Installer stops after copying temporary files, never getting to the printer information screen

ImagePrint OSX Troubleshooting Guide

Please click on a link below to access help for that issue

Installer stops after copying temporary files, never getting to the printer information screen. <TOP>

This is most likely caused by Virus detection software preventing the second phase of the ImagePrint install from proceeding. It is also possible that there is insufficient disk space to complete the installation (ImagePrint requires approx. 100 megabytes of disk space, depending on the number of profiles you have selected to install).

The Installer I downloaded won’t launch at all after unstuffing it! <TOP>

The reason the executable isn't launching is because the Stuffit 8.0 no longer allows programs to remain executable after unstuffing. There's a fix on the Stuffit Home page that should fix the problem and hopefully let you install normally:

Aladding Stuffit executable fix:

http://www.aladdinsys.com/support/techsupport/qanda.php?id=534&sessionid=38359

After Installation, only a Color folder exists in the ImagePrint folder <TOP>

This is a result of not choosing the “Application files” checkbox at the top of the components list in the ImagePrint installation. Install the software again, from the CD, and make sure that the top checkbox is selected in this screen. (The printer names listed in this window refer to color profiles you wish to have installed).

When using Templates, sometimes jobs error in SpoolFace <TOP>

Be careful when using custom made templates that no frame extends past the template border. (In the Template creation window, frames are designated as green rectangles, the template border as blue.) Also, be careful not to accidentally “stack” frames by repeatedly clicking the ADD button—frames on top of one another can cause problems. EPS, PostScript, and PDF files are not supported with templates, and templates cannot be rotated.

Images appear split, reversed or in triplicate on screen <TOP>

This condition occurs if you do not have a proper source profile chosen in the Bitmap section of the Color Management window. Its most often seen with Grayscale images. Make sure to have a valid gray profile selected in the Grayscale field (either “Grey gamma 1.8” or “Grey gamma 2.2”, not one of the printer profiles listed in that field). Also, you should make sure the Embedded field is set to PROMPT or APPLY if using embedded profiles in your image. Without a profile chosen, the software will have no way of determining how to map the single channel grey data to the 3 color screen display, and distortion will result.

Nothing Prints! <TOP>

There could be many reasons for your jobs not to make it to the printer. While this troubleshooting guide lists causes of specific error conditions, here are the general things to check when you are unsure of the problem:

· First, make sure you have launched SpoolFace, the interface to the ImagePrint Spooler. (For information on launching and using SpoolFace, see the ImagePrint manual or online tutorial located on ColorByte’s home page (http://www.colorbytesoftware.com/)).

· In SpoolFace, make sure that the Host menu shows the computer that is connected to the printer selected, and the Printer menu shows the correct printer. (The SpoolFace menu will be visible at the top of your Macintosh screen when SpoolFace is active).

· Make sure that the Queue menu at the top of the SpoolFace window is set to ENABLE. The spooler will disable if it encounters an error (such as running out of ink or paper) and it is important that you re-enable the spooler after correcting the problem, or nothing will be sent to the printer.

· Remember that the topmost job on the left side of SpoolFace is the next to print. If that job has a problem that disables the spooler, until it is moved out of the way (via the right facing arrow), no other jobs will be able to print.

· The bottom left corner of the SpoolFace window will show the current status of the printer, and the scrollable area at the bottom of SpoolFace will list job error messages. Make sure to read through these for information that might show the cause of the printing problem.

· Many printing problems are the result of an incorrect setting within ImagePrint (usually relating to Color Management or ink set).
So, make sure you have correctly specified your Color Management settings within ImagePrint’s Color Management window. (Remember to move old jobs from the left side of SpoolFace, and to reenable SpoolFace from the Queue menu, before attempting another print). For information on proper color settings, please see the ImagePrint PDF manual or online tutorial.

· The other major cause of printing problems is an incorrect Printer connection type having been specified when ImagePrint was originally installed. If you are not sure what was specified, you can check by launching IP Install from your desktop icon, or directly from the ImagePrint folder. Without making any changes, simply click the MANAGE button within IP Install, and IP Manage will launch, enabling you to view the CONNECTION/DEVICE settings for any installed printers. If the setting is incorrect, you can remove the printer by clicking the REMOVE button, then click the INSTALL button to return to IP INSTALL and reinstall your printer, this time specifying the connection type that properly reflects your printer connection (see the ImagePrint PDF manual, Quickstart, or Online Tutorial for the procedure).

