Did this update fix the "Filter Failed" error in Apple's print pipeline?

Well, no surprise here (at least for me) because this is NOT a "new problem". Perhaps it is new for you because you had not experienced it before. In particular if you were using El Capitan you would not likely encounter it. It has been around for some years now and Apple has failed to solve it. Not even sure they tried. Many things change from one system upgrade to the next and they themselves don't know all the ramifications because these systems are so complex, and code is built upon code, particularly for CUPS - the Common Unix Printing System - which has been around since 2007. There is a high degree of certainty in at least one highly knowledgeable part of the industry that this problem is with CUPS, which is common to ALL current Mac operating systems and to Linux systems. The problem affects manyl printer brands. My own research now indicates that a combination of Adobe software and recent MacOS are most likely the culprits. The surest ways to avoid it are to buy a Windows computer, or revert to much earlier MacOS and software.

I also read what the update fixes. Very often, they fix other things in the background that don't get mentioned in a security update. The term I used is not unusual as the problem is known to numerous users and within the industry, but for a mysterious reason, at least mysterious to me, it doesn't get resolved. I'll explain. Whether from Epson, Canon HP Lexmark or other printers using MacOS, when an image file is sent from the computer to the printer, the error message "Stopped. Filter failed" can come up. When that happens the whole process stops and no prints can be made. Getting the system back temporarily is a lot of work. It has happened to numerous people as attested on Internet forums - and frequently enough now to me - that it is a real concern. It does not happen at all with Windows operating systems, and it did not happen with MacOS from El Capitan and backward. The operating system plays a major role in the print pipeline, of which the Apple version of CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) is an important component, and COULD BE, not certain, where the problem is lodged. One could blame the printer driver, but then one would be blaming every brand of printer driver that interacts with MacOS - not very likely. I hope that clarifies the matter.

This reply has nothing whatsoever to do with the problem. Please try to understand the issue before pulling-up irrelevant canned material from the Apple website. If you don't know what the "Filter failed" problem is, ask for a description before rushing into an answer.

There is a system. Apple provides the third party suppliers/developers with advance versions of updated or upgraded software so that they can update their own materials accordingly and be ready for launch. However, if the basic fault at play here is within MacOS, it is not possible for printer manufacturers to make the necessary corrections The real surprising annoyance in this instance is why it has been going on for so long without being corrected once and for all. I would like to see an actual Apple printing system engineer jump into this discussion and (a) explain to us what is going on, and (b) tell us what they will do to fix it. I'm reluctant to buy a new Apple computer until this gets solved because it is fundamental to what I do with a computer.

I am disappointed to learn that Apple engineers don't read Apple's user forums. Thank you for that information.

This is not a printer driver problem and it is lodged at a higher level than tech support is trained to deal with. Tech support is useful when there is a known solution, but for this one there are only temporary bandaids all of which I know and have used.

My hope in posting here was to try igniting a relevant Apple professional engineer to finally take an interest in solving it. As that apparently won't happen my purpose will not be served through this route.

Further to the foregoing, I have now determined that this is neither an Apple problem, nor a printer driver problem. It is an Adobe problem that occurs in Photoshop and in Lightroom with certain versions of MacOS (from beyond El Capitan). I determined this by sending the same photos to LaserSoft Imaging PrinTao 8, Camera Bits Photo Mechanic, Apple Preview, and I printed a profiling target directly from X-Rite i1Profiler. None of these applications use any Adobe software. They have their own print pipelines that end up in the Epson driver. All of them worked fine.