Epson Stylus Photo 2200 RIP Software errors

Question

Level 1

8 points

Epson Stylus Photo 2200 RIP Software errors

I'm at my wit's end! For no apparent reason, I cannot print to my Epson Stylus Photo 2200 with my Stylus RIP Pro 2.0 PS server software from either of my 2 computers--I get the same problems from both computers. I have a Dual 1 GHz PowerPC G4 running Mac OS 10.4.7 and a new 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon running 10.4.8. I'm trying to print from Illustrator CS2. Several different things are happening when I print the job.
a) It sends the print job to print far too quickly. Sometimes it times out and never even appears in the 127.0.0.1 window, and doesn't send it to the RIP. The job simply disappears. When it does send to the printer, it stops the job, putting it on hold and when I click start jobs, it promptly stops it again and this repeats itself going nowhere.

I gave up, unplugged it, disconnected the USB, plugged it all back in, repaired permissions to both computers, restarted and then tried to print again and then:
b) In the printer list the job shows up as first printing to the RIP (127.0.0.1) for a few seconds, then it quickly bounces to the next printer on my list, an HP laser jet???!!!

I've uninstalled and reinstalled both the RIP software and the 2200 in printer setup utility and on both systems. All the files I'm trying to print will print directly to the 2200, just not through the RIP software, so I know it's communicating. The files will all print to my other printers as well, but I need to print them to the 2200 with the RIP for best quality.

When I launch the RIP software, sometimes--but not every time--I immediately get a PS server error that says: EPSON LPRService EPSON LPRService error. This happens on both computers. I have received no help from Epson whatsoever. I run a business and I must print this job. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks!!!

Dual 1 GHz PowerPC G4 & 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon 10.4.8 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Dec 4, 2006 1:29 PM

Reply

Answer 1

PAHU

Level 6

16,723 points

Dec 4, 2006 4:17 PM in response to empresshari

Hi there,

If I'm reading this correctly it sounds like the RIP has a loopback address. Can you confirm what is the actual IP address of the RIP and the IP addresses of your Mac's.

Regards,

Paul

Reply

Answer 2

empresshari Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 4, 2006 4:20 PM in response to PAHU

Thanks so much for trying to help! The 127.0.0.1 address is what the Epson RIP software instructs to use when setting up the printer in printer setup utility. This address has always worked for the 3 years I've used it! The IP address of the G4 Mac itself is 192.168.1.100 Is that what you needed?

Reply

Answer 3

empresshari Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 4, 2006 4:24 PM in response to empresshari

Oh, I should add that I went into the preferences in the RIP software and checked the box that says LPR. It gives my IP address as 192.168.1.101. When I attempted to print again, this time the job processes endlessly (it's been processing now for 2 hours--won't let me cancel or delete the job) in the window for the 127.0.0.1. It never sends the job to the RIP window at all. It says "Spooling LPR job, 72% complete", then "data file sent successfully" but then it goes back to "Spooling LPR job, 53% complete"!! It makes no sense and this has never happened before.

Reply

Answer 4

PAHU

Level 6

16,723 points

Dec 4, 2006 8:24 PM in response to empresshari

Thnx for the reply. I think I have a better understanding of your setup. I was thinking that you had a physical RIP, rather than it being software. That would explain why you are using the loopback address to view the spool area of the RIP.

However, could you confirm some more. Is the Epson physically connected to one Mac via USB or is it network with its own IP address?

You also mention in your original post a HP printer jobs were switching to. Is this an Ethernet or USB printer?

The reason I ask is that I was thinking that if they were both networked then there may be an addressing issue. As a test I would change the RIP software so that only the Epson printer is spooled to.

I would also only print from TextEdit. The CS2 suite is not an ideal test app, unless it is only the suite you are having trouble printing from.

I know that you have already performed a repair permissions, but I would do it after booting from the OS X disc. I'm guessing the RIP software acts as a service and starts on boot. If you boot from the disc, the service won't have started and therefore it will respond to any attempt by the system to repair it.

The other thing I would try is downloading the full 10.4.8 Combo updater for Intel and PPC and run this on both Mac's respectively.

Also, check that you have correct queue names for the LPD queue. This can cause jobs to behave as you mention. Better still, see if the software supports some other protocol such as Raw (Port 9100). If it does then you can connect using the HP Jet Direct-Socket to see if that works.

Regards,

Paul

Reply

Answer 5

empresshari Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 5, 2006 12:36 PM in response to PAHU

Thanks for the help... Before I received your suggestions, I noticed that "PS Server_Stylus Photo 2200" had appeared as an option in Printer Setup Utility as an AppleTalk connection, so I added it and launched the RIP software from both computers. I had not been running the RIP software on both systems simultaneously. The PS Server software on the G4 immediately recognized that the printer was not connected to it, so I unplugged it from the MacPro and connected the printer (via USB) to the G4 and now I can print from Text Edit on the MacPro?! I've just printed from Illustrator on the MacPro to the RIP with success. Now I just need to try it from the G4... I'll keep you posted. Any thoughts as to why this is happening? Is it an AppleTalk or network issue--something to do with IP addresses? I'm very inexperienced in this, so if something goes awry, I'm not sure I'll be able to troubleshoot it! I'd appreciate any feedback so that I'll know how to manage things going forwared.

Reply

Answer 6

PAHU

Level 6

16,723 points

Dec 5, 2006 1:55 PM in response to empresshari

Hi there,

From what you have said it sounds like there could be a software issue rather than a network issue. If the software doesn't work when connected to the Intel Mac Pro but does when connected to the Power PC G4, then it may be a case of it not being compatible with the new Intel architecture. I would check with Epson to see if they have a new version of the software for the Intel Mac's (it should say that it is written in Universal Binary). This may be all that is needed.

The other thing I have to ask is are you intending to use the Mac that RIP software is installed on? The reason I ask is that hardware RIPs are computers that are usually physically connected to a printer and dedicated to only processing print jobs. If you use this computer then the processing power is no longer just for print jobs and that doesn't provide any advantage. With your setup, I would be dedicating the G4 as the RIP - meaning that no one uses this as a workstation. If the G4 has 512MB or more of RAM, then it will do the job fine. Then, since you have a new Mac Pro, use this as your grunty workstation and print jobs via AppleTalk to the RIP queue on the G4, which has the 2200 connected via USB.

Regards,

Paul

Reply