· If your printer is connected via Ethernet, the usual reason for print failure is an incorrect IP Address specification for the printer when you installed ImagePrint. Make sure that you can ping the printer from either a DOS command prompt (Windows) or a Mac terminal (OSX) using the IP Address of the printer. Be aware that most printers are set to DHCP (auto) mode, which means that their IP Address is subject to change each time the printer is rebooted. (For information on setting the DHCP mode and IP Address on your printer, check your printer and/or printer network card documentation).

· FIREWIRE PRINTING: If printing via firewire to an Epson Printer, make sure you have run the firewire driver installer, which will install the necessary Epson firewire drivers. The name of the file is: Sp2100_16b.pkg and it is located in the ImagePrint folder on your computer. Launch it by double-clicking. When installation of the drivers are complete, reboot and firewire connectivity will be available. Note that printing to an Epson 2200 printer via FIREWIRE on OSX is sometimes subject to printer stalling due to issues with the Epson 3^rd party drivers and OSX. USB or Ethernet are the recommended connection methods for printing to a 2200.

Images are not centered on page <TOP>

Epson printers have different top and bottom margins, so, if not printing in borderless mode, the image will appear offset vertically when printed. To compensate for this, choose “CENTER MARGINS”, located in the OPTIONS dialog box, which is accessed in the PRINT Dialog. This will cause the image to be centered when CENTER is chosen from the ImagePrint tool bar or from the menu accessed by right-clicking the image.

Another potential cause of non-centered images is an incorrect setting in the Media Feed section of the OPTIONS dialog (for printers that support it). For thicker papers, select the closest match to your paper to ensure that paper is fed correctly.

IP Manage Flashes briefly, but never appears; ImagePrint fails to launch <TOP>

Make sure that you have rebooted your computer after running the ImagePrint Installer from the CD.

Make sure that you have set up your printers using the IP Install utility after the initial installation from the CD.

Make sure that you haven’t copied a subfolder to the COLOR folder within the ImagePrint folder. This folder should contain ONLY color profiles—a sub-folder will cause ImagePrint to fail to launch.

Make sure that the ImagePrint folder has not been moved or renamed. This folder must retain the same name and location as it had after installation or the software will not run.

Make sure that you are launching the application from either a valid alias, a Dock icon, or directly from the ImagePrint folder. Do NOT move any of ImagePrint’s application files (ImagePrint, Spoolface, IPInstall or IPManage) to a different location other then the ImagePrint folder or they will NOT work. For information on ImagePrint shortcuts, see After Installation, no icons appeared on my desktop.

Make sure there are no invalid profiles in the COLOR folder within the ImagePrint folder. If you have added profiles to this folder prior to the problem, try removing the added profiles to see if it corrects the problems.

If you are receiving a “shared library failure” when trying to launch IP Manage, try launching the “MPI.pkg” package within the ImagePrint folder. It will prompt you for your MACINTOSH password. After it completes, reboot and see if the problem is solved.

If none of the above solves the problem, launch the “etc edit script” utility within the ImagePrint folder (make sure has “script” in the title, not just etc_edit). It will prompt you for your MACINTOSH password--after entering it and clicking OK, reboot your Macintosh.

After Installation, no icons appear on my desktop or dock <TOP>

Aliases, or Dock Shortcuts, are NOT created automatically during installation.

In order to create dock icons, you should navigate to the ImagePrint folder, which is located in the Applications folder. Within the ImagePrint folder you should locate the ImagePrint application, and drag it to the dock. (You can also create an alias if you wish and place that on your desktop). Do NOT drag the application itself to the desktop or it will NOT function. You should also open the SPOOL folder within the ImagePrint folder and drag the SpoolFace icon to the Dock (or create a desktop alias). Again, do not move the SpoolFace application itself or it will not function.

Printer prints garbage text <TOP>

This problem occurs most often on Epson printers. It occurs when bad data or partial data is sent to the printer, causing the printer to go into “text” mode. Since turning off the printer can still leave stray data in the buffer of the computer, and turning off the computer can still leave stray data in the printer buffer, it is advised that to correct this condition you power down both the printer and the computer. (Make sure to disable the ImagePrint queue before powering down the computer by choosing DISABLE from the Queue menu in SpoolFace).

