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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Lexmark c530dn PostScript Error

mlbarnes - Oct 6, 2007 - 6:56 am

I am trying to print photos on my Lexmark Colour Laser, and just get a PDF Error 11: Post Script Error : LIMITCHECK printed out as a single line of text.

I understand this may be related to too complex image files, and have turned the resolution down to minimum on the printer options, but still to no avail - I can't print pictures from iPhoto, Preview, Quark or Photoshop.

Lexmark made some suggestions, none helped, and have now stopped answering my emails!

Any ideas?

Thanks Martyn Barnes

gsahli - Oct 7, 2007 - 7:35 am

Martyn -
I've never seen that error! This is most likely an error in your OS X software - a corrupted or missing file. Here are some troubleshooting steps to try. Do one at a time, then restart the Mac and re-Add the printer in Printer Setup.

Reset Printing System (new in Tiger) - In Printer Setup, click this menu item found just above Quit Printer Setup.
Download the Combination Updater from Apple, use it to re-Update OS X.
Try Printer Setup Repair from www.fixamac.net.
Use a Disk Utility like Disk Warrior to repair the HD -- or, put in your install DVD and restart while holding the c key. DO NOT continue the installer - instead, find Disk Utility in the top (Finder) menus and use it to repair the hard drive.

mlbarnes - Oct 8, 2007 - 12:58 pm

Thanks so much for getting back to me Gsahli,
I tried the printing reset, including restart.
I looked up the combination updater from apple - do you mean the "Mac OS X 10.4.10 Combo Update v1.1 (Intel/PPC)"??
I am already "software update"-ed. and am running 10.4.10, and confirmed today "No new updates". Let me know if you lost me on this.
I got the Printer Setup Repair Utility and ran every available option - reseting the system, deleting all preferences repairing all setting, installing default CUPS settings, etc etc.
I restarted and did another print, but still no luck.
I could add a few more specifics. I did wonder if this is an error in the print processing before it even gets to the printer. Being a PDF Error in files that are not PDF based, I am assuming that like the GUI, the printing system involves PDF creation and processing before spooling as required to the printer. It has happened in iPhoto, Preview, and today in Word, when trying to print in B&W even! That said, it does still work for simple text.
Nonetheless, your printing system reset suggestion did not seem to work, and oddly, I got the same error in a powerbook I use when I plugged the USB cable into it and freshly installed the drivers (noting the laptop had been used to print to it via my main system by network sharing). Since two macs gave the same error, I did wonder if it is a printer problem. On the other hand, the printer did work for a few photos when I first got it, and reseting it from it's own menu has not helped either.

I should also add that sometimes it doesn't even print an error, the printer just sits there claiming to be busy on it's LCD for 5 minutes, then decides it has finished within so much as a grunt or paperfeed.

Lexmark are still ignoring me, but I wonder if this isn;t a hardware issue... Any more ideas?

Martyn Barnes

gsahli - Oct 8, 2007 - 2:29 pm

Yes, I mean the Intel Combo 10.4.10 v1.1. The installer/update system in OS X is its weakest link - it doesn't do much error checking. The Combo Updaters re-install all the updated components since 10.4. This is a common troubleshooting technique, where we are hoping the file(s) corrupted in your OS X is/are part of the update.

If this or the Disk Utility step don't fix it, I think you will have to reinstall OS X using the Archive & Install option in the installer.

mlbarnes - Oct 10, 2007 - 12:19 pm

Dear Gsahli,

I have now installed the combo update again, and then done an archive and install, and the problem is still there!
I am now thinking this is a hardware error of some sort, do you think that is reasonable or is there anything else to try?

