I've been having a very weird problem with a couple of PS files and I really need to know what's going on. Perhaps it is a known problem, but I haven't found any reference about this. I'll explain:
The PS file is generated by an application that takes as input a flat data file I provide. I've done this lots of times with the same data structure, and with bigger files. For the first time something weird happened with certain file. We have ruled out hardware or OS problems, neither application has changed version, etc: it happens with the same files, not with any other older one we print again. The symptom is that it starts printing and after a number of pages it just stops printing, and the printer ends up in a state that doesn't seem normal (although it works fine if you keep printing other stuff). On a Xerox DP65, the Job's state is still "Printing", though on another window it displays "Printer idle"; we hadn't seen this contradiction ever before. On a HP 5000, it stops, the Data led flashes, and then displays "data received" or some such.
We have also found that it's not that there is some kind of "stop mark" somewhere in the PS to make it stop there, because we can resume the printing! On the DP65 we can make it start at any page no., and if we set it to start at the last-but-one it had printed, it just goes on from there! Then, it will again stop after printing a number of pages. Our only way to print the file is chunk by chunk starting at the next unprinted page.
The number of pages printed every time is not always the same. Most times it is around 50, sometimes around 150, less often it can be around 400, 700, or 800. Apparently it will be the same number of pages if you start to print from the same page number.
The job uses different A4 sheets taken from 3 or 4 trays, and prints on both sides. The HP doesn't support 2 sides, it prints the "back sides" as separate pages. After testing a file with both printers, the PHYSICAL number of pages appears to coincide, it means that the HP printed half the logical pages that the Xerox printed.
We really really need to know what's going on. We don't have PS experts here, but we could touch the PS files if we know what to do. If anybody is willing to investigate, I could provide a trimmed PS (after overwriting customer data). This may take me some time, but will give you the chance to reproduce it.
We contacted local Xerox support (Argentina) and they don't have a clue.
Please contact me for suggestions! Thanks for your help!!!!
The PS file is generated by an application that takes as input a flat data file I provide. I've done this lots of times with the same data structure, and with bigger files. For the first time something weird happened with certain file. We have ruled out hardware or OS problems, neither application has changed version, etc: it happens with the same files, not with any other older one we print again. The symptom is that it starts printing and after a number of pages it just stops printing, and the printer ends up in a state that doesn't seem normal (although it works fine if you keep printing other stuff). On a Xerox DP65, the Job's state is still "Printing", though on another window it displays "Printer idle"; we hadn't seen this contradiction ever before. On a HP 5000, it stops, the Data led flashes, and then displays "data received" or some such.
We have also found that it's not that there is some kind of "stop mark" somewhere in the PS to make it stop there, because we can resume the printing! On the DP65 we can make it start at any page no., and if we set it to start at the last-but-one it had printed, it just goes on from there! Then, it will again stop after printing a number of pages. Our only way to print the file is chunk by chunk starting at the next unprinted page.
The number of pages printed every time is not always the same. Most times it is around 50, sometimes around 150, less often it can be around 400, 700, or 800. Apparently it will be the same number of pages if you start to print from the same page number.
The job uses different A4 sheets taken from 3 or 4 trays, and prints on both sides. The HP doesn't support 2 sides, it prints the "back sides" as separate pages. After testing a file with both printers, the PHYSICAL number of pages appears to coincide, it means that the HP printed half the logical pages that the Xerox printed.
We really really need to know what's going on. We don't have PS experts here, but we could touch the PS files if we know what to do. If anybody is willing to investigate, I could provide a trimmed PS (after overwriting customer data). This may take me some time, but will give you the chance to reproduce it.
We contacted local Xerox support (Argentina) and they don't have a clue.
Please contact me for suggestions! Thanks for your help!!!!