What is the Resolution setting in the Print Setup window? <TOP>

The Resolution setting is ImagePrint's "interpolation resolution". Every print driver takes all the images on a page and builds a large raster image that is sent to the printer. This is distinct from the resolution (or quality) that the printer is driven at. (The printer uses multiple dots to present each pixel, so the 1440 or 2880 resolution that the printer is capable of doesn't translate to the resolution of the raster data that is sent to it.)

The 180 setting may result in slightly faster processing speeds. It is usually only recommended for very large (10 feet+) images, as those are so huge the extra time and reduced data being sent can save a lot of time and result in less likelihood of printer error. At larger sizes, the slightly more grainy output typically isn't noticeable, as those sized images are usually meant to be viewed at a distance. For all other images, 360 is the recommended resolution.

Since the RIP will interpolate the images to 360, there's no benefit for going higher then this. Really, anything above 240 or so doesn't show any improvement on these printers. (This is 240 dpi at the printed size--if you're scaling the image, of course, you'll want to start with a higher resolution.)

ImagePrint can handle any resolution--it uses bi-cubic interpolation to interpolate them to 360 before printing. In rare cases, this interpolation can result in some reduction in quality (typically only apparent on thin 1 or two pixel wide lines). To avoid interpolation completely, create your files at 360.

How do I print directly from an Application like Quark, InDesign or Photoshop? <TOP>

IMAGEPRINT allows you to print directly from virtually any other application, including Photoshop, InDesign and Quark. All that’s required is our PostScript enabled version to make the IMAGEPRINT printer appear in the Print Dialog box, just like any other printer. Jobs printed in this way will go into the IMAGEPRINT spooler and can be controlled via Spool Face just like any other IMAGEPRINT job. If you don’t have the PostScript version of ImagePrint, all jobs printed this way will have the DEMO watermark.

NOTE: Currently, application level printer is available only on Jaguar, not Panther OSX.

Application level printing is installed automatically when you install either the Windows or Macintosh version of IMAGEPRINT, but a few additional steps are required in order to set it up on the Mac. Just follow these simple steps and IMAGEPRINT will print via the Macintosh Print Center.

STEP 1:

Launch the Macintosh Print Center. (To do this, open your Mac’s Application Folder, then open the Utility Folder and double-click the Print Center icon.)

STEP 2:

From the Print Center window, choose the Add button from its place among the top row of icons. the Add Printers window will apear.

STEP 3:

From the Add Printers window, choose IMAGEPRINT from the list of printer types. You will then see your installed IMAGEPRINT printers listed. Choose from one of the listed printers and click ADD.

Now you can select your IMAGEPRINT printer from your Mac application’s dialog box just as you would any other printer.

Certain JPEG files won’t print or open, or open very slowly (but not all of them) <TOP>

Try resaving the JPEG file, and make sure not to use “PROGRESSIVE” as the JPEG compression format.

Couldn’t Open Temporary File <TOP>

This message appearing when clicking the PRINT button indicates a problem with the deletion of the temporary request files made for each print. Please contact ImagePrint tech support (support@colorbytesoftware.com) with your dongle number for more information on correcting the problem.

To manually delete the temporary files, follow the procedure below (this should enable printing for the time being, but eventually you will receive the error again until receiving a fix from our technical support dept.)

- Open the ImagePrint folder (located in your Applications folder), and find the ImagePrint application.

- Click on the ImagePrint application while holding down the CONTROL key. You'll get a drop-down menu, with a choice that says "View Package Contents".

- Choose "View Package Contents", and you'll see the folder structure of the ImagePrint application.

- You should see a number of files that start with the word "print..." Delete those files (NOT the file called ImagePrint, just the "print..." files).

Certain TIFF files won’t print or open (but not all of them) <TOP>

ImagePrint does not support alpha channels in TIFF files. Make sure that no alpha channels are present in your image.

JPEG files are printing at the wrong size! <TOP>

Currently, ImagePrint treats all JPEG files as 300 dpi. This is to avoid problems because of incorrect dpi data that sometimes is saved by Digital Cameras. If they were created at a different resolution, try re-saving them at 300 dpi to correct the size problem.

