Can't Print this illustration

[DesignRoo]

Okay, first time in donkey's years I've had this 'Can't Print the illustration' window - brand new CS5 suite, brand new computer - 4 days old (Dell, 36bit - would prefer a Mac but there you go).

History - large format packaging file - 600mm x 1200mm. Line drawings. Black and one spot (Pantone) color only. Job needed original English version converted to Chinese language. This had to be done on an older 'chinese' PC in Illustrator 4 with correct Chinese fonts. But after the translator did her job, I needed to return it to CS5 on the Dell to make alterations. Chinese fonts converted to outlines for transfer. Once alterations done, tried to print and got the silly can't print message.

prints fine from Dell in PDF format.

prints fine from Dell in jpeg format.

prints fine form old 'chinese' PC in Illustrator 4 format with either outlined fonts or fonts.

havent had any problems printing anything else in CS5, just this one job.

The only thing I can think of is that there was a problem when converting the Chinese font to outlines there were too many points created and either Illustrator or the printer cracked the irrites.

Any help on how I can work out how to fix this.

...although I have been using Macs/PC's and all Adobe programs for over 25 years I HATE trying to figure out this stuff and prefer to just be an end user without trying to figure out why a perfectly reasonable request goes odd.

thanks in advance.

[TJmag]

Hi, I get this error quite a lot (like in 2 out of 10 files).

Most of the times I just export the artwork to pdf and print it from acrobat.

It might also help (as this usually happens with complex illustrations) to clean up all unnecessary swatches, brushes, symbols and graphic styles.

Adobe could just be bit more specific with the error messages because "Can´t print illustration" is not that helpfull.

[DesignRoo]

Thanks TJ - as I said in my post, I have had this with earlier versions years ago (Illustrator 2), and old Mac 400's (yes I go back quite a ways) - but I really would have expected the newest CS5 with the best quality PC not to have this issue.

Thanks for your tip - it is bit hard for me as an 'anglo' to clean up Chinese outlined fonts - who knows WHAT I might end up saying! So I will just have to print as pdf as that was the only thing that worked.

'can't print illustration' is a useless message. It could at least say 'due to lack of RAM, or Printer malfunction' or anything else!

Linda Weil

Design

design.linda@valco.com.au

www.valco.com.au

VALIANT ENTERPRISES

323 Warrigal Road

Cheltenham, Victoria 3192

P| 03 9581 8035

[knowledgeable_Walrus5C7D]

Cleaning up my document (unnecessary swatches, brushes, etc.) fixed my problem with this today. Thank you. 

[DesignRoo]

well, this is frustrating. 6 out of 10 of my current job come up with this message. They all work simply fine from CS4. What is the problem? Where do I find out how to fix this? help anyone?

[CupertinoFruit]

It's really frustrating to see such a thing happening with 60% of your files. Could you share one such problematic file on this forum?

[DesignRoo]

Could you share

Sadly, no. Files are copyright design sensitive - but thank you. I wonder if it is because they were originally CS4 files? hmmm. Not really sure. What I will have to do is recreate the same artwork or similar from start with the same brushes and fonts and see if that still causes a problem. I have yet to narrow down if the problem is coming from CS5 or from my printer and/or printer driver. I was assured it was all updated and compatible... but there you go.

If I can reproduce the problem with a 'generic' type art I will post it here for advice - you have all be very helpful already.

these things always happen when up upgrade everything all at once It is only Day 4 and overall I am happy with new CS5. just the printing issue is a pain.

Message was edited by: DesignRoo

[ASHUTOSH15 · Accepted solution]

What happens when you open the same file and copy paste into a new CS5 document?

you should also try to contact Adobe https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

[DesignRoo]

EUREKA! Thank you Ashutosh15!

I had forgotten this old trick - and it worked. I remember having to do this way back when during the transition to 3. Your help is appreciated.

Also, the Adobe Illustrator Quality Engineering team contacted me and have offered further assitance. Great service from Adobe and this forum. Thank you.

[ASHUTOSH15]

Great to hear things have ben workedaround at your end. Yes you are right when you say copy pasting to a new docuent with paste remember layers is an old trick that bails us out a lot of times   other common workaround in cases when the files get curupt due to some I/O mishap on the disk is to create a new AI file place the currupt AI file it will place the PDF portion of it and you atleast get back the PDF portion of it if not the live effects and other live Illustrator features.

Best wishes for your interaction with Adobe quality engineering !

