What's Covered

• Determine the level of the problem
• Troubleshoot problems at the document level
• Troubleshoot problems at the application level
• Troubleshoot printing problems at the printer level
  • Resolve problems printing to a PostScript printer
  • Resolve problems printing to a non-PostScript printer
• Troubleshoot problems at the system level

This document can help you resolve problems that occur when you print or export to PDF from Adobe InDesign. To get the most from this document, perform the tasks in order. Keep track of the tasks you perform and the results of each one, including errors or other problems. Adobe Technical Support can use this information to better assist you, should you need to call.

Known printing/exporting problems and solutions to specific errors are documented in the Adobe Support Knowledgebase on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/. If you can't find a specific solution to your problem, follow these procedures to isolate and resolve the issue.

When you attempt to resolve a printing/exporting issue, the first step is to determine the conditions under which the problem occurs. For example, was the error a one-time problem or can it be reproduced consistently when printing/exporting all documents, some documents or a specific document? The steps and tests below will help you define how and when your issue occurs so that a solution can be found.

 Determine the level of the problem

You should first verify whether the problem is a recurring issue. If the issue recurs consistently, then you can whether it is caused at the document, application, or system level.

1. Restart the computer and try printing/exporting again.

If the error doesn't occur, it may have been caused by a temporary communication problem, low system resources, or other temporary environmental factors. If you can print/export without error when you first restart the computer, but the error occurs again later, troubleshoot the issue at the system level.

2. Turn off the printer, turn it back on, and then try printing again.

If the error doesn't occur, an issue with the printer's memory may have caused the problem. If the error recurs further troubleshooting is required.

3. Create a new document, draw a box on the page using the Rectangle tool, and print/export the document.

If you can print/export a new document, but not the original document, troubleshoot the error at the document level.

4. Print/export from another application.

If you can print from another application (for example, WordPad or TextEdit), or export/save as a PDF from another application (for example, Illustrator or Photoshop) but not from InDesign, troubleshoot the problem at the application level. 

5. Print to another printer.

If another printer is available, then try printing the document to another printer. If you can print to a different printer, then check to make sure that the original printer is turned on and is online. Remove and reconnect the printer cables, ensure that they are connected properly, and then run a self-test on the printer to check for mechanical failure or damaged cables. If none of these steps identify the problem, then troubleshoot the error at the system level.

6. Use a different method to create the PDF file

If your issue occurs when Exporting to PDF from InDesign and you have Adobe Acrobat Standard, Pro or Pro Extended installed, try to print to Adobe PDF printer to identify if the issue is specific to InDesign's PDF Export engine. 

Note: The Acrobat 9 Save As PDF support has changed in Mac OS x Snow Leopard. Please see: Acrobat 9 Save As Adobe PDF support in Mac OS X Snow Leopard (v10.6)

If your issue occurs when you use the Print function in InDesign, use File > Export to PDF to create your PDF. 

 Troubleshoot print/export problems at the document level

If the error doesn't occur when you print/export a new document, the document's print/export settings may be invalid, a particular object or font used in the document may be damaged, or the structure of the document may be damaged. Do one or more of the following tasks to troubleshoot an error that occurs only when you print a particular document.

Note: Problems that occur at the system level may appear to be document-specific if they occur due to the complexity of the document.

1. Export to IDML (InDesign CS4 and CS5) or INX (InDesign CS3 and earlier), then reopen and print this file

The document may have become damaged. Damaged documents are especially common after being converted from a previous version of InDesign or from a QuarkXPress document. Exporting to IDML or INX could eliminate problematic data.

2. If you print to a PostScript printer, send the PostScript error handler to the printer.

Windows:

1. Choose File > Print.
2. Click the Setup button.
3. Right-click the printer and choose Properties.
4. In the General tab, click Printing Preferences.
5. Click Advanced.
6. Expand Document Options and then expand PostScript Options. If Send PostScript Error Handler is not set to Yes, click it and choose Yes from the pop-up menu.

