Troubleshooting > Troubleshooting printing > PostScript errors

 

PostScript errors

PostScript errors occur when the PostScript code sent to your printer contains errors, is too complex to be printed, or exceeds internal limits in the PostScript interpreter. The most common PostScript errors are complexity, communication, or PostScript code errors.

To prevent complexity errors, create documents that use complex elements sparingly.

To troubleshoot PostScript errors related to document complexity:

When printing to an imagesetter, verify that the document prints correctly to a desktop printer. A document that fails to print at a low resolution often will not print to an imagesetter.

Print to a PostScript Level 2 output device. Many kinds of documents that are too complex for a Level 1 device will print on a Level 2 device.

Print at a lower resolution. Printing at a lower resolution requires less memory. Choose a lower resolution from the Resolution pop-up menu on the Document inspector.

Enter a flatness value in the Output Options dialog box. Start with 3 and increase the number in small increments up to 10 or 12. The flatness value controls how smoothly curves print. Values greater than 10 may result in visibly flattened curves.

Print to a device with more memory.

If your document contains filled paths with many points or curves, check Split complex paths in the Output Options dialog box or the Imaging panel in the Print Setup dialog box. Split complex paths divides complex filled paths into smaller, more easily processed pieces as you print or export the document. It does not alter the saved document.

Do not use Split complex paths when printing to a Level 2 printer if you have pasted inside a complex path. The object will regenerate for each segment of the path, which could take a long time to print.