Offending command: setlinecap

Most professional drawing programs like Illustrator allow you to define how a line ends: square, circular,… . PostScript uses the ‘setlinecap’ command to pass this information on to the RIP. So a PostScript error, offending command ‘setlinecap’ often points to a problem with a custom PostScript line or an imported graphic with a custom line.

Solutions

  • A February 2020 update of Google Chrome (version 80.0.3987.87) caused Setlinecap errrors when users tried to print PDF files to various printers. The solution was to upgrade to version 80.0.3987.100. There were also several work-arounds:
    • Access and print the PDF file using another browser. Edge, Firefox and other alternatives all print just fine.
    • Download the PDF document and print if using Adobe Reader or another PDF viewer application.
    • Some users reported that using the PCL driver instead of the PostScript driver resolved the issue on Xerox machines. Others recommended to open the printing preferences, go to the ‘Advanced’ settings and disable the ‘PostScript passthrough’ setting.
  • Try opening all the EPS-files made in Illustrator, CorelDraw,… see whether specific linecaps where used and change those. Resave the files and try printing again.
  • The problem may also be caused by a bug in the RIP software. Check if updates are available.