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pdfs will not print to HP LaserJet 4200N

Hello,

I have an HP LaserJet 4200N printer connected to a LAN and in use by a mix of twenty PCs and Macs. As of lately, and from out of the blue some pdf files will not print to the device. It is a completely weird problem, not all pdfs, but some. The affected docs are printed from a web-site running the "BlackBoard" educational suite, and are scanned from text-books. The web browsers in use are Mozilla Firefox 2 and Internet Explorer 7.

What happens is that the document is loaded into the browser but expands to around 2000% it actual size, which comes to around five hundred MB. This seems to fill the buffer and crashes the whole process. A limited workaround is to print the image as a .tiff instead of a .pdf.

Any ideas?

Thanks

b0lsc0tt

Firebar,

First, what driver are you using with that printer? If it isn't Postscript (i.e. PS) then install a new printer and use that driver. That printer model should support and HP should provide a PS driver. Does that fix the problem?

If you still have a problem try saving the PDF to your computer and printing from the Reader program not the browser plugin.

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information.

b0lsc0tt

Jason Watkins

ASKER

I have tried copying the file over locally, and saw the same result. I am using the generic HP LaserJet 4050N driver, the printers are set up as local printers and the users connect to them that way.

Thx

/F

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b0lsc0tt

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Jason Watkins

ASKER

That does make sense, but why would it just stop working suddenly, and why only some pdfs and not all of them?

Thanks again...

/F

b0lsc0tt

The main issue is probably memory. However the PS driver will handle PDFs better (more efficiently) than a PCL driver. Since memory is the most likely issue small pdfs would not be a problem. Also there may be something in these pdfs that is unique (i.e. security setting, etc).

Laser printers come with internal memory and it is important to handling print jobs. If you will be printing a lot of big documents you will probably see a benefit from increasing the printer's memory.

bol

Jason Watkins

ASKER

Good to know, the HP tech said to use the PCL driver. I should probably know the difference between the two...

Thanks

b0lsc0tt

Your welcome! Let me know the results. By the way, a post by another expert (one who I think has a good understanding of this) has a little more detailed explanation of what I mentioned. It is at http:Q_21642768.html#15362756. The comment right below it about changing the dpi the printer uses (using the Control Panel on that printer) may be another solution.

bol

wyliecoyoteuk

The fact that they are scanned images may have something to do with it also.
Often people scan at higher resolution and colour depth than necessary.
Unticking "enable enhanced printing features" in the print driver>advanced tab may help also, and check that "print as bitmap" is not selected either.

wyliecoyoteuk

b0lsc0tt: thanks for the compliment. :)

b0lsc0tt

@WylieCoyoteUK - Your welcome! It is very deserved. Thanks for all you do and for the comment to Firebar.

bol

Jason Watkins

ASKER

Thanks!

The PS driver seems to be working, but the users have not given any feedback as of yet. They tend to do so only when things are broken. I tried the HP Universal installer, but that would not even see my printer when given the IP address. The HP 4050 PS driver is what seemed to have worked in the end.

Thanks again

/F

b0lsc0tt

Your welcome! I'm glad that I could help you. Thank you for the grade, the points and the fun question.

bol

botzdeal

We have had a similar problem with HP Laserjet 1020s and some pdfs. After much digging, we have found that turning off the printer's bi-directional capabilities fixed the problem.