Large file printing errors with Epson 4800/9800

[Michael Bowes]

I'm running into problems printing large files from Photoshop CS2 to either an Epson 4800 or 9800 printer. I know this is a known problem but haven't been able to find any info explaining the root cause of the issue (is it Photoshop or the Epson software?) or a solution that works.

My configuration is:

- Quad 2.5GHz G5 PowerMac
- 4GB Memory
- 42GB of free space on the harddrive
- Epson 4800 or Epson 9800 (happens with either of them)
- Photoshop CS2 v. 9.0
- 3GB of memory available to Photoshop; I've tried anywhere between 50% and 90% as maximum used by photoshop.

If I attempt to print a file with a size greater than somewhere around 400MB, photoshop whirs away for a few minutes and then returns with the message "could not print because of a Program Error"

I've found another thread that indicated that reducing the amount of maximum memory used by photoshop to 50% fixed the problem, but it didn't fix it for me.

Anyone have any experience solving this issue?

Thanks,
Mike

[chris jordan]

It's a totally annoying bug that Adobe says is a Mac issue and Mac says is an Adobe issue and no one seems to be addressing. In any event, there seems to be a memory leak somewhere in CS2 that requires FAR more memory than is necessary to make a print. I have 3 GB of RAM in my G5 and I can only print my large files when Photoshop's memory is set to 21% or lower. Which makes for extremely tedious waiting for the print to spool, and a lot of back and forth resetting the preferences. When I'm working on an image, I have the memory usage set to 100%, then to make a big print I have to set the memory to 21%, close Photoshop, re-open it so the new memory setting is active, and make the print. When big files are spooling it also helps to hit CTRL-OPTION-ESC and have the little "force quit" dialog box open. You will see Photoshop "not responding" for minutes at a time, but somehow that little force-quit feature keeps checking, and pretty soon Photoshop will wake back up and the print will finally go. What a pain, eh?

[Michael Bowes]

Chris,

Thanks for the tip. Yes, doing these sorts of things is a real pain. You'd think with a large format printer like the 9800 and the top of the line Mac, and Photoshop; i.e. all the high-end gear; they'd at least get printing large images working!

I just tried printing a smaller image. It was a 24"x30" 360dpi image; 261.6M/1.30G. Memory max was set to 70%. Photoshop died with the usual "program error" message. This is smaller than the usual image that dies. Usually I can get up to about 400MB. Perhaps this bug is also sensitive to the total number of pixels (this image was a 24bpp one; I usually am trying to print 48bpp ones, but perhaps max pixels, not total megabytes, is what causes the crash).

Next I tried the same thing with the memory max set to 20% of 3GB, and I left the Activity Monitor open. Now it is printing as I type!

This really is a hack, but it seems to work. Again, it's ridiculous to have to resort to something like this.

I'm very grateful for the trick!

Thanks,
Michael

[Jim collum]

I fought the same battle with Adobe with this same problem in Windows. Adobe insists it's a Microsoft problem, and not theirs. It's odd how Apple and Microsoft coded the same bug into their OS.

That same fix works for Windows as well.

jim

[Edwin B.]

Very strange. I can attest to the fact that this is not some sort of universal bug. I've printed files as large as ~1.6GB on the 9800 from CS2 with max memory set to 95% without ever a single problem. This is using XP professional on a system with 4GB and the 3GB switch on.

I do always flatten the image and purge the memory first but I'd imagine the cure for your problem is not so simple.

[robc]

I no little about digital printing but I thought that you should convert to 24bit before sending to printer as max for printer is 24bit colour. Please correct me if this is wrong.

[Edwin B.]

The reason to send 48 bit files to the printer is so that the conversion to 24 bits occurs after the file is remapped to the printer's colorspace...or so I've been told.

[Jim collum]

yes.. this is one way to fix the problem under windows. if you don't have the 3Gb switch on, then you see the problem


Very strange. I can attest to the fact that this is not some sort of universal bug. I've printed files as large as ~1.6GB on the 9800 from CS2 with max memory set to 95% without ever a single problem. This is using XP professional on a system with 4GB and the 3GB switch on.

I do always flatten the image and purge the memory first but I'd imagine the cure for your problem is not so simple.

[chris jordan]

Does the Mac version have a 3GB switch? I haven't ever seen it in the PS dialog boxes. The idea of purging the memory before printing is a good one though-- hadn't thought of doing that.

I have noticed that successive prints take longer and longer to spool, so a memory purge might be just the thing.

[Edwin B.]

I don't have a clue about the Mac but the 3GB switch isn't a PS feature. It's in the windows operating system.