Mac OS X:

1. Choose File > Print.
2. Click the printer.
3. Choose Error Handling from the menu below the Presets menu.
4. Select Print Detailed Report, and then click Print.
5. Click Print.

If a PostScript error is causing the problem, the PostScript error handler prints a page with error information. For help interpreting PostScript errors, see document 328515, Troubleshoot PostScript errors.

3. Exclude graphics when you print/export the document.

To exclude graphics when you print the document:

1. Choose File > Print.
2. Click Graphics, and then choose None from the Send Data menu.
3. Click Print.

To exclude graphics when you export the document:

1. Choose File > Export and select Adobe PDF as the Format.
2. Choose a location, and click Save.
3. Click Advanced, and then enable Omit for OPI: EPS, PDF and Bitmap
4. Click Export.
   Note: Omitting images is not possible if a PDF standard is enabled. Change the Standard to None to allow omission of the images.

If the document prints/exports successfully, one or more of the graphic elements on the page may be damaged. Remove 50% of the graphics by deleting pages, or graphic frames on a single page, and print/export the document after each change to determine whether a damaged graphic in the group removed is causing the error. If the document prints/exports after a change, revert the change and remove the other 50% of remaining pages/graphics. Confirm that the error recurs, then delete 50% again, and so on. Once you identify one or more graphics which consistently produce the error when they are included as the only graphic in your output, delete and replace the graphics. You may need to re-export a graphic from the application in which you created it.

A successful print job without the graphics may also indicate inadequate printer memory. Common symptoms of insufficient printer memory include fonts being substituted, missing graphics, or incomplete print out of pages. Try printing in ranges of pages, or simplify the publication to see if it will print with fewer graphics.

Note: If the document contains only graphical elements, then you will receive a blank page when you print only if the option to print blank pages is enabled in InDesign (select Print Blank Pages in the General section of the Print dialog box).

4. Print/export while excluding, or minimizing fonts in your output.

If you choose to exclude fonts when you print from InDesign, the printer substitutes printer-resident fonts for fonts that are specified in the document instead of downloading the fonts to the printer. When exporting, you cannot exclude the fonts, but you can minimize the number of fonts used.

To exclude fonts when you print:

1. In InDesign, choose File > Print.
2. Click Graphics.
3. In the Fonts section, choose None from the Download menu.
4. Click Print.

To minimize fonts when you export to PDF

1. In InDesign, choose Type > Find Font.
2. In the Fonts in Document list, click the first font, then hold Shift and click the last to select all of the fonts in the list.
3. In the Replace With: Font Family list, choose a font you know to be working in other documents. Choose something simply which is not likely to have multiple versions installed on your system, such as Arial, Verdana, or Adobe Myriad or Minion.
4. Click Change All.
5. Click Done.
6. Choose File > Export and select Adobe PDF as the Format.
7. Choose a location, and click Save.
8. Click Export.

If the document prints/exports, the problem may be related to one of the fonts used in the document. If the document uses a large number of fonts, excluding the fonts makes the document less complex. Test the fonts that are specified in the document one at a time in a new document to determine if one or more of the fonts is damaged. If a font consistently demonstrates a problem, check for multiple active instances of the font, or reinstall the font from a known good source.

5. Verify that links in the document are valid.

When you place graphic and text elements in a document, InDesign creates a link to the original graphic. InDesign relies on the original graphic to obtain information it uses to display and print the file correctly.

To view the status of links, choose Window > Links. Unlink or relink any files where the file name is preceded by a question mark or other symbol. For an explanation of the various symbols that may appear in the Links dialog box, see "About the Links palette" in InDesign Help. For additional information about links in InDesign, see "Managing links and embedded graphics" in InDesign Help.

6. Eliminate print/export settings which may be having problems with some data in the document.

Sometimes errors are a result of a particular function in the print/export process as it is handling some specific content in the document. Eliminate as many of these types of settings as possible. If eliminating settings resolves the issue, try enabling them again in groups to try to isolate the problem to a particular setting.

