Update 17.0 Printing Error using InDesign Trapping

[FusionCMM]

I thought the days of print errors were behind us.  We updated to 17.00 and printing to our CTP using built-in trapping causes a print engine failure.  It worked before the update.  Any ideas?

[Eugene Tyson]

What are you sending to yout CTP? Printing directly from InDesign?

Do you make PDFs and send a PDF to the CTP does that work better?

It would be good to know what your workflow is so we can better direct you.

Is this happening on Mac (old or new Macs (with or without the new M1 Chips?) 

Is it happening from Windows computers? 

I understand it worked before 17.0 - however, if you rollback to previous version does it work again?
https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/using/install-previous-version.html

Are any new fonts used? Is it the same document that worked before?

Can you send the first 50% of the pages to CTP and if that works try the other 50% of pages - whichever side it fails on is where the issue is. You can keep dividing and conquering the pages to track down the pages.

Any new images introduced/fonts/styles?
Are you sure it's the trapping? What have you tried to test this?

So many questions.

[Eugene Tyson]

Sorry - me again.

Could you try using File>Export and choose IDML - open that up in InDesign - resave as an indesign document using a new file name.

Does the issue persist?

You could try:

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Try resetting your preferences:
The easiest way to reset everything is to delete the InDesign preferences: as soon as InDesign starts to boot hold down Shift, Alt, Ctrl (and Apple/Cmd if working on a Macintosh). A dialog will appear asking to delete the InDesign Preferences, select 'Yes' on this dialog.
Further info and instructions here if needed:
https://helpx.adobe.com/in/indesign/kb/indesign-preferences-support-file-locations.html

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You can always try the creative cloud cleaner tool https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

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Report bugs

https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

[LukePC]

Eugene & team,

this problem has been reported multiple times since indesign 15.1.4 was released.

the problem was never present in 15.1.3. this small update broke built-in trapping for all new version up to and including 17.4.

i can repeat the same steps every time.

create a new A4 document

Add a 1mm line so it has content

print to postscript printer using PPD adobe PDF

 -change output color > separations

 -change trapping > application built-in

press save to save the ps file and get the "engine failed to output due to an unknown error"

so its not the content of the document that is faulting; as a line on a blank page is enough to throw it out.

i need a PS file for the dpx system we use and it requires trapping done this way as it doesnt accept a PDF file.

we have an archive of ps/indd files that have worked on 15.1.3 and no longer on any updates following it.

tried on windows XP, 7, and 10 64-bit. versions 15.1.3 (working but can no longer install to new machines), 15.1.4, 16.0.1 and 17.4

[Eugene Tyson]

Report bugs or make a feature request

https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

[LukePC]

bug has already been reported many times in the usevoice for indesign, nobody has addressed it.

"Cannot print with trapping turned on"-2021

"Unable to print using Separations with trap Application Built In"-2022

"Printing error: The Adobe print engine has failed to output your data due to an unknown problem?"-2020

The 3 i know about. posted in each in hopes that they get attention or collated under a more clear header.

[rob day]

Hi @LukePC , I just tested with ID 16.4 on OSX Mojave and didn’t have a problem with Trapped Separations or In-RIP Separations. The .ps files were saved correctly and I was able to Distill PDFs from th .ps files. It might be an OS problem?

[LukePC]

maybe this is a OS issue? and if so it has been a while. Can someone reply with this tested for windows PC?

most of our equipment is windows based as well as the print drivers, we will not be changing to OSX because indesign isnt capable anymore for one of our machines.

[Willi Adelberger]

You should export to PDF/X-4 and print from Acrobat as it is much more reliable than print from InDesign directly.

[LukePC]

Printing to PDF/X-4 does not give me a ps file and exporting from acrobat to postscript doesnt allow me to change to seperations and enable trapping. i cannot use a PDF file, it needs to be a seperations ps file for a platesetter to make plates for a printing press.

Although i am open to alternatives; we had a tried and true process working exactly as intended to now have a part of the software not working at all, and if you check out the posts on indesign.uservoice relating to this bug, others with similar processes are having the same issues.

im asking for this part of the software to be looked at not to use PDF files that wont work with the equipment we are running.

Between 15.1.3 to 15.1.4 as this is when it stopped for us, so there must be some bad code in there (windows OS).