[Marlon_Monro]

I found I could get around the problem by:

Ctrl P [to print] - AI print dialogue box comes up.

Note if you click on PRINT at this point, you get the "Can't print the illustration" message.

HOWEVER

If you click on the SETUP button on the LHS you will get your printer's dialogue box.

Click on PRINT - printer dialogue box disappears, leaving AI print dialogue box

NOW click on the PRINT button

Printer prints illustration.

[Does for me at least]

Good Luck

[mr_payno]

Monro, that worked perfect!, nice one, was having same problem. must be a communication error of some kind

[mreltigre]

Like above, save a copy w different file name, close, quit Illustrator and try again.  Sometimes even cutting and pasting onto a brand new document (File -> New) works also. 

[Harv Craven Design - HCD]

It seems to be when the file exceeds a specific dimension; the only way I can get around this is to print a large format file (in this case a 96"W-x-48"H sign) at 50% scale. When I do this, I get no File I/O error. Happens to all files over X dimension in size  -- I haven't determined the cutoff point yet.

[spec24]

Wow, so here I am, 4 years after the last post on here, attempting to print a label that I have printed many times already out of Illustrator just recently, and I get the same, meaningless "Can't Print this Illustration" error. Tried the above workarounds to no avail. Turns out every file I open now has this issue. Exporting to PS works, but not really ideal.

[Monika Gause]

spec24  schrieb

Wow, so here I am, 4 years after the last post on here, attempting to print a label that I have printed many times already out of Illustrator just recently, and I get the same, meaningless "Can't Print this Illustration" error. Tried the above workarounds to no avail. Turns out every file I open now has this issue. Exporting to PS works, but not really ideal.

THis thread is 8 years old.

Since you most probably have a different version , different printer, different system, please create a new thread.

In case you're on Windows 10, your issue is most probably caused by the latest system update inwhich Microsoft messed the printer drivers so they don't work. They have already acknoledged that (just in case you wanted to protest).

Only in that case: try and install a different driver.

Try and research the issue in the forum with specific mention of Windows 10

Try and outline your text. This usually is not a recommended procedure. In this case it's just to test whether the driver is responsible. So revert that step afterwards!

[spec24]

This thread is four years old judging from the last post. It is still the same issue that Adobe has yet to address: nebulous error message. Printer and OS have nothing to do with it since I can print just fine out of PS and every other single program that I have to the exact same printer.. as I mentioned in my post (printing to PS works). If it were a Win 10 issue, PS wouldn't work either, at least that is my understanding. Outlining text had no effect.

However, it is worth mentioning that depending on which forum you post things on you either get yelled out for posting an issue that already has a thread made or you get yelled at for posting in an old thread. Since the main issue here seems to be an error message that gives zero information to the user (back in 2010) I felt it relevant to necro this same thread since the same zero information warning still exists.

[Monika Gause]

spec24  schrieb

Printer and OS have nothing to do with it since I can print just fine out of PS

The issues with that update only appear under certain circumstances:

There is a known bug in the most recent update to Windows 10 (version 1803) in which printing is totally hosed if both of the following are true:

(1)     Your printer uses a Version 4 driver (most PostScript printers use Version 3 PSCRIPT5.DLL-based drivers).

(2)     Your content uses an OpenType CFF font (as opposed to TrueType).

[spec24]

Thank you, Monika. That was indeed very helpful.

[Ian23045110qqrv]

This thread is very old but it still comes up as a top google search for this issue.

The solve for me was converting my file to CMYK. There were Pantone colors in my file that were apparently causing the issue. Once I converted those to CMYK it allowed me to print. Hope this helps someone!

[hollyd43587957]

Yeah - same for me - "cant print illustration" - search for issu and this thread is top of list - can print in anything else (including a out of date Bartender lite application) but not illustrator - document was allready CMYK so that didnt help either.

[Monika Gause]

document was allready CMYK so that didnt help either.

By @hollyd43587957

could still contain spot colors.

Without knowing your system, version of Illustrator, printer, printer driver and all the details about the document, nobody will be able to help you. And please: this threrad is 134 years old. I suppose you're not using Windows 7, right?

[hollyd43587957]

I am using win 10 and latest version of Illustrator 27.6.1.

Printer is Primera LX900

I went through my document and slowly deleted all the segments of my document - each time I went to print and it gave me the same error.

I then created a blank document and tried to print it - same error.

[Monika Gause]

Is the printer set up correctly in the system? Is the driver compatible with Illustrator? What does the manufacturer say?