Failed to Print due to unknown error

[barryman9000]

I'm printing from InDesign to an HP 500 color printer. Two things keep happening:
-Either I get the "helpful" error "Failed to print due to unknown error"

-or XP gives me the "Your document was sent to the printer" everything looks fine, but nothing prints.

I can print the exact same sized doc from Photoshop to the same printer, but InDesign isn't having it. Anyone have a suggestion? We have a lot of people who use InDesign but not Photoshop, so switching apps isn't an option for me.

Thanks!

 

[Peaon]

Hi,

Try exporting to PDF first. Then print from Reader or Acrobat. This is a short term workaround.

I don't know if you are talking about a Deskjet, a Laserjet, or a Designjet 500. If you are talking a Deskjet, it only has a memory of 16K. HP stopped supporting it in 1999.

I think Photoshop has buffers or scratch disks that allow it to stream information to a low memory output device, which is why you can print from it. But other software isn't built that way.

If it's not a memory problem, there may be some object, image, or font that's corrupt. Run a preflight check (File-Preflight) to see.

 

[barryman9000]

Thanks for your help! I'm using a DesignJet 500PS. Its a big roll feed, poster sized printer.

I've tried printing a document with a single letter (Like a poster with the letter "A" on it) using different fonts, so its not an image or font.

The printer works with Photoshop and Acrobat, but I can't tell all our users to take that extra step. Especially since it was working fine a couple months ago.

Thanks again for your suggestion, maybe I'll start training people with Photoshop and bail InDesign all together.

 

[jmgalvin]

I assume that the correct PPD is selected in the print window since it's a postscript printer.

Check the setting in the various sections of the Print window.

Under Oputput, make sure you have the correct setting under color, probably either Unchanged or composite cmyk

Under Graphics, make sure that the postscript level and data format match the printer's. Also make sure that images/send data is set to all and that PPD fonts is checked under Fonts. You might also play with downloading Complete vs Subset.

Under Advanced, see if OPI is checked (usually unchecked works best but can vary with printer) or not and that transparency flattening is set to high.

It's usually a matter of getting the setting just right for a specific postscript printer. Once they're ok, you save as a print preset so you don't have to go through it all over again.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[Peaon]

Another possibility. In the print dialog window, select your Design Jet, then click on Page Set Up. Select the printer again from the drop down menu under "Format for", then select the page size. I've been looking online, and checking the paper size seems to help others.

Or you could try this bit of witchcraft (I don't know why it works, and it works infrequently). Start Mac Classic, then go to the chooser. Switch from LaserWriter driver to AdobePS, making sure you set up/select the Designjet. Then go back to ID and try printing. I've done this when I'm desperate and nothing else has worked, and it has sometimes allowed me to print. Darned if I know why.

 

[jmgalvin]

Peaon: In the first post he indicated that they use Windows XP.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[Peaon]

Whoops. I haven't used Windows in so long, I forgot what XP meant. Sorry!