PostScript Error Types and Error Dictionary

PostScript Error Types: This is a list of common error types grouped under headings that indicate a general cause.

Something is exceeding the PostScript interpreter's memory or a PostScript language limit:

dictfull
fatal system error at [various]
limitcheck
vmerror

Communication problem error types:

interrupt
ioerror (also caused by a problem with the printer's hard disk)
timeout

The file contains unintelligible PostScript code:

configurationerror
dictstackoverflow
dictstackunderflow
execstackoverflow
handleerror
invalidaccess
invalidcontext
invalidexit
invalidfileaccess
invalidfont
invalidid
invalidrestore
nocurrentpoint
rangecheck
stackoverflow
stackunderflow
syntaxerror
typecheck
undefined
undefinedfilename
undefinedresource
undefinedresult
unmatchedmark
unregistered

PostScript Offending Commands: This is a list of common offending commands, grouped under headings that indicate a general cause.

Problem with specific text or font element:

ashow
awidthshow
charpath
definefont
findfont
imagemask
kshow
makefont
selectfont
show
stringwidth
widthshow

Problem with specific masks (for example: clipping paths):

clip
eoclip

Problem with fills and lines, often in imported object-oriented, or vector, graphics (for example, EPS, PICT):

arc
arcto
currentpoint
curveto
eofill
fill
lineto
moveto
rcurveto
rlineto
setdash
setlinecap
setlinejoin
stroke

Problem with bitmap data:

colorimage
image
imagemask (associated with 1 bit image bitmap graphics and bitmap fonts.)

Problem with any element or graphic:

array
def
dict
exch
get
index
itransform
nostringval
packedarray
put
restore
save
setgray
setpageparams
setscreen
[random characters]

PostScript Error Dictionary: From the list below, select the PostScript error being encountered for information on the error and troubleshooting steps to resolve the error.

configurationerror-Occurs when a device request cannot be satisfied. For example, the PostScript file requested an unavailable page size. This error means that you have attempted to set or request a feature for your output that is not available because it is not implemented on the device, or is temporarily unavailable because of the state of the device.

Troubleshooting

• Return to the application and make sure that you have selected the correct printer in the Printer Type menu.

• Check the output device specifications to make sure you have requested a valid feature.

• Reload and restart your application.

• Contact the software application manufacturer for technical support.

Typically appears with offending command setpagedeviceor setdevparams.

dictfull-A dictionary (used to store PostScript variables) is full. Usually this is userdict, the main dictionary. This may represent an incompatibility between the application that created the graphic and the application that is printing or spooling the document.

Troubleshooting

• If you are working with an embedded graphic, return to the original application and export the graphic again.

• Contact the manufacturer of the software application for technical support.

Typically appears with offending command def,store, or put.

dictstackoverflow - Too many dictionaries are being used simultaneously. Usually caused by too many layers of nested graphics (one inside another, inside another, and so on).

Troubleshooting

• Remove embedded graphics from the file, especially the largest embedded graphic, and try again.

• Contact the manufacturer of the software application for technical support

Typically appears with offending command begin.

dictstackunderflow - The PostScript code tried to implement an 'end' command at the wrong time. Most likely due to file corruption.

Troubleshooting

• Contact the manufacturer of the software application for technical support.

Typically appears with offending command end.

execstackoverflow- An attempt has been made to execute an additional procedure when the PostScript interpreter has reached its maximum limit. May appear if the PostScript is stuck in an infinite loop.

Troubleshooting

• Print on another PostScript output device, if one is available.

• Try removing embedded graphics from the file and printing again, especially the largest embedded graphic.

• Contact the manufacturer of the software application for technical support.

handleerror - Incorrect or corrupt PostScript code was sent to the printer.

Troubleshooting

• If an older version of a software application is being used, upgrade to a newer version.

• Download and install the most recent version of the driver for your printer. Drivers for all Xerox printers can be found by clicking on the [Drivers & Downloads] link under theProduct Resources section on this window.

• Contact the manufacture of the software application for technical support.

interrupt - Most likely the wrong data format was sent to the printer, such as binary data to a device that cannot accept it.

invalidaccess - The program tried to access data that is not allowed, like the inside of a font, or to store a value in an array that is read-only.

invalidcontext - Most likely an application error.

invalidexit - An exit operation has been encountered where there is no valid process to terminate.

Typically appears with offending command exit.

invalidfileaccess - Tried to access an unallowed file, such as write to a read-only file.

Typically appears with offending command file.

invalidfont - The PostScript interpreter attempted to access a font that is either corrupted or does not exist on the output device.

