Long time problem no answer found...

[Nohjekim]

This is something that has happened occasionally for a long time since I found a way around it I just live with it but if anyone knows a solution I would be glad to know it.

I have always had printing problems with PageMaker that I never see anyplace else.

This one is weird.

Often I try to print a page to my Epson C80 printer and it just won't print. I start the process the printer makes some humming noise and then it just stops and nothing happens. This can be one page in a 6-page document.

I have found that If I open a new document with the same format and then copy and paste the entire contents of the page into the new one, then close the old one and save the new one as the same name it will now print.

Anyone have any ideas?

Mike

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Mike,

I did a search on Google and found two other people complaining of similar things - their printer is fine, and suddenly won't print a page.

"The technical support at Epson hasn't been any help so far - their advice was to check the ink cartridges and remove any foreign objects in the printer which hasn't worked."

Looks like something inherent in the printer. :-(
Sorry I can be more helpful.

Iechyd da! John
11:57 27/05/2003 BST

 

[Eggles]

May be the documents that won't print are somehow corrupted, and copying and pasting them into a new file (a recommended procedure for corrupt documents) makes it work again. I wonder if there is something in your workflow that is causing corruptions on occasion? No naughty file types, like JPGs or GIFs? No copy/pasting graphics instead of File>Place?

 

[Nohjekim]

I should have mentioned that the printer will print anything else even other pages in the same document.

I can convert the document to pdf and print it or as I said copy the contents to a new page.

This only happens in PageMaker, I have had the same thing happen with HP printers in the past so something is happening to the file but I didn’t know why or what.

I use only Tiff or AI files and always place them.

I should also say that I always make two copies of every file.
I once had a file get corrupted when PageMaker froze and lost a days work when I could not open the file after rebooting, so I now use “save as” and save a second file named Back Up ***** every time I save.

Whenever this happens the Back Up file will never print either, so something in the file is weird but all the same contents, type, graphics etc, will work when moved to a new page.

At least I know how to get around it now I remember the first time I had this happen I spent the better part of a day trying to print something, it was very frustrating, now as soon as it happens I just make a new page.

By the way I have found that if you are ever going to paste the contents of a page into a new one for any reason; you will have less problems if you import the styles into that page first. I have had the type change spacing or even the font when I didn’t do this.

I posted here once when I was trying to combine 6 documents into a single large sheet and couldn’t get the pages to appear exactly as the had when I copied them. Importing the styles pallet first turned out to be the solution.

Mike

 

[Eggles]

Good point about copying the Styles palette first. Must remember that.

My only other suggestion is to try and isolate the item(s) - usually a graphic - that is on the page that will not print (if it's on the very first page it will block printing of the entire document). Try moving items one at a time out onto the pasteboard (totally clear of the page) and each time try printing the page. My guess is that you will find one item, when removed from the page, will allow the page to print. Then you have to try and find out what it is about that item that is causing the problem. How is it different from all your other items of the same type?

 

[Nohjekim]

Good idea!
The next time it happens I will try that.

Thanks

Mike