Martyn Barnes

For the record... Lexmark have promised to call me back x2 and email me back x1 and have failed every time! They have ignored all my emails too!

gsahli - Oct 10, 2007 - 4:49 pm

Martyn,
Wow, I hope I haven't been leading you the wrong way! I don't have that printer - can you please tell me for certain that IS a postscript printer? Is it possible it is only a postscript printer IF you buy an add-in card? Please tell me the printer model so I can read about it.
Why does this matter? Some manufacturers ASSUME Macs can only print postscript and so the only drivers issued for Macs are postscript drivers - they forget to tell people that the postscript card is an extra. (I'm really not sure if this applies to your printer.)

mlbarnes - Oct 11, 2007 - 2:35 am

No, I don;t think you are leading me the wrong way!
The specific description provided (Printer is a Lexmark c530dn) is "Printer Languages (Standard): PCL 5c Emulation
PCL 6 Emulation, Personal Printer Data Stream (PPDS), PostScript 3 Emulation, PDF 1.5, xHTML".
I am not sure what the difference is between PS emulation and "true" PS?
Anyway, I have been doing a few more tests, and If I make the print jobs a lot simpler (a few hundred kb jpegs instead of 5mb) they go through - albeit with poor quality. I have the basic memory on the model - 128MG which seems to be considered adequate for printing colour pages on websites I have seen, but do you think this could be a memory problem? I am loath to invest in the upgrade if this isn't memory related (£600 from manufacturer, although only £30 from Kingston!).

Still stuck, but getting somewhere maybe!

Martyn

gsahli - Oct 11, 2007 - 7:41 am

(Emulation has never been a problem that I know of - postscript is an "open" language specification.)
I'm still fairly certain this isn't a hardware/memory issue. Let's try this - in Printer Setup, click once to highlight the printer, then click Show Info. In the options section make sure it is set for the correct memory.

By the way, I think the HP Laserjet 5000 driver will work for your printer. You can get that by installing Gutenprint:
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3
This would be a good troubleshooting test.

mlbarnes - Oct 11, 2007 - 3:55 pm

Thanks Again...

Memory is set correctly to 128mb, and the printer setting print out confirms that 128mb is installed.

I downloaded the GIMP solution, which is top notch stuff - it got my faithful old Parallel port Samsung ML-4500 printer working via a PC print server for my mac previously. Anyway, keeping to the point, I installed it and tried printing the photos I have been testing with throughout. It seemed to send them to the printer which claimed to be busy for a while, then reverted to a ready state without doing anything. I tried printing some basic b&w text, but even that would not print using the HP LJ5000 driver. Shame..

I tried a bit more experimenting to determine the file size that it will print. I made an .EPS file of four photos on an A4 sheet using Quark Express. It would certainly not print as it was, so I output it to an .EPS file. I then opened this in Graphic Converter and resampled the file into 600dpi, 300dpi and 150dpi, saving each in both TIFF and JPG formats. I tried to print all these files, but only the 150dpi file printed properly (only tried jpg at this resolution), the 600dpi TIFF reported a new error - "PDF Error 107: Job too big to store local copy. The rest reported the LIMITCHECK error as before.

On a printer that reports "4800dpi Colour Quality" I am not being over the top to expect something more than 150dpi am I? Hope not... Don't worry I know the 4800dpi is nonsense, but 300 or 600dpi might be nice!

Probably a stupid question, but given all these problems are reported as postscript errors, is there any way to tell the computer to spool the data in PCL5/6, PDF or the other languages that the printer 'speaks'?

I have finally had some reply from Lexmark, who are "escalating my problem"! and have now asked me to email them my files and log files and tell them my applications, versions, inside leg measurements etc etc. God knows how I shall get 600dpi A4 size files emailed to them! Anyway, doubt they will come up with anything sensible, so thanks for all your help and please don't give up!

Any more thoughts?

Martyn

gsahli - Oct 11, 2007 - 9:01 pm

The HP LJ 5000 Gutenprint driver is a PCL driver - that's why I suggested that. I Hope they can help - I'm out of ideas.

mlbarnes - Oct 12, 2007 - 2:21 am

Thats a shame, I shall give them a bit longer, but I think they are going to have to o something major, or this mammoth hunk of junk will have to be heading back their way.
Thanks very much for your help.

Martyn Barnes