MS Word - Embedded Excel Chart

I embedded an Excel Bar Chart in an MS Word doc (both Word & Excel are 2003 versions) - I placed a second bar chart in the MS document as a picture. Both charts have a parchment color for the plot area - and red colored bars. When I click on 'print preview' in the Word doc the plot color shows as parchment. However, when I print the Word doc the plot area prints as grey (although the red bars print as red). I've tried everything I can think of but the plot area still prints grey. {If I print the charts from Excel where they were created the color prints fine - parchment background.)

Any ideas? THANKS