Print Jobs never appear in the Spooler, Spool_face may generate error when launched: <TOP>

In the Spool_face windows, choose the host from the Host menu, and the printer from the Printer menu. (Occasionally, after installation the host and printer names will have no selection associated with them, and this can cause an error condition.) If this does not correct the problem see the following category, “Spooler interface window does not launch or jobs never go to the queue after choosing PRINT”.

Job doesn’t move to right side of queue <TOP>

Clicking the right-pointing triangle button to cancel a job should cause the job to move to the right side of the SpoolFace window. If the job will not move over, it means that the printing process is not being allowed to quit normally by the system. To correct the problem, DISABLE the queue and reboot the computer. The job should be able to move when the system comes back up. It is important to disable the queue first, to make sure the spooler doesn’t attempt to print again as soon as the system reboots. To disable the queue, simple choose “Disable” from the Queue menu in Spool Face. After rebooting and moving the job over, remember to re-enable the queue by choosing “Enable” from the same menu.

Epson 2200 doesn’t print, red paper feed light shows <TOP>

This is typically caused when ImagePrint is set to the wrong paper mode (sheet vs roll). The 2200 is picky about this setting, and if ImagePrint is set to the wrong one for the type of media loaded in the printer, the result is no output, and a red light on the printer. The paper type setting can be checked in the SETUP dialog box of ImagePrint, which is accessed by clicking SETUP in the PRINT dialog. Make sure the SHEET button is selected if you are printing sheet. If you are printing with roll paper, make sure the SHEET button is not selected.

Screen area doesn’t seem to reflect my page size <TOP>

ImagePrint always displays the printable area of the page. The printable area depends on whether you are printing in Borderless mode, whether you are set to Sheet or Roll, and whether or not you have selected the Center Margins option. Those 3 settings (Sheet, Borderless and Center Margins) work together to determine the actual printable area.

If you have checked the Borderless button in the OPTIONS dialog window (accessed via the PRINT dialog) then the page size will show slightly larger then the actual page dimensions (Epson printers, when in borderless mode, expand the print area slightly to avoid the edge of the page showing). Remember that Borderless only works on some paper widths - different printers have different allowed borderless sizes. The specific borderless widths allowed for your printer should be in your printer manual. If you select Borderless and your current page size is NOT an allowed borderless size, no size change will occur in the interface.

If you have not selected Borderless, then ImagePrint will show the page size MINUS the non-printable margins. Therefore, the page will appear smaller than your selected page size.

If you have selected Center Margins in the OPTIONS dialog, then you are telling the software to center images on the whole page (margins included) rather then just the printable area. If you are not in Borderless mode (because the top and bottom margins differ on Epson printers), it is necessary to consider both top and margins the same in this case--therefore the smaller bottom margin has to be increased, shrinking the printable area in the vertical dimension.

Most printers don't allow top/bottom borderless printing when not in Roll paper mode. Therefore, when in Sheet mode, Borderless will not change the printable area shown in the vertical dimension. (Note: The Epson 2200/2100 does allow borderless printing in sheet mode).

Printer flashes lights, or generates Command Error when attempting to print <TOP>

This error is caused by specifying the wrong ink set within ImagePrint for the type of inkset currently in use by your printer. To correct this problem, choose File->Print from within ImagePrint, then click the Setup button in the Print dialog that appears. Within the setup window, choose the correct ink type for your printer.

Warning: Unknown TAG (or other Warnings) <TOP>

Warnings, such as unknown tag, are typically not critical informational displays and can be ignored. Almost all TIFF files will report “Unknown TAG warnings”.

Dongle number is never seen in IP Manage (shows “0” in the HOST ID field) <TOP>

This is usually caused by Classic mode running. (Macintosh OSX can have problems accessing the USB bus when Classic applications are running.) Make sure that Classic is not set to automatically start in your System Preferences, then reboot, and check IP Manage. If the dongle is still not showing up, try plugging it into a different USB port, or a hub if available. Until the dongle number can be seen, and your encryption can be successfully entered, the software will run in DEMO mode.

ERROR 97: File access error- jobs go into spooler but never print: <TOP>

This is a file access problem—the spooler is not able to access the file to be printed. Make sure the file to be printed is still accessible. If its across the network, try moving it to a local directory and reprinting to confirm a network access issue. If you are getting this error when printing from an ImagePrint Client installation, check the “Problems printing from a networked client” section of this guide.

