Mail Prints Blank

That you started experiencing the problem after installing a system update doesn’t necessarily mean there is anything wrong with the update itself, so don’t expect Apple to “fix” this anytime soon...

Actually, the minor filesystem issues could have a bearing on that. Problems arising right after installing a system update are usually the result of the problem already being there, or some filesystem corruption that should have been fixed first, or not having installed the update properly (e.g. applications running while installing it), or having ignored Apple’s “ Important: Please read before installing” warnings, etc.

After having fixed all the filesystem issues, try reinstalling the update that may not have been installed properly using the combo installer:

About the Mac OS X 10.4.11 Update
Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update for PowerPC
Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update for Intel

After installing the Combo Update, the computer may restart twice and the first restart may take several minutes. This is normal.

Take a look at the following articles for guidelines on how to properly install system updates:

Troubleshooting installation and software updates
Installing software updates

My waste paper pile is stacking up.

Cannot you reproduce the problem choosing Preview in the print dialog box or when printing to PDF? Does the problem only happen when printing on paper? That would indicate a printer driver issue...

The Console error messages indicate this could be a font issue, though. You haven’t tried starting up in Safe Mode, as I suggested in my second post, have you?

BTW, please update the Operating System field on your My Settings’s profile (and click Save), so that it accurately reflects the version of Mac OS X you’re running now. This is essential information that should always be provided when asking for help.

I'll have to try reinstalling the update later as deadlines loom. 😉 Software updater closes out all apps automatically when I install, and I have never had problems with an update before, but I'm willing to try anything.

If I open the email message in its own window and then click Preview the email text shows on the screen and will print. If I "print" to pdf the text does show up in the pdf. If I'm just looking at the message within the original Mail window I can see the text but it will not print SOME of the time. Haven't done Safe Mode yet as I couldn't remember how--will look that up and try that later as well.

Having this problem with both printers--Epson AcuLaser CX11NF and HP LaserJet 3300. Haven't changed any fonts or anything. I'll check those sites for updates too--maybe the new OS isn't compatible with the printers.

Thanks again for your help.

I have the same experience. If there is an attachment, it prints the icon only, no message text. And if I do the Preview option, it will print the pdf. That is what I am currently doing to all emails, but what a pain.

I have a client that updated to 10.4.11 and is having this problem. It looks like everyone here including my client is having this issue going to Postscript printers is that correct? I wonder if using the Combo updater will resolve this.

Same exact problem here -- also running 10.4.11

Mail only prints using the preview function

Update: Re-installed the update using the Combo installer this morning. First email printed fine. Second one didn't print text again. I checked both Epson and HP websites for driver updates/patches--nothing there. Read in the update info that one "fix" they made was a font compatibility issue with Quark (which I don't have) but I wonder if something in that fix might be causing the problem. I still need to try starting up in Safe mode but that will have to wait as I don't have time now. Wanted to give everyone this update though.

I would also like to say I have had the same problems as Roberle, since I updated to 10.4.11. I have iMac G5, and use it on two epson printers CX6600 and RX560 on one network. I also had it in a totally separate network with another Epson RX560 and the same things happened. I blamed drivers etc and re-installed but everything is still randomly not printing. I have found if you print to preview and then print it seems to always work. I would imagine the print to PDF would do the same. I have had no similar problems before this (The CX6600 is over 2 years old).

Well, this looks like a Mac OS X 10.4.11 issue, indeed, so maybe it’s reasonable to expect Apple to fix it in a subsequent update after all if they become aware of it 🙂, but I wouldn’t hold my breath, as it could very well that Apple decided to not release any further updates for Tiger other than Security Updates — but they might include a minor (non-security) fix for this in a future Security Update...

I’ll try to bring Apple’s attention over this thread, but those of you experiencing this problem may want to report it in one of the following places nonetheless — the more accurate information you provide to allow Apple to reproduce it, the better:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/
http://developer.apple.com/bugreporter/

Read in the update info that one "fix" they made was a font compatibility
issue with Quark (which I don't have) but I wonder if something in that
fix might be causing the problem.

They could be related, yes.

Hi,

While I don't print very many emails, I have just tested printing a couple, by printing each of them to both of my two Epson printers (one connected directly via Firewire, and other directly via USB). In all cases printing was successful.

Since you use multiple printers, regularly, do you first use Page Setup to select the desired printer, paper size, etc, before invoking Print? Then does Print always have the correct printer selected to match what was selected in Page Setup?

Or do you sometimes Print without confirming the status of Page Setup? When I invoke Page Setup, I seldom find it to be on the correct settings, and to need new selections. This has been the case since switching to an Intel Mac and downloading new, Intel compatible, drivers, which occurred prior to the update to 10.4.11.

Asking a different way, can you be confident of the Default settings for the Print if not confirming each time?

This test was done while booted into 10.4.11 on my Intel Mac Pro.

Ernie

Hi, Ernie. My default printer is the Epson which I use almost all the time. I use the HP occasionally for envelopes since the Epson crumples them, and also sometimes for longer docs that seem to print faster on the HP. In this case I just started using it to test if it was an Epson problem and it reproduced on both machines. If I'm going to use the HP I just select that printer in the print screen (not Page Setup), then it defaults back to the Epson after that. I have never had to change any settings in Page Setup between those two printers. If I'm printing a bunch of stuff on the HP I choose it in System Pref as the new default.

Thanks. I will report it because I don't like being "forced" to upgrade to a new OS because they introduced something in the old one that makes it not work properly any more. 😉 I have third-party software like SuperDuper that isn't fully tested and compatible with Leopard yet and I don't need more troubleshooting problems to deal with.

Is there a way to "unload" this update? Or selectively reload it, maybe leaving out the Quark patch? I suppose not but thought I'd ask.

You’re welcome.

Is there a way to "unload" this update?

Not the way you want. See Mac OS X: How to reinstall a prior version.

I'd been having the same problem on my computer and the HP LaserJet 4250 I print on.
I just did a repair with the disk utility from the system disk and that did the trick! Now Mail is printing all of the text of my emails, instead of just the attachment icons.
Thanks for your help!

I have also experienced the "printing of headers only" in Mail 2.1 since updated to 10.4.11. We print over a small appletalk network to an HP 4100 tn. I continue to have this problem after updating the latest driver from the HP website. I have had some other problems printing from a web browser (will print first page only).

I have found that I can print a single email with the body text individually by choosing the Mail options from the print dialog and making a different selection from whatever is there. I can then print the email, through when I try subsequent emails it reverts back to printing just the header.

I sent a similar message to feedback.

Same issue here.

I have narrowed it down to emails from a Windows Exchange Server.
Does not seam to happen on emails from other macs.... yet.