I make a habit of purging the memory frequently whether I'm printing or not such as copying and pasting huge slections, flattening, running computationally intensive filters, etc. It can save time but, of course, you loose the history so it can bite you in the end.

As for freeing the largest amount of memory I've contemplated the possibilty of running CS2 as a 32 bit process in XP64 in which case it should be possible to allocate a full 4GBs to PS. However, I don't know of anyone who's tried this and I haven't worked up the nerve myself.

[Greg Miller]

As for freeing the largest amount of memory I've contemplated the possibilty of running CS2 as a 32 bit process in XP64 in which case it should be possible to allocate a full 4GBs to PS. However, I don't know of anyone who's tried this and I haven't worked up the nerve myself.


This will only work when Phosotshop is also updated with the code to address that much memory (I may be worng but I don't think this has happened yet). Under 64 bit, both Windows and Photoshop will have the theoretical capability of addressing quite a bit more than 4GB.

[Greg Miller]

This will only work when Phosotshop is also updated with the code to address that much memory (I may be worng but I don't think this has happened yet). Under 64 bit, both Windows and Photoshop will have the theoretical capability of addressing quite a bit more than 4GB.

According to Adobe (http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/320005.html), Photoshop CS2 can currently only address up to 3GB with 64 bit. If you have more than 4GB total then it will use RAM above 4 GB for the swap disk when it can.

[ben-passiontolive]

I've come up with another work around to the "program error" issue for large prints with Photoshop 9.0.1 and the Epson 9800 on a Mac. The workaround came out of a phone call with the Adobe techs. Essentially save the image as a tiff and then open with Apple's Preview app and print from within it.

Using this approach I have a 44" x 66" print at 360 resolution (1.15GB file) on its way out now. So far it's working.

I'm going to do additional testing with trying to print from Aperture and also with using Adobe's psb format. I'll update here.

-Ben

___________________
passiontolive
ben@passiontolive.com
http://www.passiontolive.com

[QT Luong]

Yes, I also have this problem with my G5/2.0 (OS 10.3.9, 4.5GB memory) and 9800. My solution has been to just print at 240dpi for the larger print sizes.

[MJSfoto1956]

Anecdotal at best: I have a dedicated RAID 0 swap disk dedicated to Photoshop. Every once and a while with Photoshop I will get the dreaded "spinning wheel of death" doing basic things like opening, saving, printing, etc. (however, it eventually gets around to doing what it was supposed to do, only it takes much longer than any mere mortal should have to endure)

By chance during one of these spinning wheel moments I chanced to copy a small file to the swap drive and instantaneously the spinning wheel of death disappeared. Since then I have validated that this simple procedure "fixes" 90% of my spinning wheel of death moments. Not sure exactly what it means but is suggests that at the core of the problem, Adobe has their way of doing virtual memory (read, swapping) and Apple has their way of doing swapping and the two techniques simply ain't happy living together. Thus, every once in a while you need to "kick it in the ass" to get things moving again!

Just my two cents.

[jim kitchen]

Periodically and although somewhat related to the issue at hand, I work with files that approach 3.5gb in Photoshop on my Mac, and the spinning wheel of death can surface for several minutes...

I discovered, quite by accident, a method that seems to relieve that issue. I touch the finder, and I start up another program, such as my email program. These two actions seem to interrupt Photoshop's absolute control of my computer's memory. Touching the finder allows Photoshop to complete the task at hand at some point in time, and allows my email program to gain access the usurped memory. I have 8GB of Ram, and I find it annoying that this known memory leak, impacts my computer the way it does...

Photoshop's memory leak can interrupt the allocated memory, required by the operating system, and it will eventually totally consume this allocated memory. This imperfection will introduce a number of side effects. The side effects are not limited too printing commands, but can include the interruption of a number of Photoshop actions, such as implementing a filtering action, and even interrupt the simple action of saving a file to disk.

Activating the "Force Quit" window, while only highlighting the action but not implementing the action, seems to work too. I also discovered, that if I "Force Quit" Photoshop, after the application consumes my allocated operating system memory, I can experience a few issues upon a restart.

Since I know this memory leak condition exists and surfaces, I restart my computer after Photoshop relinquishes the memory, and after I save my file in Photoshop. Placing more Ram into a computer allows the imperfection to hide for a while, but the memory leak will eventually act upon the operating system. This Photoshop memory leak forces me to save my files frequently and restart my computer frequently, which seems to be for the moment, a good habit.

jim k

[studio 58]

this is a late reply to an old thread. I have been dealing with the same issue & other crazy crap from my 4800. Solution found !!!!! I am printing through Lightroom 2 & everything is beautiful.