“Can’t print scanlines” error, jobs go into the spooler but never print <TOP>

This is usually an issue with the connection to the printer. Confirm that you designated the correct port for your printer during install (you can double check this setting by launching the IP Manage utility and seeing what is listed as the DEVICE.

ERROR 527: Jobs go to spooler, but don’t print <TOP>

This indicates a problem communicating with the printer. Make sure that you specified the correct connection setting when installing ImagePrint (you can double-check this by launching IP Manage and seeing what is listed in the Connection field).

If connected via USB, make sure that Classic mode is not running. Classic interferes with the ability of the computer to communicate on the USB port.

If connected via Firewire to an Epson printer, it is necessary to have installed the Epson firewire drivers in order for Imageprint to communicate with the printer. ImagePrint includes those drivers in a file called “SP2100_16b.pkg. (For older copies of ImagePrint, the name of the file was: PM-4000PX_15d.pkg). Launch that application from within the ImagePrint folder, then reboot to have firewire connectivity enabled.

ERROR 2 or ERROR 15: Jobs go to spooler, but don’t print <TOP>

If connected via USB, make sure that Classic mode is not running. Classic interferes with the ability of the computer to communicate on the USB port.

ERROR 768 <TOP>

This error typically means there is a problem in the Color Management settings of your print job. Check your settings in the Color Management window to ensure you have made correct choices:

- In the System Section of the Color Management window, a PRINTER profile should be selected that is correct for your printer and ink. (Note: if you wish to print grayscale images on an Ultrachrome printer, make sure to pick a printer profile with “Gray” in the title.) Most users should leave the PROOFER setting to “NONE” unless they are trying to match another device, like a press.

- In the Bitmap section of the Color Management window, make sure that an appropriate source profile for your images is selected for each color space your images use (RGB, CMYK, Grayscale). For printing single-channel grayscale images, make sure to pick either “gray gamma 1.8”, or “gray gamma 2.2”, in the Grayscale field. If using embedded profiles, make sure to select either PROMPT or APPLY in the Embedded field.

- In the Vector section of the Color Management window, make sure that an appropriate source profile for your images is selected for each color space your images use (RGB, CMYK). If you are only printing photography and not vector style images (eg Illustrator, Corel Draw), this section can be ignored.

An incorrect ink set setting can cause this error to occur as well. Normally, when choosing a Printer profile the proper ink set will be automatically selected. If using a profile that was not created by ColorByte, it will be necessary to manually choose the correct ink set prior to printing via the Setup window, accessed from the Print Dialog box.

Also, with version 5.6 or earlier of ImagePrint, it is important that you do not mix images with Grayscale printer profiles and Color printer profiles on the same page or you may see this error.

ERROR 653 <TOP>

A wrong setting in the print job being sent from ImagePrint most likely causes this error. Check that the selected INKSET is correct for what is loaded in your printer. Make sure that you have made valid Profile selections in the Color Management window of Imageprint.

ERROR 651 <TOP>

This error can happen when printing to a Fuji printer and no resolution setting has been selected. It may also appear when rotating an image. New versions of ImagePrint should correct this problem.

ERROR 609 <TOP>

This error typically means there is an alpha channel in the image file you are printing. Alpha channels are not supported by ImagePrint.

ImagePrint has Unexpectedly Quit <TOP>

This behavior can occur if you have not setup a printer via the IP Install application. IP Install must be run after the initial installation from CD

This problem can also occur if a corrupt or invalid profile has been chosen in the ImagePrint Color Management window.

A bad preferences file may also cause this behavior. Try deleting ImagePrint’s preferences file and launching ImagePrint again. ImagePrint’s preferences file is called “ip preferences”, and is located in the following folder:

/Users/"user name"/library/preferences

MPI Shared Library Error <TOP>

That means that the dongle library package didn't install correctly during the initial phase of the install. This package can be run manually by launching the "mpi.pkg" file in the ImagePrint folder. It will ask for the Macintosh password, then the volume (hard drive) you are installing. . Once it has completed its installation, reboot your computer and the problem should be resolved.

ERROR 104 or 99: Out of Disk Space error when printing <TOP>

Large temporary files may be created if you are printing PostScript or EPS files, or images on the page have been rotated 90 degrees, or you are using the step and repeat function. If you encounter this error, increase your disk space by deleting unnecessary files. Rotating the images first, before bringing them into ImagePrint, can also prevent the need for the temp file to be built.