For example, in the Print dialog box:

• In the General pane:
  • Set Copies to 1.
  • Disable Spreads.
  • Disable Print Master Pages.
  • Disable Print Non-printing Objects.
  • Set Print Layers to Visible & Printable Layers.
  • Disable Print Visible Guides and Basline Grids.
• In the Setup pane:
  • Set the Paper Size to Defined by Driver.
  • Set Scale Width and Height to 100%.
  • Disable Thumbnails.
  • Disable Tile.
• In the Marks and Bleed pane:
  • Disable all Marks, Bleed and Slug.
• In the Output pane:
  • Set Color to Composite Leave Unchanged.
  • Disable Trapping.
  • Disable Text as Black.
  • Disable Simulate Overprint.
  • Visit the Ink Manager and disable any Ink Aliasing.
• In the Graphics pane:
  • Set Images: Send Data to None or All.
  • Set Fonts: Download to None or All.
  • Set PostScript to Level 2.
  • Set Data Format to ASCII.
• In the Color Management pane:
  • Set Color Handling to Let PostScript Printer Determine Colors.
  • Enable Preserve CMYK Numbers.
• In the Pages Panel (outside of Print dialog box):
  • Select all pages, and from the Panel's flyout menu, choose Spread Flattening > None (Ignore Transparency)
    Note, this will cause your document to fail to image as intended, but is useful for determining of the Transparency Flattening process is part of the problem. If it is, you can try changing the Flattener Settings, or adjusting the stacking order to avoid unnecessary transparency interactions.

In the Export Adobe PDF dialog box:

• In the General pane:
  • Set Standard to None.
  • Disable Spreads.
  • Disable Embed Page Thumbnails.
  • Disable Optimize for Fast Web View
  • Disable Create Tagged PDF.
  • Disable View PDF after Exporting.
  • Disable Create Acrobat Layers.
  • Set Export Layers to Visible & Printable Layers.
  • Disable all of the Include options (for example, Bookmarks, Hyperlinks, etc.)
• In the Compression pane:
  • Set all Downsampling options to Do Not Downsample.
  • Set all Compression options to None.
  • Disable Compress Text and Line Art.
  • Disable Crop Image Data to Frames.
• In the Marks and Bleed pane:
  • Disable all Marks, Bleed and Slug.
• In the Output pane:
  • Set Color Conversion to No Color Conversion.
  • Set Profile Inclusion Policy to Don't Include Profiles.
  • Disable Simulate Overprint.
  • Visit the Ink Manager and disable any Ink Aliasing.
• In the Advanced pane:
  • Set the Subset Fonts... option to 0%.
  • Enable Omit for OPI for EPS, PDF and Bitmap Images.
  • Disable the Create JDF File Using Acrobat option.
• In the Security pane:
  • Disable both password requirements.
• In the Pages Panel (outside of Print dialog box):
  • Select all pages, and from the Panel's flyout menu, choose Spread Flattening > None (Ignore Transparency).
    Note, this will cause your document to fail to image as intended, but is usuful for determining of the Transparency Flattening process is part of the problem. If it is, you can try changing the Flattener Settings, or adjusting the stacking order to avoid unecessary transparency interactions.

7. Troubleshoot third-party plug-ins.

Remove third-party plug-ins from the InDesign Plug-ins folder, and then restart InDesign. If the problem recurs, move the plug-ins back to the InDesign Plug-ins folder. If the problem doesn't recur, identify conflicting plug-ins.

To identify conflicting plug-ins:

1. Choose Help > Configure Plug-Ins (Windows) or InDesign > Configure Plug-Ins (Mac OS).
2. Select All Plug-Ins for the Set and then deselect all the options in the Display section except Third Party. Create a list of these plug-ins.
3. Quit InDesign and move these plug-ins out of the Plug-in folder:
   
   • Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS4\Plug-Ins
   • Mac OS X: [Computer]/[Hard Drive]/Applications/Adobe InDesign CS4/Plug-Ins
4. Restart InDesign and try to re-create the problem:
   • If the problem doesn't occur, repeat steps 3-4, but adding a number of 3rd party plug-ins back to the Plug-In folder.
   • If the problem recurs, contact the developer of the plug-in you last moved to inquire about an update.

