InDesign: "Printer selection failed"

[lalalars]

I installed the printer software for my new HP Color Laserjet 2550L and now I can't print from InDesign (all other applications works).

Every time I try to choose a printer I get the message: "Printer selection failed. Restoring the previous selection."

Here they talk about "PPD":

http://www.premediasystems.com/

but I don't really understand what to do...

(I also must say that HP software very often gives you strange problems!)

Please help,

Lars / Sweden

 

[Eggles]

In the Print menu, under the Graphics tab, there is a checkbox for 'download PPD fonts' - make sure this is checked. If it is greyed out, it probably means your printer is not postscript.

 

[lalalars]

Thanks, but the PPD box is checked...

The problem is that I can't choose ANY printer. Now it's preset in the print to postscript mode, and whatever printer I try to choose I get the same "Printer selection failed" message...

 

[Eggles]

Just making sure - not the PPD box under the printer name, but under the Graphics tab.

But re-reading your problem, it appears as though you cannot select any printer at all, and it seems to be permanently 'stuck' in printing to postscript.

How did you get to 'preset in the print to postscript mode'?

 

[lalalars]

Yep, I tried the box under Graphics tab. Still doesn't work. ;(

I don't know why it's permanently stuck in print to Postscript mode - it was just like that after installing the HP driver.

Talked with the HP people and they were just saying that I should have the data format (under the Graphics tab) set in ASCII mode, but it is already in ASCII mode.

It's the same problem when I try to print from Illustrator CS - from Photoshop everything works just fine...

I have also tried to uninstall and reinstall the HP driver without any change.

Strange thing is when I uninstalled the HP driver and threw away all InDesign pref's I still couldn't choose any printer...

Maybe I have to get the CS2 and Tiger and see if it gets better.

 

[lalalars]

The really strange thing: after installing the HP driver and restarting the computer - OSX couldn't find my user!

So I had to create a totally new user and then move all the things from my old user to the new one, since OSX couldn't recognize my old user.

I've checked the computer with various repair programs and it doesn't seem to be any problems either in the software or hardware (and no viruses). And I havn't had any other problems with this Mac for over a year, so I guess it must come from the HP driver since I didn't do any other installations before the restart.

I guess the HP software just isn't the best. (I have had strange problems with HP software before - like giving endless "out of paper" warnings from a printer that's not even connected etc etc.)

 

[Eggles]

My commiserations - I have had problems with the combination of HP printers and Adobe software too. No problems printing from Microsoft programs...

Hope you manage to sort this out.

 

[kh707]

Actually I have had problems recently when I purchased an HP OfficeJet 7410. While I could locate the printer it would not duplex. Since I do a lot of brochures I really need that feature. Spent quite a bit of time with the HP rep who didn't have a clue that Adobe made anything else other than the Reader! Anyway after quite some time and several calls and such HP finally told me it was Adobe's problem. So I went to Adobe. They inform me that when HP made their new driver that they did not test it with any Adobe products!!! So many of hte new HP printers will not work with Adobe. They may work to some extent but not all the features! And it does not good downloading the new driver (which I did!!) because that doesn't help either. So now I'm in the process of purchasing a printer trying it out then taking it back if necessary! Frustration level is very, very high! Good luck...