Writer (v6.0.7.3 on Linux), paragraphs have a setting for area color and transparency, which works when the text is on a page with no background. However, if an image is placed in the background, the paragraph area will not obscure the image. The text will appear in the foreground, but the paragraph fill color disappears, and the background image shows through the empty space, unaffected by those paragraph settings, even at 0 transparency. With a background image, wrapping is limited to “in background”.

Is there a way to maintain the paragraph fill color and transparency when there is a background image?

Edit: Someone else also ran into this problem (also on Linux but not sure of the LO version). Their research pointed to a setting: <config:config-item config:name="BackgroundParaOverDrawings" config:type="boolean">true</config:config-item>, which would need to be edited into the .fodt file, whatever that is. I have no idea what that setting does (not even sure the symptom they experienced was exactly the same, but that parameter sounds related), or how this would be accomplished. Hopefully, though, that might suggest what could be underlying the problem.

To clarify the issue, here is some text with the background set to yellow, no transparency and an image pasted in front. The choices to move the image behind the text under Arrange are only Back One or Send to Back (neither of which puts it behind the text). Wrap is set to Wrap Through.

With wrap set to In Background, it looks like this (the image is still in front):

The only way I could find to get the image behind the text is to make it a static background image for the page:

In this case, the text is in front and its area color is visible. However, it greatly complicates things. The page image only fills the border, so the border needs to be made almost full page, and then the text needs to be finagled to limit it to where the border used to be. The image is no longer treated as an image, and only one image can be placed behind the text. Etc.

The objective is to treat the image as a non-static image, and arrange it behind the text so the text paragraph area color is visible. Transparency works as long as the color is visible.

[Grantler]

.

The page image only fills the border

Install LO 6.3.x - and this point is improved.

But for this there doesn’t seem to be a remedy:

The text will appear in the
foreground, but the paragraph fill
color disappears, and the background
image shows through the empty space,
unaffected by those paragraph
settings, even at 0 transparency. With
a background image, wrapping is
limited to “in background”.

In my opinion you should write a Bug report.

See screenshot (it is according to your 2nd screenshot):

[fixer1234]

@Grantler, thanks for this, it sheds some light on what’s going on. Interesting that text highlighting does show through. That may be a way to do a workaround. In my case, I need the color to extend as a border around the text. Using paragraph color, that can be done by just setting the paragraph padding. Text highlighting is limited to the actual text, so some workaround would be needed to pad the text on all sides in a way that can be handled with styles or other automated means, so layout and maintenance aren’t a nightmare. I’ll consider filing a bug report. But it looks like getting the latest release will at least get me closer.

[Hrbrgr]

I hope I understood you correctly.
There is no problem with me.

Look at it:

EDIT 20190816-08.50-MESZ

Image Properties:

Toolbar Image:

Normal Text.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Try to reset your user profile. Read it through to the end.

[Hrbrgr]

With me Windows 10 Home; Version 1903; 64-Bit | LibreOffice, Version: 6.3.0.4 (x64).

[fixer1234]

Thanks for your response. Mine doesn’t behave that way. If the text is over a background image the fill color disappears. Assuming it isn’t a difference between Windows and Linux versions, or 6.0.7 vs. 6.3.0 releases, can you tell me the relevant settings you used? (normal text, not a text box? Is the image set to the background or some other layer arrangement behind the text? Is wrapping set to “in background”?)

[Hrbrgr]

See my edited answer.

[Grantler]

@Hrbrgr : You described character background. This seems to be okay. The OT’s problem obviously is the paragraph’s background. The paragraph’s background is located behind the image’s position. See the attachment of my answer.

[Hrbrgr]

@Grantler - OK. Regardless, my suggestion regarding user profile from the OP was disregarded.

[fixer1234]

@Hrbrgr, I hadn’t refreshed my screen so your revision didn’t show up. I’ll reset the user profile, but it looks like Grantler’s works the same way. I can see your picture’s corner handle through your text, so you’re able to get the picture behind the text without it being a static background image. Apparently, you’re accomplishing this with character highlighting? That may turn out to be part of a workaround, but for my application, I need the color to extend beyond the actual text as a border. Paragraph fill can do that in an automated way with a padding setting. It will take an investment of brain cells to do this with text highlighting. There is apparently some improvement in behavior due to your more recent release of LO. I typically stick with the package in the distro’s repository, but if this has been improved, I may look at installing the newest release from LO’s web site. Thanks.