Alternatively, you can view a video to identify and disable third-party plug-ins.

8. Print/export from within a new user account.

Occasionally, a user account can become corrupted and prevent the application from reading or writing to necessary files and folders. Create a new account, log in to the new account, and then try to print/export. Do not delete your existing Windows account; the new account is only for testing purposes, and you can revert back to your original Windows account if the test shows no difference in reproducing the problem.

On Windows:

On Windows XP, you can create a new user account by going to Start button > Settings> Control Panel > User Accounts.

For Windows Vista, see "Create new local administrator account (Windows 7 and Vista)" (TechNote kb404912).

For more details on creating a new Windows user account, consult with your IT administrator or the Windows documentation.

On Mac OS X v10.5.x - 10.6.x:

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
2. Click Accounts.
3. Click the lock icon in the lower-left corner of the window and enter your administrator password, then click the OK button.
4. Click the plus sign toward the bottom of the window on the left.
5. Set the Account type to Administrator.
6. Enter the user name (for example, type test). Make sure to enter a password that you'll remember, such as test,
7. Click the Create Account button, and then close the Accounts window.
8. Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.
9. When the log in screen displays, choose the test user.

On Mac OS X v10.3.x - 10.4.x:

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
2. Click Accounts.
3. If the lock icon in the lower-left corner of the window displays as locked, click it and enter your administrator password, then click the OK button.
4. Click the plus sign toward the bottom of the window on the left.
5. Enter the user name (for example, type test). Make sure to enter a password that you'll remember, such as test.
6. Click the Security button (OS 10.3.x only)
7. Select the checkbox next to Allow User To Administer This Computer. This makes the test user an administrator.
8. Click the Create Account button, and then close the Accounts window.
9. Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.
10. When the log in screen displays, choose the test user.

9. Troubleshoot the document as a damaged document.

Perform the tasks listed in document kb403982, "Troubleshoot damaged InDesign documents".

 Troubleshoot printing problems at the application level

If you receive an error when you print any InDesign document, one of the InDesign resource files may be damaged, or InDesign may be incompatible with the printer driver, video driver, or another device driver on the system. Do one or more of the following tasks to identify the cause of an application-wide problem.

1. Rename the InDesign Defaults and the InDesign SavedData files.

Note: Re-creating the InDesign preference files restores settings to their defaults, so you will lose custom settings associated with the old preference files. If  Make sure to close InDesign before you re-create the preference files or InDesign may behave unexpectedly.

To re-create the InDesign preference files automatically:

1. Quit InDesign.
2. Now launch the application and immediately hold down the appropriate keys for your OS:
   • Mac OS X: Control + Option +Command + Shift
   • Windows: Control + Alt + Shift
3. A dialog will pop up asking you if you would like to "Delete InDesign Preference Files?" Click Yes.
4. InDesign will now launch with defaults and regenerated Preferences.
   Note: this will delete the previous preference data, so there is no way to restore custom settings if this troubleshooting step does not eliminate the problem.

To re-create the InDesign preferences files manually:

1. Rename the preferences files.
   • On Mac OS X:
     InDesign SavedData
     Users/[user]/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign/Version [version]/[language]/InDesign SavedData
     InDesign Defaults
     Users/[user]/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/Version [version]/[language]/InDesign Defaults
   • On Windows XP:
     InDesign Defaults
     C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version [version]
     InDesign SavedData
     C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version[version]\Caches
   • On Windows Vista and Windows 7:
     InDesign Defaults
     C:\Users\labuser\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\Version [version]\InDesign Defaults
     InDesign SavedData
     C:\Users\labuser\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\Version [version]\Caches\InDesign SavedData
2. Restart InDesign. InDesign creates new preference files.

If the problem persists, then you can restore the original preferences by deleting the new files and renaming the old preference files back to their original names.

