printing problem - error 9705 and pictwstops

[lacinda]

I am having problems printing a select set of records that are selected via a script. I can print a record or group of records from the database without incident.

After the script runs, the "preview" of the number of pages shows "?" pages (instead of a number).

When I try to Print directly, it cycles through the number of records (Printing Page 1...Page 2...etc), but when it gets to the end, it doesn't do anything! The print center will flash the message "pictwstops - got an error disposing of document. error -8986" but this goes away after a few seconds.

If I try to do a print preview from the Print dialog box, it gives me the following error message. "Sorry, FileMaker is unable to continue printing. Error -9705".

I saw on the FMP website that this error means there is a problem with a font that was not installed under OS X that was used to create the database in OS 9. So, I went in to layout mode, selected all, and changed the font to "Arial". Still no change.

This did happen after an upgrade of FMP 5 (maybe 5.5) which was running in Classic mode, to FMP 6.

But I can't figure out how to fix it. Any suggestions?

TIA,

lacinda

[Vaughan]

It sounds like a printer driver problem. See if the printer is configured correctly, or look for a new driver.

[lacinda]

I've tried drivers from the hp disk and a newer one on hp's site. (It's an hp 4200). i'm not ruling it out, but i've reinstalled the printer a couple times (with different drivers). Like I said, the printer is able to print multiple records otherwise; it's only after the script is run that I have problems.

BUT - I've used this script before without problem. Other people in my dept. are using the same script without problem. I'm at a loss...

EDIT: I receive the same errors when I try to print to other network printers (different models). These other printers are used by others successfully.

[Vaughan]

Does the script have a Page Setup [restore] step in it? If so, what is the page setup it is restoring?

[lacinda]

Yes, it does have a Page Setup [restore] in it. I do not know what page setup it is restoring - can you tell me how to figure that out? I can get in and see the scripts but I can not see how to define anything.

Here is a script that works (differences noted by bold face). The same layout is used in both (denoted with xxxx list). We'll call this one "Daily":

Enter Browse Mode []

Go to Layout ["xxxx List"]

Page Setup [Restore, No dialog]

[color:"brown"]Enter Find Mode [Pause]

Perform Find [Replace Found Set]

Sort [Restore, No dialog]

Enter Preview Mode [Pause]

and the one that doesn't...we'll call this one "All"

Enter Browse Mode []

Go to Layout ["xxxx List"]

Page Setup [Restore, No dialog]

Perform Find [[color:"brown"]Restore, Replace Found Set]

Sort [Restore, No dialog]

Enter Preview Mode [Pause]

[color:"brown"] Enter Browse Mode []

I get various error messages when I try to change the "All" script to match the "Daily" script, including the pictwstops error and "Error Drawing page 1".

Any ideas?

[Vaughan]

"I do not know what page setup it is restoring - can you tell me how to figure that out?"

Run the script, then choose Page Setup from the File menu. See what has been set.

The best bet is to duplicate the daily script -- call it "Page Setup Daily" and delete all steps apart from the Page Setup line.

Open the All script and replace the Page Setup step with Perform Script [] and specify the "Page Setup Daily" script.

See what happens now.

[ctz243]

I had major problems with printing that were due to a pasted graphic.

In this case I had copied a graphic from Word and pasted into a graphic container. From then on, I could preview them OK and print to PDF OK. But, when printing, although the right number of pages appeared to go to the printer, any page with that graphic simply disappeared. The cups log (Console, logs) showed an error like yours (pictwstops). Getting rid of the offending image fixed all the printing problems.

So look in the Console cups logs and see if you've imported a pict. Not all will print out of Filemaker even though they look fine on screen and in preview.

ct

[macmekker]

Hi.

Did you get to solve your problem?

I'm now struggling with the same type of problem: "pictwstops - got an error disposing of document" (I get error -43), "Error Drawing page 1" or nothing at all. (actually I think the correct spelling of the errorcode is: pictwpstops...)

I'm now searching the net for answers, but not much luck yet. I have found some people having the same problem with Quark and one guy having problems with Filemaker aswell, but nothing has help me so far...

What troubles my mind is that I only have this problem on some computers. My Powerbook G4 1000MHz OS10.3.5 is OK, 2 of 5 G5 dual 1.8 GHz OS10.3.5 is OK, but the 3 others and an Xserve G5 has this problem. I have done all the installations in the same way on all the computers, so there should not be any differences...

(Filemaker Pro unl. 6.0v4 clients, 5.5 server on one of the G5s, printers: HP4000, HP4050 and ricoh 2238C)

I have tried reinstalling the printers, removing graphics from the layouts, replacing the page setup scriptsteps, printing via scripts and not (just ?+P)...

So far, I can say the problem occurs only on some computers - only in Filemaker - only in some layouts - on any printer. Creating pdfs works fine.

All this make me think the problem is in making/disposing the postscript file.

(One guy on the internet had printerspeed problems - where one mac created a pdf of 67Kb and another mac 3.2Mb... This is not the case here, but tells me there can be differences...)

I realize this is a messy posting... a listing of desperate thoughts...

But please, can anybody make any sense of this? Any ideas is welcome !

[lacinda]

i finally solved it...by formatting the drive and starting over.

i only had one mac having this problem (out of about 100) - it was relatively new and the user was complaining relentlessly.

good luck!

[macmekker]

FYI

Got a tip from a norwegian forum: You have a font that seems OK, but is corrupt.

I started with opening up the Ownership & Permissions on the (new) spesific fonts for these layouts...

...and everything now works !