PostScript errors

This page contains a list of terms that can appear in a PostScript error message. These terms can either refer to an actual PostScript error or to an offending command. Each term is linked to a page with more detailed information and possible workarounds. It may be worthwhile to check both the error message and the command that caused the error to appear.

If you are not entirely sure which PostScript error you encountered, first read this page. If you encountered an error that is not listed and managed to find more information about it, please add a comment about it to this page. Thanks!

/
3.31
-4100
-8133
-8993
8BPS

A

A4tray
addglyph
AGMCORE_gstack
aldusdict2
aload
ashow
awidthshow

B

banddevice
bdef
bitspercomponent
buildchar

C

CCRun
charpath
clip
colorimage
configurationerror
ct_cffdict
cs(PDF)
CT_T3HdrDICT
currentpoint
curveto

D

DCTdecodefilter
def
dict
dictfull
dictstackoverflow
dictstackunderflow
div
do(PDF)

E

end
endcidrange
eoclip
eofill
EPS_Dict
exch
exec
execstackoverflow

F

featurecleanup
fhiscomposite
fill
filter
filtered ruling
findfont
flxproc
FMc
FmPD
FmPD2
FmPA
fontsave
forall
framedevice

G

get
getinterval
gsave

H

handleerror

havefont

I

image
imagedistiller
imagemask
index
inf
interrupt
invalidaccess
invalidcontext
invalidexit
invalidfileaccess
invalidfont
invalidid
invalidrestore
interrupt
ioerror
ISOLatin1Encoding
itransform

K

kshow

L

limitcheck
Is2016andT32?
lineto
lipping

M

makeblendedfont
makefont
md
mmxpr3
moveto
MSTT<XXXX>
mysetup

N

nocurrentpoint
nodeffilename
nostringval

P

packedarray
pdfmark
@PJL
pkng
pR
put

R

rangecheck
readstring
renderband(s)
restore
roll
RY

S

save
savelevel1
scalefont
SCSIcom
set
setcolorspace
sethalftone
setflat
setcolor
setcolorspace
setdash
setdistillerparams
setgray
setlinejoin
setmatrix
setlinecap
setlinejoin
setoverprint
setpagedevice
setpageparams
setpapertray
setpattern
setscreen
settransfer
show
sh(PDF)
S(PDF)
stack
stackoverflow
stackunderflow
startdata
status
string
stringwidth
stroke
syntaxerror

T

T1_gsave
timeout
TM
typecheck

U

undefined
undefinedfilename
undefinedresult
undefinedresource
unmatchedmark
unregistered

V

VMerror

W

widthshow

X

X_isTransparency

39 thoughts on “PostScript errors

  1. I am getting error while making pdf from the indesign file through acrobat distiller, though I have installed all fonts in Indesign, Please advise

    %%[ Error: typecheck; OffendingCommand: definefont; ErrorInfo: UniqueID 2.14748e+09 ]%%

    Stack:
    /Font
    -dict-
    /LimesSans-Regular
    false

    %%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
    %%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%
    Distill Time: 1 seconds (00:00:01)
    #### End of Job ####

  2. Hello,
    I hope you can help out.
    When I print a document I get next error.
    What can I do or were is the problem?
    Error Name: stackunderflow
    offending command: –run–
    operand Stack: 14

    Thanks in advance,

  3. ‘configurationerror’ means that the configuration request cannot be satisfied. All important details are in the file.

    ‘unregistered’ is a really bad error. Something happened in the RIP firmware that was not mapped to the standard set of errors. Perhaps, other printers will give a better message.

    PostScript messages are usually insufficient to idfentify the problem. Please contact Coscript Consulting and have a sample file ready, if you want a professional assistance with PostScript and PDF issues. Call us +1 (610) 529 3475 or write to [email protected] .

  4. When one of my customers uses startx on a Linux system and prints my document to a Xerox WorkCentre pro 35 with the GDP PS v2.1 Xerox Driver, they get the following error:

    ERROR: unregistered OFFINGING COMMAND: show STACK:

  5. I got this error:

    ERROR:
    configurationerror
    OFFENDING COMMAND:
    setpagedevice
    STACK:
    –nostringval–
    false
    841.89
    595.28
    0
    0
    841.89
    595.28
    –nostringval–
    5

    First I got this error printing .ps file (I convert to .pdf to solve), after also .txt, now all file type on all printers I have access on my working society. The error is always the same with the exceptions of number after the dot that can be missing.