2. Make sure that you have the most recent printer driver installed for the printer to which you're printing. (Windows only)

Install the most recent driver for the printer to which you print:

• If you print to a PostScript printer, download the Adobe Universal PostScript Windows Driver Installer from the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/downloads/ .
• If you print to a non-PostScript printer, contact the printer manufacturer for the latest version of the driver for the printer.

3. If you print to a PostScript printer, optimize PostScript for speed. (Windows only)

1. Choose File > Print.
2. Click Setup, and do one of the following tasks:
   • In Windows Vista or XP, click Setup, select a printer, click Preferences, and then click Advanced.
   • In Windows 2000, click the Layout tab, and then click Advanced.
3. Expand Document Options, and then expand PostScript Options.
4. Choose PostScript Output Option.
5. Choose Optimize for Speed from the pop-up menu, and then click OK.
6. Click OK and then click Print.

4. Disable the Page Protection feature in your printer.

See the documentation included with the printer for instructions on how to disable this feature.

5. If the problem occurs when you print over a network, connect the computer directly to the printer and try printing again.

If you can't connect directly to the printer, then save the document as a PostScript file and then send the file to the printer from a command line on a computer that can be connected directly to a printer. For more information about creating a PostScript file, see "Creating a device- and driver-dependent PostScript file" in InDesign Help.

6. If the problem occurs when you export as PDF to a network location, try saving on a local hard drive.

Network instability or permissions issues can cause problems when exporting to mounted network volumes. If the file can be exported to a local drive, but not your desired network location, as your IT departement to investigate the problem.

7. Make sure the printer to which you're printing supports the current printing operations.

For example, you shouldn't print color separations of EPS graphics to a non-PostScript printer. For more information about the printer's capabilities, contact the printer manufacturer.

8. Ensure that you've installed any available updates for the version of InDesign you use.

Adobe posts updates and bug fixes to InDesign periodically on its website at www.adobe.com/support/downloads/.

 Troubleshoot printing problems at the printer level

Determine whether you are using a Postscript or a non PostScript printer. Once you have determined which kind of printer you are using, follow the appropriate steps below.

To verify that you are using a Postscript printer, check the printer properties (Windows only):

Note: If you are using a Macintosh computer, then check your printer documentation or contact your printer manufacturer to determine if your printer is a Postscript device.

1. Open the Printers control panel.
2. Right-click the desired printer and choose Properties.
3. Choose the Device Setting tab.
4. Right-click the driver name at the top of the tree and choose About.

If you are using a PostScript printer, "PostScript Printer Driver" appears at the top of the window along with the driver version, the PPD name, and the PPD version.

 Resolve problems printing to a PostScript printer

If you have problems printing to a PostScript printer, do one or more of the following tasks, printing after each task:

1. Use an updated printer driver.

Use the Universal Installer (WinInstaller) to automatically install the PostScript printer driver that is compatible with your version of Windows. The most recent version of the Universal Installer is available on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html.

Note: If you use a network printer, then the print server may not be set up to run alternate drivers for different operating systems on client computers. You may be using a printer driver that is compatible with the print server's operating system but not with your computer's operating system. To install a printer driver that is compatible with your operating system, reconfigure the network printer using the Add Printer Wizard. For instructions, see task 6 below, "Install a printer driver that is compatible with your operating system."

2. Use an updated PPD file.

A PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file describes the capabilities of a PostScript printer for settings such as margins, color, and resolution. Incorrect or outdated PPD files can increase print times. Configure your printer in the Printers Control Panel with the PPD file recommended by the printer manufacturer.

To obtain a PPD file for your device, contact the printer manufacturer or visit www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html.

3. Set up the printer driver to output optimized PostScript code. (Windows only)

If you set up the printer driver to output PostScript code that's optimized for portability and in binary format, the amount of scaling the driver must do is minimized, thus preventing it from losing portions of images.

1. Choose Start > Settings > Printers
2. Right-click the printer, and choose Properties.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Click Printing Preferences, and then click Advanced.
5. Expand the Document Options, and then expand the PostScript Options.
6. Set PostScript Output Option to Optimize For Portability.