This error may also occur if the dimensions of the print you are making cause a temporary file to be made that exceeds the 2 gigabyte limitation of your operating system. If you are printing a very large, banner type image and are seeing this, try setting the Resolution setting (located in the Setup window accessed by clicking Setup in the Print dialog box) to 180 rather then the default 360.

Magenta cast in prints <TOP>

There are two issues that typically lead to magenta cast in images:

The first is regarding profile selection.

The two most common color temperatures to use are EDAY (daylight) and ECWF2 (mixed lighting). We have seen many users using the

EDAY profiles and viewing under fluorescent light--this will cause a magenta cast most noticeable in blues. The ECWF2 profiles are more accurate for viewing under mixed lighting conditions and most likely will remove the magenta cast you see with the daylight profiles.

The second area is color management of the image.

It is easy, especially with older digital cameras that do not tag the image with a source space to import an image into Photoshop and force it into Adobe 98 color space. If the image is not already in Adobe 98, improperly assigning it will cause strong magenta casts in the image when printed. This is due to the fact that the image data is really in some other source space.

Consistent Color Management <TOP>

ImagePrint is a tightly color managed application. If you observe proper color management techniques in your workflow, your results will be outstanding, but, by the same token, incorrect color management can lead to unsatisfactory output. In fact, you are more likely to see the negative results of incorrect color management in ImagePrint then in less advanced RIPs—just as correct color management will give you superior results then you would see in those other RIPs.

There are many opinions as to which is the “best” color space for images to be in (Adobe 1998, Color Match RGB, etc.) and that decision is beyond the scope of this troubleshooting guide. However, one key to proper color management is consistency. Many color-managed workflows are “broken” when an image is incorrectly “dumped” into the wrong color space, resulting in undesirable color and gamut shifts. This most often is seen when an image is opened for the first time in Photoshop.

When you open a document, Photoshop uses what it calls "policies" to determine the best way to handle the color space of the image when it doesn't match the working color spaces Photoshop is currently using. (You can see those in your Color Settings preferences in Photoshop). Photoshop’s policies usually result in a dialog box appearing when you open these images, asking if you wish to use the embedded profile in the image (if it exists), use Photoshop’s current working space, specify another working space, or disable color management altogether (bad idea).

Some images already have a color profile embedded in them. (An “embedded” profile just means the profile that was used when the image was created or last edited is included within the data of the image file) In those cases, its easy for Photoshop to open the image into the correct color space, or to convert it into another space, since it knows the color space the image came from.

In cases where there is no profile embedded in the image, Photoshop can't tell what color space the image should be brought into, so it is “flying blind”. This is where you need to know the appropriate color space to tell Photoshop when it opens the image. If you tell Photoshop to "assign working RGB: Adobe 1998", and the image wasn't created in that color space, you've likely just messed up the colors of the image. The same thing applies if you choose the "Specify another profile" option, but pick a profile that the image wasn't created in--Photoshop essentially dumps the image into that space, and colors get messed up. This is probably the single most common pitfall of color managed workflows--opening the image into Photoshop's current RGB working space, when the image wasn't created for that working space.

So...if the image doesn't have an embedded profile, how do you know the appropriate color space?

Generally, Digital cameras tend to use SRGB type color spaces, so that's the one to use if in doubt for those images. Scanner images often are best opened into Colormatch RGB or Adobe 1998. If neither of those give you good results, you may have to find out from the manufacturer, or the person that provided the image, what color space it was created for. Once you know what that is, you can set up PhotoShop’s RGB working space to that profile and just let Photoshop "convert your images into the current working space". You could also choose to specify the appropriate profile for the image (without changing your current working space) and Photoshop will use the specified profile for the image.

Once you have the image in the correct working space within Photoshop, you can then, if desired, convert to another working space doing a profile conversion. Since at that point Photoshop knows where the image is coming from (workspace-wise) and where it is going to, it can do an intelligent conversion, and your image should not suffer (assuming you are converting it to an appropriate color space for the image’s ultimate destination).

Finally, to ensure consistent color management, it is usually a good idea to embed the profile when saving your image from Photoshop (via the Embed profile) checkbox in Photoshop’s save dialog. This will enable other applications, (like ImagePrint) to use the correct color space automatically for the image, and greatly reduces the further risk of profile mismatching.