Typically appears with offending command findfont orselectfont (for invalid fonts) or setfont andmakefont (for damaged or corrupt fonts).

invalidid - Most likely an application error.

invalidrestore- The PostScript code tried to implement a restore command at the wrong time. Most likely a corruption of the file. Often occurs when there are many embedded graphic files in a document.

Typically appears with offending command restore.

ioerror - A real I/O error may have occurred (such as a disk fault), there may have been incorrect communications setup or a broken file connection, or the file could be corrupt.

Typically appears with offending command deletefile,filter, run, status, file, orrenamefile.

limitcheck - The printer has reached an internal limit. Some limits are fixed, some depend on memory. The most common cause is a path that is too complicated; for instance, a cutout, or a drawn outline; also outlined text. Using the Magic Wand in Adobe Photoshop it is possible to get a very complicated clip path.

Typically appears with offending command image,imagemask, or colorimage for image files too large or too complex; fill, eofill,stroke, clip, or eoclip for paths being painted that are too long or too complex; or closepath,curveto, flattenpath, lineto,moveto, rcurveto, or rlineto for paths being constructed that are too long or too complex.

nocurrentpoint- A program tried to do something relative to the current point, but the current point was not set to anything yet. For instance, attempting to write text without saying where on the page it should go. Probably indicates file corruption.

rangecheck - A value was outside the printer's acceptable range, or just wrong (like an attempt to get the fifth character from a four-character string). May also result from very large values or objects well off the page.

Typically appears with offending command getinterval,put, or putinterval for attempts to insert entries into an object using a wrong size or incorrect sign;index, log, or repeat for invalid numbers for operations; copy, readhexstring, orreadstring for invalid strings; or concat,currentmatrix, itransform, makefont,scale, selectform, transform,image, colorimage, or imagemask for matrices that do not have precisely six elements or whose component values are invalid.

stackoverflow - Too many items have collected on the operand stack, or you may have too many embedded graphic files in the document.

stackunderflow - An attempt was made to remove something from the operand stack that was not there. This typically indicates a transmission or application error.

syntaxerror- The PostScript interpreter has encountered program text that does not conform to the PostScript language syntax rules. Typically, this results from unmatched beginning or ending string delimiters or unmatched beginning or ending procedure delimiters. This probably represents a transmission error.

timeout - The printer was waiting for something to happen, but it did not happen. Usually, a PostScript device will have three timeout values:

• Job timeout - The amount of time that a job may run before the interpreter will flush the job.

• Manual Feed timeout - The amount of time that the interpreter will wait for a piece of paper to be inserted into the manual feed slot before canceling the job.

• Wait (or Communications) timeout - The amount of time that the device will wait for additional characters from the host device before canceling the job. For example, a job has not yet been completed, but nothing has arrived at the printer in some time. This can be caused by the computer giving up, or being asked to do something else for too long. Also the lack of a end-of-file (CTRL+D) character can cause this error.

typecheck - The PostScript operator was expecting one type of information and instead got another, such as finding a string instead of a number. If you are sharing a printer on a network, someone loading data into the printer that has remained after the job has completed or a corrupt file may cause this error.

undefined - The PostScript interpreter found something that it did not understand. The offending command will indicate what the unknown syntax was, and it may often look like a string of random characters.

Some typical causes:

If the offending command is:

undefinedfilename - The PostScript interpreter could not find a file name used in the PostScript code. This often occurs with PostScript documents that contained called files, which then cannot be accessed later on. If the PostScript is sent to a printer, it will be unable to access any files stored on the computer. Also, many interpreters do not allow file access, for security reasons, and many printers do not implement file access at all. Finally different interpreters may have different conventions for naming files. Some will allow abc.ps where others would require %os%abc.ps.

Typically appears with offending command run,deletefile, file, or renamefile.

undefinedresource- The PostScript interpreter is searching for a built-in resource that is not present. The resource category exists, but the specific resource requested is not available.

Typically appears with offending commandfindresource.

undefinedresult - The PostScript code tried to implement an invalid mathematical operation, such as calculating the square root of -1.

unmatchedmark - Most likely there is a missing bracket [ somewhere in the PostScript file. Probably caused by corruption.

Typically appears with offending command cleartomark,counttomark, or [.

unregistered - This error is highly unusual and generally represents an internal error in the PostScript interpreter. It should never occur.

vmerror - The printer is out of memory. Fonts use printer memory; use fewer fonts in the document, or use the fonts resident on the output device. Use a smaller page size, if applicable.