Adobe Community: Print Error: The document could not be printed

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1. MichaelKazlow,

Jun 22, 2008 5:29 PM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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You can try to print as image, that might work. Have you changed
printers since the last time you printed the document? Have you changed
versions of Acrobat since it was created? Can you try to print a version
from a backup in case the version you are using has become corrupt?

Mike

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2. (Allan_Eldridge),

Jul 15, 2008 9:45 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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I've encountered the same problem. The PDF prints on other machines in my group but my machine gives me the "document cannot be printed" error. Alternatively, it will also generate the error "A drawing error has occurred." We have recently upgraded to CS3 but I believe we were using Acrobat 8 even when we were still on CS2. Our current OS is 10.4.11 and we're using Acrobat 8.1.2.

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3. (Tammy_Evink),

Jul 17, 2008 5:56 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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I have also experienced this problem. It seems to be random PDF files in my case with no pattern that I can see. Very frustrating. I have found though, if you go on the administrator user and print the same file, then go into the user you usually work in it prints fine then - that is if your machine is built with multiple users. I am not sure in my case if it is a crazy permissions problem or what. I am running 10.4.11 and Acrobat 8.1.2. But the problem slowly creeps back. Not a permanent solution.

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4. (Janis_K_Sturdevant),

Jul 18, 2008 8:57 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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Likewise to Tammy, I've had random PDF files, created from InDesign CS3, that come up with the same ERROR message when trying to print from Acrobat 8.1.2 Pro. Our current OS is 10.5.4. I export pdf files out of InDesign on a daily basis, with no real changes in the setup, yet some files will have this problem. It's infuriating to not know the cause.

I've checked all the forums (and Google) about this ERROR message, but none offer a solution or reason why some PDF have problems and others don't.

The only workaround is that the document CAN print out of Acrobat Reader 9.0 as well as Apple's Preview, so it seems to only be an Acrobat 8 Pro problem.

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5. (Allan_Eldridge),

Jul 18, 2008 9:19 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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FYI: I was able to fix the problem by allowing everyone full access to the end user's Library/Adobe folder.

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6. (Stephen_Holland),

Jul 19, 2008 9:41 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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I found the problem on my system. I have a server and networked users. I set up a symlink where the user's cache directory at ~/Library/Caches was replaced with a symlink to /Library/Caches/<username>. Unfortunately, on the machine I was using the directory /Library/Caches/<username> didn't exist. When the Caches folder was fixed Acrobat was again working. The general problem with the error message that Acrobat displays is that it gives no clue on what is wrong. Looking at the errors listed on this thread it is clear that any number of permissions problems leads to the same error. I myself had looked at the Console log to see if there were any clues. Adobe doesn't even report the errors there. This is not a good way to win friends and influence people. The conclusion is that with this error Acrobat found it couldn't make some file somewhere, it could be one of many places, and Acrobat doesn't tell you where it was trying to make a file when it ran into problems.

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7. (Amelie_Levasseur),

Aug 4, 2008 12:29 PM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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I got the same problem a couple of months ago on one file, and it happened again today. The PDFs are created from InDesign CS3 and printed with Acrobat 8.1.1 Pro on HP LaserJet 9000. I have Mac OS 10.4.11 installed.

The weird thing is that I found that both times it happened, I hadn't yet activated the Enable for Commenting and Analysis in Adobe Reader function. I got the error, then activated the function, tried printing again and it worked.

It's kinda like as if Acrobat was telling me I had forgot something.
But I very much doubt it's that smart.

The problem seems to be only on my computer. We all have the same machines (well at least 3 of us), same OS and version of the applications.

It would be nice if Acrobat could be a little more specific about why it can't print...

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8. (Jeff_Hicks),

Aug 15, 2008 12:35 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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we've just started getting the same problem - one mac reports a drawing error, else it just flushes the document, with my machine it just doesn't print, no error at all. a pc in the office can print them just fine.

Is there a way of automatically having the file open in Reader, instead of Pro, after distilling?

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9. (Jeff_Hicks),

Aug 15, 2008 6:36 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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we can get around this by ticking the "print as an image" box in the advanced options

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10. eclectic4,

Jun 24, 2010 9:18 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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I've seen this several times (admin for 600 design oriented macs). 90% of the time we've found it to be a corrupt element in the file. For example, using split half searches (print the first half of the set, then the second half. In almost every case, you will find that one half will print, meaning the corruption is in the other half). Then, split half print from the set that failed, etc.... Doing this, you can usually pinpoint the page that has the corruption. If you only have one page in your document to begin with, you can skip the previous instructions.

From there you have to go back to the orininal document (InDesign, for example) and split half DELETE design elements from it (just select half of the text/image/art from the page and delete), export to pdf, print, etc... split half until you find the offending item, recreating it or simply resaving the original element will fix

I've had to do this more times than I can count. ;-)

Good luck!

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11. sdemessieres,

Apr 14, 2011 12:01 PM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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This thread was so helpful, thanks everyone! I was struggling with the same problem today with Adobe 9 Reader and was able to get around it by following a suggestion here to use Print / Advanced / Print as Image.

This was the first time I ever had this problem. I received the following errors: "The document could not be printed", "There were no pages selected to print", "There was a drawing error."

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12. Shlomit Heymann,

Aug 3, 2011 4:48 AM in reply to (Stephen_Holland)

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I've just installed Acrobat X on my mac, got the same problem.

I don't understand the solution.

Print as an image is no good to me.

any idea?

thanks

shlomit

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Acrobat Macintosh (read-only)

Print Error: The document could not be printed

Jun 22, 2008 2:22 PM

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