    I have read the “configurationerror” and “nostringval” but I don’t know what to do.

    I’m using Debian Wheezy with cups.
    Now I’m able to print only using a Debian Stable form a virtualbox machine.

  6. Printng from a word 2010 document, receiving this error message…..”error message printing string”

    anny sollution please advice

  7. Running a HPL3015N on a samba (print server Linux to 40 WinXP workstations). Cups is updated.
    Drivers installed on Cups for this printer seems to be correct ((Driver: HP LaserJet p3010 Series hpijs pcl3, 3.10.6 (color, 2-sided printing))

    If printer is on, from time to time (random) it ejects 2 sheets of paper.
    One clear and one with following:

    ERROR: undefined
    OFFENDING COMMAND: 0 XO P 2

    Hope you can help or suggest something to solve the issue.

  8. Anyone ever seen this PostScript error before?

    %%[ Error: syntaxerror; OffendingCommand: ”0″š%%

  9. when i am printig my document i am getting backgrond message and that is “unregistered”.now what should i do now?

  10. %%[ Error: typecheck; OffendingCommand: ifelse ]%%

    Stack:
    {–pop– –currentoverprint– {false} {SeparateInColor {0 0 0 0
    SetCmyk_5 true} {1 SetGry true} –ifelse–} –ifelse–}
    {/set_color dexec true}
    0.0
    [0.0 -8.33333 -8.33333 0.0 2600.85 3421.82]
    -dict-

    %%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
    %%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

    what does that mean?

  11. I print my emails to PDF and will sometimes get this error:

    %%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%
    %%[Page: 1]%%
    %%[ Error: typecheck; OffendingCommand: ifelse ]%%

    Stack:
    {F}
    {–dup– /Encoding –get– –dup– StandardEncoding –eq– {–pop– T}
    {{ISOLatin1Encoding} –stopped– {–pop– F} {–eq–} –ifelse–
    {T} {–dup– –begin– T 32 1 127 {Encoding 1 –index– –get–
    StandardEncoding 3 -1 –roll– –get– –eq– –and–} –for– –end–}
    –ifelse–} –ifelse–}
    265
    -dict-
    /0
    0
    /F7
    265
    /TTFDt00
    0

    %%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
    %%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

  12. Hi!
    would you please help me, i’ve got an error on ms word 2003, whe can’t update to an earlier version of ms office, the error is “#0” every time i try to print an inform from the erp system in my work, i can’t figured why.
    I´ve got to add that the word woksheet are combined to an access file and says in the error, “couldn’t find file” or something similar.
    I’m a beginner in this so don’t be to hard on me and my ignorance. 😀

    Thank you!

    Diego.

  13. Hi Guy’s

    When I print from UNIX to a Canon device, and the print job are about 1500 duplex pages, normally at the end of the print job apear some PS error’s in some pages, but the print sequence continue normally after that.
    The PS error’s are:
    “ERROR: undefined
    OFFENDING COMMAND:beg
    Stack:
    -dictionary-
    -dictionary-
    /Private
    -dictionary-
    -dictionary-”

    “Error: syntaxerror
    OFFENDING COMMAND: –nostringval–
    STACK:
    /*courrier
    false
    false”

    “ERROR: syntaxerror
    OFFENDING COMMAND: cvt , <fpgm
    -mark-
    /sfnts"

    can anyone help me?

    any suggestion will be appreciate

    thanks in advance

    Carlos

    1. That first error seems to point to a communication problem with the ‘begin’ command getting cut off in the middle. Of course it could also be the printer not having enough memory to store the entire file – although I would expect another type of error in that case.
      Try printing the job in two or three times. Sending smaller files to the printer likely gets around the issue.

    1. That is not really a PostScript error. As far as I know the error message ‘The process “pstopdffilter” terminated unexpectedly at signal XX’, with XX being 10 or 11 seems to be a system message that appears when you try to print a job to a non-PostScript device. There are a couple of work-arounds that get mentioned on various forums:

      • If the error appears when printing from Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, try activating the ‘Print as Image’ option in Acrobat’s ‘Advanced..’ options of the print dialog window. Another work-around is printing the PDF from the Preview application that comes bundled with OS X, instead of printing from Reader.
      • The error can also pop up in other Adobe apps. The work-around is similar: activate the ‘Print as Bitmap’ checkbox and select an appropriate high DPI value in the Advanced print options.
      • The problem occurs more in OS 10.4.10 and .11 than it does in previous releases. Reverting back to an older version of the OS might help. The problem might also be fixed in newer OS version that use an updated print architecture. I haven’t found any references about this though.
  14. With CS2 I am getting the error Invalid Paper size Offending command
    Stack 1

