Troubleshoot printing problems | Photoshop

This document provides troubleshooting steps to help you resolve general printing problems in Adobe Photoshop.

For solutions to a specific printing problem, try searching the Adobe Support knowledgebase.

Before you can troubleshoot the problem, determine its cause.

Determine the cause of the printing problem

Resolve problems printing a specific image from Photoshop

If you have problems printing an individual image from Photoshop, work through this next set of tasks in the order they are presented. Print after each one.

1. Reset the printer preferences in the image.

Press the Spacebar on your keyboard before you click File > Print. This process resets printer preferences that have been written into the image. 

2. Check these options in the printer driver.

• In Print Settings, make that sure the Paper Size is accurate. 
• Choose the correct paper feeding option for how your paper is actually being fed into the printer. If you select the incorrect option for how the paper is being fed, your image can be cut off, or print in part, or print on the wrong part of the page.
• Check for appropriate paper handling. Using some Epson drivers as an example, select Paper Handling, and make sure that the Destination Paper Size is accurate to your paper. If not, select Scale to fit paper size, and change the Destination Paper Size to the appropriate size. Then deselect Scale to fit paper size if desired. Other printer manufacturers can have something similar.
• Check Printer Settings to make sure that the media type is correct.
• Deselect 16 Bit Output, in case your driver doesn't support 16-bit printing.

3. Save the image as a new file.

Resave the document by choosing File > Save As, and giving the file a new name. The Save As command causes Photoshop to rewrite the file.

4. Rasterize layers or flatten your image.

When you print an image from Photoshop, only the content that is visible onscreen is printed. Rasterize layers or flatten your image to improve performance when printing.

Important: Rasterizing layers or flattening your image removes editable content, such as type and Smart Objects. Before proceeding with this task, make a backup of your existing image.

To rasterize layers:

For more information about rasterizing layers, see Rasterize layers.

To flatten your image, choose Layer > Flatten Image.

For more information about flattening your image, see Merge and stamp layers.

5. Print a composite of the file.

If you encounter problems printing an image with color separations, print a composite of the file to determine if a color plate is the problem. When you print a composite, all the colors print on one plate, regardless of whether individual colors have been selected.

If the problem with your specific image persists after performing the above steps, your file could be damaged. It is also possible that the way that Photoshop interacts with your system is causing the problem. Proceed to Resolve problems printing to any printer from Photoshop for further troubleshooting steps.

Resolve problems printing any file from any application

If you have problems printing any file from the computer, contact Apple Support, Microsoft Technical Support, or the printer manufacturer. Make sure that the printer is on and check the physical connections between the printer and the computer. The solution could be as simple as reconnecting a loose cable.

Also, note any recent changes to the computer system that can affect printing, such as the following:

• Updates of your hardware or software
• New hardware or software
• Upgrades or updates of your Operating System
• Removal of software
• Installing or removing fonts
• Connecting to a network, or other changes to your network configuration
• Rearranging or cleaning up of files on your hard drive

Keep a record of changes made to the system to help you troubleshoot printing and other problems. If the problem persists, work through the other sections in this document, as applicable.

See also these print troubleshooting documents from Apple (macOS) and Microsoft (Windows).

Resolve problems printing to any printer from Photoshop

If you have problems printing from Photoshop, work through this set of tasks in the order they are presented, printing after each one.

1. Verify that you meet or exceed the minimum system requirements for Photoshop.

For an updated list of system requirements, visit System requirements | Photoshop.

2. Use an updated printer driver.

Many printer manufacturers frequently update their software drivers. If you haven't updated the printer driver recently, contact the printer manufacturer for an updated driver, or download one from the manufacturer's website.

3. Delete temporary files from the system (Windows only).

Excess temporary files can cause Photoshop to freeze or appear to freeze when you print.

See the following for details: 

• Delete temporary files using the Disk Cleanup utility (Windows XP)
• Delete temporary files using the Disk Cleanup utility (Windows 7 and Vista)
• Delete temporary files using the Disk cleanup utility (Windows 10)

4. Ensure that the printer has enough memory.

Ensure that the printer has enough memory to print all page elements. To print at 300 dpi, make sure that the printer has at least 2 MB of available RAM. To print at 600 dpi, make sure that the printer has at least 4 - 6 MB of RAM. For instructions on determining available printer memory, see the printer documentation.

5. Re-create the instance of the printer (Mac only).

To re-create the instance of the printer:

6. Re-create the Photoshop preferences file.

Re-create the Photoshop preferences file to eliminate problems that a damaged preferences file can cause.

For instructions on how to re-create the preferences, see these steps: Reset Photoshop Preferences

Note: When you use this solution, Photoshop creates a preferences file and you lose custom settings associated with your current preferences file. However, the file you rename in step 3 is your original preferences file. If you determine that the preferences file is not causing the problem, then you can restore your custom settings by returning the preferences file to its original location.

7. Move the image to a local hard disk.

If the file is on a removable drive (for example, a USB hard drive) or network drive, move it to a local hard disk. Adobe recommends storing files on a local hard disk when you open, save. Or, print them to reduce potential problems and damage to your files.

8. Create additional free disk space.

Make sure that plenty of free hard disk space is available on your system drive, or the drive on which you have the file stored. Adobe recommends that free space is equivalent to three to five times the size of the file you print.

