Quark / Canon Pixma crashing

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allen-uk
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:02 am

Quark / Canon Pixma crashing

Post by allen-uk »

Hallo.

I installed PrintFab a few weeks ago, and have been getting amazing results, first-class output.

But...

It might be a coincidence, but since I installed PrintFab, my Canon Pixma MP800 crashes at regular intervals (it actually 'freezes', and is only cured by turning off at the mains, quitting QuarkXpress, and rebooting both).

Has anyone else had similar problems, and does anyone know a solution?

Thanks.

Allen, London.
zedonet
Site Admin
Posts: 2156
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:02 am

Post by zedonet »

Hello,

the driver contacts the printer when you open the print dialog (ink status query; only if the printer is attached locally via USB) or when you actually print.

When does the printer "freeze" - when you print? Does it stop in the middle of the page? Always at the same position or at random?
allen-uk
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:02 am

Post by allen-uk »

Hello Zed.

It nearly always freezes on the first page, with a couple of inches printed. The print monitor says '4%, or 19%' or similar.

To clear it:

1) I press the 'stop' button on the Canon.
2) The Canon reads 'please wait momentarily'
3) Nothing happens (for up to 3 or 4 minutes)
4) I switch off the Canon at the mains, and turn it on again
5) I quit Quark, and reboot Quark too.

Then it normally works.

Is there is switch-on procedure with the PrintFab/Canon combination and Quark? i.e. does the Canon have to be up and ready before Quark is launched?

Thanks for your help.

Allen.
zedonet
Site Admin
Posts: 2156
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:02 am

Post by zedonet »

Hello,

a possible reason for stalled printout is unreliable USB transfer.
This is sometimes the case with the Mac OS X built-in USB driver and can cause problems like you described:

- no printout
- stalled printout
- wrong printer initialization (e.g. wrong page format)

(This doesn't affect Canon's driver which has its own USB driver.)

You could try to install a replacement USB driver named "usbtb".
This driver installs additionally to the original usb driver. There is a link on our download site:

http://www.printfab.net/download2.html

After installation, open PrintFab Toolbox and add your printer again. Choose the port "Canon MP800 (usbtb)" instead of "Canon MP800 (usb)".

Now try to print from your application program.

Please let me know if this helps.
allen-uk
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:02 am

Post by allen-uk »

Hello zedonet.

Well, it's about a week since I installed the alternative USB driver, and the only 'freeze' I had was when I forgot to choose the new PrintFab printer from the list.

So, I think we can say it has worked, and well....


While I have you on the line: since you are a Quark Xpress expert (I hope) is there anyway of setting up QX 7 so that ALL printing options always default to my new PrintFab printer? There is still a lot of choosing involved (and I only have the one printer!) which always opens the possibility of choosing the wrong printer.

Any clues?

Thanks for the help.

Allen.
zedonet
Site Admin
Posts: 2156
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:02 am

Post by zedonet »

Hello,

good to hear that it prints reliably now.

About Quark - this might be interesting for having only the required PPD files in QuarkXPress:

PPD files for currently installed printers are stored in the directory "/etc/cups/ppd". However, QuarkXPress searches in "/System/Library/Printers/PPDs/...".

QuarkXPress should rather search in "/etc/cups/ppd", but this directory is an invisible system directory.

A possible solution is:

Create a "symbolic link" - open Utilities Terminal and enter

ln -s /etc/cups/ppd PPD

this creates a directory "link" so that the system directory /etc/cups/ppd which is normally not visible from applications can be opened as directory "PPD" within your home directory.

In QuarkXPress, select the menu "Utilities" / "PPD Manager". Select "Use Auxiliary Folder" and press "Select...". In the dialog window, select your home directory (house symbol), subdirectory "PPD".
Now the PPD files for all currently installed printers should be listed in QuarXPress PPD Manager and also in QuarkXPress print dialog.

Please let me know if this helps.
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