Print Error 1

[rachred]

Hi,

Fairly new to InDesign. I am trying to send a colour separation to a printer and the document keeps coming up with the error message: 'The Adobe Print Engine has failed due to an unknown error. I have tried everything I can think of but don't know enough about the programme to correct it.

 

[SatyrStrigoii]

Hi rachred!
I've joined this forum for posting my tip...
I had the same problem "The Adobe Print Engine has failed due to an unknown error" on my Macintosh, while trying to export a document to EPS.
I resolved finding that there was a FONT problem (a decorative font that I missed to outline). I created outlines for that font and everything went fine.

Try also this support page at Adobe:

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/325104.html

Hope you'll resolve soon,

Satyr Strigoii

 

[Genimuse]

Aye, a bad font or a bad placed eps are the most likely culprits.

 

[rachred]

I think it was an EPS that was the problem as I had already created outlines for the text. Thanks for the advice. I have since heard that InDesign is not that great for colour separations and wondered if that was true? I am still having the odd problem with sending separations to the printer.

 

[jimoblak]

I have since heard that InDesign is not that great for colour separations.

This would be like saying that InDesign is not that great for printing. Whoever said this was being silly. InDesign is fine for separations: this is how all printing is done. You just seem to have a bug in the soup. Do you get the same error printing a composite?

Whenever you encounter unexplained printing problems (no matter what application), you should remove questionable graphics one by one and try printing. Eventually, you should find the problem graphic.

Also be sure to run FlightCheck from the File menu.

- - picklefish - -
Why is everyone in this forum responding to me as picklefish?

 

[rachred]

I did think saying InDesign wasn't very good for separations was an odd comment, it came from a commercial printer. I am still having problems with it though. I have created a basic page of type, no graphics at all, and I tried to send it through to a platemaker as a black separation. It still comes up with the 'Unknown error' message. I don't know what else to try as I converted all the type to outlines already.

 

[signal49]

Can you send separations to another printer or to PDF? Maybe it's something with your printer driver? (Are you on Mac or PC?)

 

[rachred]

I am on a PC. I did try to send it to a different printer and it was fine. I have sent loads of other files to the platemaker today from InDesign and they have also been OK which makes me think the printer driver is also fine. The problem is occuring from this one particular file to the platemaker. This is the second time this has happened to me and I am curious as to why it is occurring. Unfortuntely I am still a learner with this programme.

 

[rachred]

Hurrah! I finally figured it out what was wrong. When I created outlines arount the text, it kept the text box behind the converted to outlines text, so I had two boxes around the text. I had to copy and paste each individual converted to outlines box, then delete the text box begind it! Make any sense? Anyway, it printed fine after that. What I am puzzled about is why it did that, surely when you convert to outlines it should remove any trace of text boxes and keep the remaining text as a graphic? Any ideas?

 

[signal49]

Weird indeed... Glad you figured it out though!