Job prints black or distorted <TOP>

Distorted prints or black printing is usually caused by an incorrect profile being selected in the Color Management window. Also, make sure that the proper ink set for your printer is selected by selecting Print, then Setup within ImagePrint. Certain printers such as the Epson10000 and Roland Pro must have the proper ink set selected in order to print correctly. Finally, make sure that you have selected the right source profile for the image type within the Color Management window (see Images appear split, reversed or in triplicate on screen for more information).

DEMO appears on all prints <TOP>

This occurs when ImagePrint is printing in “DEMO” mode.

Be aware that if you are using the Desktop (LITE) version of ImagePrint, use of TEMPLATES, PAGE TILING, and the COLOR CORRECTION TOOLS will cause the software to run in DEMO Mode. Also, if you are using the RASTER version of the software, POSTCRIPT, EPS, and PDF files will print with the DEMO watermark.

If the above doesn’t apply, please check the following:

1. Make sure that an ImagePrint dongle is attached to your computer. You may want to try plugging the dongle into another USB port, or a USB hub. Note that the USB connection in the Macintosh keyboard sometimes has trouble supplying power to USB dongles, so if possible, do not use the keyboard port for your dongle.

2. Make sure Classic mode is not running. Classic mode can cause problems with the system seeing USB devices such as the dongle. To be sure, check your System Preferences to ensure that the Macintosh is not set to start Classic automatically, then reboot. Launch the IP Manage utility from the ImagePrint folder and make sure that the HOST ID field shows your dongle number.

3. Make sure that a valid encryption has been entered and enabled via the IP Manage utility. An encryption must be received by ColorByte in order to unlock the software.

Also, make sure you have not accidentally installed additional printers. You can check this by clicking on the PRINTER menu in IP MANAGE to see what printers are available.

4. If the dongle is connected, and the printer has been enabled and DEMO still occasionally appears on prints, may be that a third party software utility, like the EPSON status monitor, is blocking ImagePrint from reading the dongle at print time. Remove or disable any such utility to correct the problem.

5. If none of the above apply, its possible that the dongle drivers have been incorrectly installed. Try the procedure listed in the entry “Dongle number never seen In IP Manage”, listed below

Note: EMULATION MODE To avoid paper/ink wastage by unexpectedly printing in demo mode, you can setup ImagePrint to skip output when it detects it is in DEMO mode. This mode is enabled when the ImagePrint software folder contains a file by the name of "DemoNullOutput.txt". This filename is case sensitive, and must be named exactly as shown. The contents or filetype of this file do not matter, only its name. With this file in place, if ImagePrint fails to detect a dongle or a valid printing license, all jobs sent to the ImagePrint spooler will go through the motions of printing, but no information will be sent to the printer. To return to normal, demo-enabled printing mode, simply give the "DemoNullOutput.txt" file a different name.

What do the profile names mean? <TOP>

ImagePrint’s profiles start with the PRINTER NAME (abbreviated), followed by the INK SET used for this profile (mk is matte black, pk is photo black). Next comes the VERSION LETTER of the driver they are made for, then the PAPER TYPE (sometimes very abbreviated) and the QUALITY at which they were made (if no quality appears in the name, assume 1440).

The designations at the end of the name refer to the lighting temperature the print will be best suited to be displayed in. Inkjet printers often exhibit metamerism (which is the characteristic of a print changing its appearance as it is moved to different lighting conditions) so we give a few choices to enable you to pick the temperature that most closely will match where the print will be viewed. (Although you can't always know where a print will be viewed, having the ability to choose the temperature can make a huge difference).

The abbreviations are:

ETUNG - This is for tungsten lighting

EDAY - Daylight

ECWF - Cool White Fluorescent

ECWF2 - Cool White Fluorescent, alternate version (this version is a bit less warm then our standard ECWF profile, some people, especially portrait photographers, prefer it).

Where can I put profiles to have Photoshop see them (for use in Soft Proofing?) <TOP>

Color profiles must be copied from the Color folder, which is located in the ImagePrint folder into the folder that Photoshop uses for 3^rd party color profiles.