    I have printed using bluebeam PDF revue and works fine
    and I have checked paper sizes etc

  15. %%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%
    %%[ Error: syntaxerror; OffendingCommand: > ]%%

    Stack:
    /PaintProc
    412.265
    /YStep
    448.22
    /XStep
    [447.22 412.265 448.22 412.265]
    /BBox
    1
    /TilingType
    1
    /PaintType
    1
    /PatternType
    -mark-

    %%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
    %%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

  16. Hi all,

    I would appreciate some help about a problem I can’t solve myself.

    Is is about sending the same PS file to different printservers. First time, it prints on all of them, but the process, deppending on the printserver, blocks the printer.

    I’ve cought the error in that cases:

    ERROR:undefined.
    OFFENDING COMMAND: “\377”

    Thanks a lot!!
    Sergi.

  17. Hi, I need your help in solving a problem with AI file. Illustrator can’t open the file and I get the following message:
    offending operator: ”,”
    context: %0eP.&/i=b(1,U1,0d&)(2′?0I5!C)Q4s2L92B[*^F_)[K2DcO5/heD34s3$Q+?ht30/4S/+?
    Would you help me please.

  18. DEar all
    i require to tackle postscript error while converting pagemaker file to pdf & i m not able to solve this problem by using solution on available on net.pls help me to come our of this problem to manage my work

    1. Without stating which exact problem you have, which procedure you are using to create PDFs and what you have already tried, nobody will be capable of helping you. Your chances of getting help are far larger if you post all of this information on a forum such as the Adobe support forums or the b4print forums.

  19. Am on macbook pro Version 10.5.8

    I have microsoft office 2008 installed and Adobe CS 4 (if am not mistaken)

    ********
    When I print a pdf file I get the following error:

    %% [ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: undef ]%%
    %% [ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
    **************
    When I print a word doc i get the following error message:

    ERROR: undefined
    OFFENDING COMMAND: languagelevel

    STACK:
    /L3?
    False

    **********

    Printer is HP Laser 2100 Series PCL 6, I seem to be the only person to have issue with the printer, the issue must come from my laptop.

    Thanks,

    Hats

    1. It looks like your driver is using PostScript 3 but a quick search on the web only showed references to the HP 2100 supporting PostScript 2. Try finding a way to set your driver to level 2 or else try reinstalling the driver (or using the correct one?)

  20. I was trying to open an AI file, and it’ says offending operator: ” ” context: %AI10-BeginSymoiList

    when i have other people to open the file, they were able to open and by select “PDF compatible”, and saved it, then i was able to open myself. Would you help to explain this issue for me ?

    thanks a lot.

    1. I don’t think that there actually is a PostScript error called ‘Stop’. Check the PostScript error and the reported offending command a bit better – either of them is bound to show up in the overview of errors on this site.

  21. Hi, I take this error when I try to print a preview view for a database report.

    Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: Sign

    I was searching for internet but I didnt found nothing.

    Thanks for all and sorry for my english.

  22. We are trying to print different dot tone for a 4 color process screen print job and we have a screen writer 4 Xante. It gives us a post script error of
    stack:
    /
    -15
    80
    /
    -15
    80

    Could you help me out with how I can fix it

    1. It can be difficult to troubleshoot PostScript errors. Without knowing the actual error and offending command it is next to impossible. I think you need to take a new look at the error message since you omitted the most important part.

  23. The first error is trivial: PostScript requires decimal point, not comma. The second is an Illustrator error rather than a PostScript error. You can contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.

    1. Thanks Alex – that first one is so obvious I should have noticed it myself. I’ll add a note to the ‘Undefined’ error description for this type of error.

  24. I have an Illustrator file that I created and I made a change to a gradient and then saved the file. When I tried to reopen the file I got the error message listed below. Thanks for your help:

    Offending operator: “Bg”
    Context:

    -293.6436 3.81445 -303.502 -12.5605 -314.9639 -24.0186 c

    Bb

    1 (Unnamed gradient 2) 0 0 90 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Bg

  25. when i am trying to make a pdf file from a .prn file which was generated by coreldraw, i get the following error. from corel draw i use a printer with name xitron RIP.

    thank you,

    %%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: -0,00709 ]%%
    %%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
    %%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

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