4. Create more free disk space.

Make sure that plenty of free hard disk space is available: Adobe recommends that free space is equivalent to three to five times the size of the file you print. To create more space, search for and delete temporary (.tmp) files on your computer, and clear the disk cache that the web browser uses. For instructions about clearing the disk cache, see the documentation for the browser. You can also free up disk space bypassing the spool file, which stores temporary files to the system disk during printing. For instructions for bypassing the spool file, see the documentation included with Windows.

5. Print from a local printer.

If you print to a network printer, try printing the file from a computer that is connected directly to a local printer. If the file prints correctly, network-related issues may be the cause. Contact the network administrator for assistance.

6. Install a printer driver that is compatible with your operating system.

If you use a network printer, then install a printer driver that is compatible with your operating system. Print servers don't always provide drivers for operating systems running on client computers, so you may be using a printer driver that is appropriate for the print server's operating system but not for your computer's operating system.

1. Choose Start > Settings, and then double-click Printers And Faxes (Windows XP) or Start > Control Panel > Hardware > Printers (Windows Vista).
2. Right-click the network printer, and then choose Delete.
3. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.
4. Select Local Printer Attached To This Computer, deselect Automatically Detect And Install My Plug And Play Printer, and then click Next.
5. Select Create A New Port.
6. Choose Local Port from the Type of Port menu, and then click Next.
7. In the Port Name dialog box, type the path for the print server and printer (for example, \\printservername\printername), and then click OK.
8. Follow the onscreen instructions to install a driver that matches the brand and model of your network printer.

 Resolve problems printing to a non-PostScript printer

If you have problems printing to a non-PostScript printer, do one or more of the following tasks, printing after each task:

Disclaimer: Some of these solutions require you to change the printer driver properties. The locations for specific properties vary by printer and by printer driver. Therefore, Adobe Technical Support cannot provide detailed information about the location for each property. Contact the printer manufacturer or refer to the printer documentation for more information.

1. Try printing as bitmap

By default, InDesign uses GDI commands to print to non-PostScript printers on Windows, and PostScript to print to the Mac OS X CUPS printing architecture, which passes the data as PDF to the printer driver to convert to it's native drawing language. Where possible, InDesign offers an option to send each page as bitmap data encapsulated within standard non-Postscript printing protocols. To enable this option

1. Choose File > Print.
2. Click the Advanced pane.
3. Check the Print as Bitmap checkbox. Select an appropriate resolution for your printer.

2. Ensure that the printer has enough memory.

Ensure that the printer has enough memory to print all page elements. To print at 300 dpi, the printer should have at least 2 MB of available RAM. To print at 600 dpi, the printer should have at least 4 to 6 MB of RAM. For instructions on determining available printer memory, see the printer documentation.

3. Use the printer's PostScript mode.

If the printer has a PostScript option, use the PostScript mode. For details, see the printer documentation.

4. Switch to the standard SVGA driver.

Switch to the standard Windows SVGA driver to determine if your third party video driver causes the problem. If the error doesn't occur when you use the standard SVGA driver, then contact the video card manufacturer for an updated driver. If you already use the current version, then try using a different video resolution (for example, 1024 x 768 rather than something higher).

 Troubleshoot print/export problems at the system level

If nothing prints from any application, then contact Apple Technical Support, Microsoft Technical Support, or the printer manufacturer. Always check the physical connection between the printer and the computer before calling, as the solution may be as simple as reconnecting a loose cable.

Also, consider what has changed on the system recently that may be impacting the printing process. For example, have you performed any of the following tasks:

• Updated your hardware
• Added new software
• Updated existing software
• Deleted software
• Installed or deleted fonts
• Added or removed hardware components
• Recently connected to a network
• Cleaned up the hard drive, or erased unused files
• Encountered random system errors
• Encountered errors in any other applications

Often, a change to the system directly corresponds to the appearance of a printing problem. You should keep a record of changes made to the system as a resource for troubleshooting printing and other problems.

Additional Information

kb403982: Troubleshoot damaged InDesign documents