On OSX Macintosh the folder is:

/library/application support/adobe/color/profiles

On Windows the folder is:

/winnt/system32/spool/drivers/color

Problems printing from a networked client <TOP>

If you are having problems printing from an ImagePrint client computer to an ImagePrint server:

Make sure that the Server computer can print directly to the printer.
Make sure that the Client computer can “see” the Server across the network by “pinging” it from an OSX terminal. The command to type in the terminal is “ping X.X.X.X” where “X.X.X.X” is the IP Address of the Server computer. If any errors are shown, there is a network connectivity problem between the two computers.
If, after checking the above, the Server can print, but jobs from the Client do not appear in the Servers SpoolFace window, make sure that you specified the IP Address of the Server Computer when installing ImagePrint on the Client. This entry should go in the PRINTER HOST field--make sure you did not put it in the wrong field. To double-check, launch IP MANAGE (from the ImagePrint folder) and see what setting is listed for PRINTER HOST. If incorrect, REMOVE the printer using the REMOVE button in IP Manage, and reinstall via IP INSTALL.
If the jobs are making it to the SERVER’s Spoolface window, but showing errors (typically with a long string of numbers) it is usually because a color profile is being selected on the CLIENT side that is not available on the SERVER side. Make sure that any color profiles you are using are available in ImagePrint’s COLOR folder of both systems.
Another potential cause of error “97”, or problems printing Client jobs, is a mismatch in the FILTERS list that each system maintains. (Filters are the applications that ImagePrint uses to open different file types). This is most likely to happen on Mac/PC cross platform setups. On both the Client and Server system, open the ImagePrint folder, then open the “IP CONFIG” file located there in a text editor such as notepad. Confirm that the list of FILTERS at the beginning of this file are the same between the two systems. If they are in a different order, you can cut and paste the entries to make the listed order match.

Prints show banding <TOP>

Many different things can cause banding on prints.

The first thing to check if you are experiencing banding issues is the nozzles of the printer. Even one missing or incorrectly firing nozzle can cause unpredictable banding. Run a nozzle check, and, if nozzles are missing or incorrectly aligned, run printer cleanings until it is corrected.

If the nozzles seem correct and you are still experiencing banding issues, try printing at a higher number of passes to see if the problem is alleviated. If your printer supports the Paper Thickness setting (accessed via the Option button in the Print Dialog box), make sure you are set to a correct paper setting for your media.

ImagePrint doesn’t match my Photoshop display! <TOP>

Photoshop’s display does nothing to simulate for how ImagePrint will print, so often it will appear differently then ImagePrint’s display and output. You can however tell Photoshop to use ImagePrint’s color profiles when creating its display, allowing you to work in a Photoshop environment that reflects more closely how ImagePrint will print your files.

To cause Photoshop to pass its display through ImagePrint’s printer profile, you must first copy the printer profile you are using in ImagePrint into the color profile used by Photoshop. On OSX Macintosh, that folder is: "/library/application support/adobe/color/profiles"

On Windows, its: “/winnt/system32/spool/drivers/color”

Once in place, this profile can be selected within Photoshop via Photoshop’s Proof Setup option.

Note: For grayscale printing, Photoshop’s Proof Setup cannot be used, as Photoshop does not recognize the format of ImagePrint’s Grey profiles. In that case, Photoshop adjustment layers can be used to simulate ImagePrint’s output in Photoshop. Here’s the procedure to follow:

Print an image through ImagePrint, then open that image within Photoshop. Choose Image->Curves from the Photoshop menu. Adjust the curve to match your ImagePrint output. Once you have a curve that causes the on screen image to match the print, click the Save button within the Curves dialog box, and save the Photoshop curve as an adjustment layer (you may wish to give it the name of the media you are matching). You can create multiple adjustment layers in this way, each characterizing a different media output of ImagePrint. To enable/disable a particular adjustment layer, simply click the layer visibility icon (an eye symbol) within the Layers palette of Photoshop. This will allow you to work in a Photoshop environment that simulates how ImagePrint will print for that particular media.

Important: When saving the image, you should make sure that none of these custom adjustment layers are enabled in the layers window (the “eye” icon should not be beside any of them). This will ensure that the information in that layer is not saved with the image, which would be undesirable as the adjustment layer is used to adjust the Photoshop preview only, and should not be applied to the image data itself.

ImagePrint OSX Troubleshooting Guide

INSTALLATION ISSUES

LICENSING/DEMO MODE ISSUES

IMAGEPRINT SETTNGS and FUNCTIONALITY

PRINTING ISSUES

COLOR/QUALITY ISSUES