To create more space, search for and delete temporary (.tmp) files on your computer, clear your temporary Internet files, or remove unnecessary programs from the computer. For instructions about clearing the temporary Internet files, see the documentation for your Internet browser. For instructions on removing programs, see the documentation for each program.

You can also free up disk space by bypassing the spool file on Windows, which stores temporary files to the system drive during printing. For instructions for bypassing the spool file, see the documentation included with Windows or contact Microsoft Technical Support.

9. Print to a local printer.

If you print to a network printer, try printing the file from a computer that is connected directly to a local printer.

If the file prints correctly, network-related issues or problems with your printer or its device drivers could be the cause. Contact your network administrator, consult the documentation for your printer, or contact the printer manufacturer for assistance.

10. Run Photoshop while no other applications are running.

Some applications or services could cause problems when running concurrently with Photoshop. Before printing from Photoshop, disable startup items that run when your computer starts up.

For Mac, start up into Safe Boot. Safe Boot mode maximizes available RAM and reduces the possibility that another application or background service conflicts with Photoshop. For instructions or assistance starting your computer into Safe Boot mode, see "Mac OS X: Starting up in Safe Mode" (Apple Support Article HT1455). Or contact Apple support.

For Windows, see: Disable startup items, services | Windows for details.

11. Optimize the performance of Photoshop.

See Optimize performance.

Resolve problems printing to a PostScript printer

If you have problems printing from Photoshop to a PostScript printer, work through the tasks below in the order they are presented, printing after each one.

Disclaimer: Some of these solutions require you to change the printer driver properties. The locations for specific properties vary by printer and by printer driver. Therefore, Adobe Technical Support cannot provide detailed information about the location for each property. Contact the printer manufacturer or refer to the printer documentation for more information.

1. Use an updated PPD file.

A PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file describes the capabilities of a PostScript printer for settings such as margins, color, and resolution. Incorrect or outdated PPD files can increase print times or cause other problems. Configure your printer in the Printers Control Panel with the PPD file that the printer manufacturer recommends.

To obtain a PPD file for your device, contact the printer manufacturer.

2. Set up the printer driver to output optimized PostScript code (Windows only).

If you set up the printer driver to output PostScript code that's optimized for portability and in binary format, the amount of scaling the driver must do is minimized, thus preventing it from losing portions of images.

To set your printer driver to output optimized PostScript code, do the following:

1. Choose Start > Control Panel, and then open Printers.
2. Right-click the printer, and choose Properties from the context menu.
3. Select the General tab.
4. Select Printing Preferences, and then click Advanced.
5. Expand the Document Options, and then expand the PostScript Options.
6. Set the PostScript Output option to Optimize For Portability.

3. Install a printer driver that's compatible with your operating system (Windows only).

If you use a network printer, install a printer driver that's compatible with your operating system. Print servers don't always provide drivers for operating systems running on client computers. So, you could be using a printer driver that's appropriate for the print server's operating system but not for your computer's operating system.

To install a printer driver that's compatible with your operating system:

1. Choose Start > Control Panel, and then open Printers.
2. Right-click the network printer, and then choose Delete.
3. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.
4. Select Add A Local Printer, and then click Next.
5. Select Create A New Port.
6. Choose Local Port from the Type Of Port menu, and then click Next.
7. In the Port Name dialog box, type the path for the print server and printer (for example, \\printservername\printername), and then click OK.
8. Follow the remaining onscreen instructions to install a driver that matches the brand and model of your network printer.

Resolve problems printing to a non-PostScript printer

If you have problems printing from Photoshop to a non-PostScript printer, work through the tasks below in the order they are presented, printing after each one.

1. Ensure that the printer has enough memory.

Ensure that the printer has enough memory to print all page elements. To print at 300 dpi, make sure that the printer has at least 2 MB of available RAM. To print at 600 dpi, make sure that the printer has at least 4 – 6 MB of RAM.

For instructions on determining available printer memory, see the printer documentation.

2. Enable VGA mode for your video card (Windows only)

VGA mode is a startup option that forces the system into standard 640 x 480 16-color VGA mode by using a video driver that is compatible with any video adapter. Enable VGA mode for your video card to resolve problems related to your video card and it drivers.

To restart Windows into VGA mode:

1. Quit all applications.
2. Choose Start, type msconfig in the Search text box, and press Enter.
3. Click the Boot tab.
4. In the Boot Options section, select Base Video.
5. Click OK, and restart Windows.

Note: Upon restart, you could be notified that the System Configuration utility has changed the way that Windows starts. If so, click OK and, when the System Configuration utility appears, click Cancel to exit the utility.

1. To re-enable your original video card driver:
2. Choose Start, type msconfig in the Search text box, and press Enter.
3. Click the Boot tab.
4. In the Boot Options section, deselect Base Video.
5. Click OK, and restart Windows.

If you can print correctly from Photoshop using the Windows VGA driver, then the driver for your video card could be damaged, outdated, or incompatible with your printer driver or Photoshop. To obtain an updated video card driver, contact the manufacturer of your video card.

3. Use the printer's PostScript mode

If the printer has a PostScript option, use the PostScript mode. For details, see the printer documentation.