Printing Error: Problem Initializing the current printer.

[KMK_media_group]

I am trying to print to PDF from within InDesign CS4. When I do, I get this message.

"Printing Error: Problem Initializing the current printer. Check the system print settings."

I don't have this issue from within Illustrator or Photoshop, Word, or any other program.

I temporarily got it working a couple times but I by opening "Adobe PDF presets" from within InDesign but I didn't really change anything so it may have been a fluke.

Running Windows 7, 64 bit.

Makes no sense that it works just fine in all programs but InDesign.

Any thoughts?

[KMK_media_group]

Well, I got it working.

All I did was mess around with a couple of the print settings in the print dialogue box that comes up - bascially stuff that shouldn't really affect whether it prints or not....and that did it. Now it is working, so far.

[jorgeseptien]

I got this error to disappear after noticing that this error occurred only on existing files.  The problem was probably due to the fact the last time the file I was trying to print to PDF was opened, the file was printed to the Adobe PDF driver from Version 8.  Since I now have Acrobat version 9, I needed to reselect it from the pulldown menu within the print window.  I first selected another local printer and then, without printing to that other printer, I reselected the Adobe PDF driver.  That seems to work.

I hope this helps.

[lillianac47189757]

This helped me - to choose another printer from dropdown, then selected PDF again.

Thanks for posting this.

[Chappellkid01]

what settings? that would be nice to know.

[Guest]

I have the same problem ("Printing Error: Problem Initializing the current printer.") and have yet to find a solution. I am on Windows 7, InDesign CS5 and Acrobat 9.3. I have read too many posts and  found no solutions.

Acrobat also keeps crashing thanks to the "MakeAccessible.api"  So once I finally get a pdf made in a round about fashion, I cannot combine or crop pages without crashing the program. I shut off all the Accessibility features to my knowledge but it keeps trying to "read" my file--- what gives?

[Guest]

In case you are wondering, the files that are crashing in Acrobat 9.3 can be opened by earlier versions on another computer.

[LucienSchilling]

So this seems to be a fairly recuring problem. If anyone can tell me how to cure this, I would be really happy. We have this problem on 2 computers WIN 7 64, InDesign CS 5 (7.03) and Acrobat 9.4.3.

We have it by doing a "Print Booklet". Other printers work well!

[jen i m]

I had the same problem; CS4 windows 7, but I just printed to pdf the other week from this particular file. Tried to change a couple of settings- same error. Then did a reboot and printed pdf fine.

[Buzz81]

I am having the same problem.   This problem appeared out of nowhere.   I tried the solutions above, rebooted 3 times, no dice.   I was finally able to export to pdf.   But I'm wondering why the print function doesnt work.

The questions above are older - I'm on Windows 8.1 x64, trying to print from Indesign 5.5.   When Adobe Air updated it also installed an "Adobe Cloud" desktop application.   I uninstalled that.   Can't recall if I did that before getting export to work.

[Peter Spier]

We're all users, like you, not Adobe tech support. Have you tired deleting and reinstalling the printer? Was ID a fres install on a clean install or Windows 8, or was there some sort of upgrade?

[Buzz81]

I haven't reinstalled because I was printing to pdf, and I didn't have time to deauthorize and reinstall the program.   ID was a fresh install of 5.5 over CS4.   I upgraded Windows 8.1 from 8.  Everything works here at the office on my Vista machine, and at home the export to pdf did the trick.  However, I am curious about the message.

[Peter Spier]

OS upgrades can do strange things. I'm not surprised at all that you have a problem with the PDF printer, and I won't be surprised if you start seeing issues with ID or other Adobe apps.

[Partrick David Yanello · Accepted solution]

Wow. I just upgraed from Windows 8 to 8.1. Then I went to Indesign to "Print Booklet" a two up 100 page plus booklet, and it would not permit me to do it, saying I had some sort of printer problem. Of course I was printing to PDF not a printer. So, I followed the advice in the early part of this thread, to just go into the print properties while I was in print booklet, and simply fake it out by temporarily changing the print to from PDF to a printer (without printing at all). Then I changed it back, and lo and behold it worked. I print bookleted my document two up to PDF. No problems. Whew! Strange stuff this upgrade business. Unimaginable fixes, only to be discerned by trial and error with properties. Amazing! 

[LSY86]

Perfect Patrick!!! Thank you!!

My problem, same error was appearing, as the Print Booklet function in InDesign wouldn't work. Printing Error: Problem Initialising the current printer.

So as you said, I clicked Print Booklet, selected a different printer / my real printer. Clicked on the set up button, then hit cancel and cancel.. Then went Print Booklet again, and selected Print to PDF and it worked!!!

Crazy!

[Chirag Rana]

I had exact same issue on windows 8.1. I follow your tick and it worked.

Thanks a ton!!!

[josh_xxiv]

New machine with Windows 8.1, InDesign CS6 print to pdf (Acrobat Pro 9.5) was not working with an existing file. Selected a different printer - canceled print - reselected Adobe PDF and Voila. Thank you Patrick.

[preston33154]

IT WORKED!

I'm on Win8.1/CS5.5--and only in InDesign is this an issue!

1. Print Booklet
2. Change from AdobePDF printer to my actual printer
3. Accept
4. Cancel job
5. Start over > Print Booklet
6. Change to printer back to AdobePDF printer
7. [Print]
8. NO ERROR > PROMPT FOR FILE NAME
9. SUCCESS!!!

Thank you!!!

[roseyjoe7]

Preston.... i tried this... and no avail for me.

i have Windows 7 Adobe CC 2014

Also i am not printing a booklet... just a 4 page flyer. but i tried your method in booklet and in reg print function

any suggestions?

Thanks!

[BGMcoder]

Well I'll be!  This did fix it!  Of all the weird things....

The only thing I can think of that was different than the last time I used InDesign to Print Booklet to Adobe PDF is that we traded our Konica Minolta network printer for a Xerox).  Maybe that messed something up somewhere?

Anyway, changing to a real printer in the print dialogue and then changing back did the trick.

Thanks for sharing, Patrick David Yanello!

[razorharmon]

Thanks Patrick, worked for me too!

[boshua]

thanx!

[MillerCarrie]

You can print to a post script and open in Acrobat too.  I did that and it worked - I also did what Patrick recommended changing the printer and then changing it back to PDF and that worked as well!!!  Thank you for your posts and help!!

[MrRightWilson]

Thanks millercarrie; I tried this, and it worked. I also then went back into InDesign and switched it to print to Adobe PDF, and that worked fine from there on again.

Another work-around.

[tamborcomunicacao]

jorgeseptien: Thank you!! It's a workaround but works perfect!! This issue was a pain in the @#$!!