After Update to Mac OS 10.13 High Sierra - LaserJet 1320 prints undefined result xshow message

[luz42]

As reported for many other printer types in this forum (and on its german counterpart) already, many (but not all) printing jobs that worked fine before on my LaserJet 1320 now cause a...

ERROR: MemoryFull

OFFENDING COMMAND:xshow

...error page to be printed out, and usually crash the printer such that it needs a reboot/powercycle.

I updated to macOS 10.13.1, I installed latest HP printer drivers 5.1 from October 24th, I reset the printing system - everything as suggested by HP support - no change, still can't print the majority of my documents.

Same issue for other printers, see:

HP-Envy, M553dn, CP5525dn, Laserjet MF506 and others (german)

The wide variety of printer models and driver versions reported suggests that this is a very basic issue located in one of the components shared by many HP printers.

I hope this fundamental driver issue will be found and fixed soon.

[gregeiselein]

I am having a similar problem since this software update. I’ve been using an HP LaserJet 1200 with my Mac Desktop (currently an iMac, running OS 10.13.1) for a long time. It’s been an amazing printer for me. But since the recent "HP Printer Software Update, Version 5.1" software update on my iMac on Oct 24, 2017, my HP LaserJet 1200 will only print small documents, 1-2 pages with little formatting. If I try anything bigger or more complex, it will not print. When I reset the printer, it prints a single sheet with a Memory Full Error on it. I know of two others using an HP LaserJet 1200 who are experiencing this same problem, which makes me think it is a software issue, not a problem with my beloved HP LaserJet 1200 printer itself

Has anyone else encountered this problem? Any ideas about how to fix it? With many thanks for any assistance you might have!

[luz42]

It is definitely a software issue! The printers are fine, some people even downgraded their machine to 10.12 to be able to print again. See the threads I linked in my original post, it affects a wide range of HP printers.

However, up to date, HP Support hasn't been able to provide anything useful - they recommend the usual list of "resetting the printing system", "re-install latest driver" etc., nothing of it helps at all.

The only useful workaround comes from a german forum user @Axel_Hollmann: You can install the "generic PCL" driver (side by side to the normal driver) via System Preferences -> Printers -> add Printer -> selcet your printer from the list -> from the "Use:" popup, select "Generic PCL Printer". This gets you a working printer, but it is b&w only and any images have a 1991vintage look, i.e. low resolution, ugly dithering. Text is fine.

So depending on what you use your printer for, PCL might be a workaround bridging the time until Apple or HP FINALLY GET THEIR SOFTWARE FIXED!

[gregeiselein]

This workaround works! Thank you, luz42 and Axel!

Still, it has exactly the limitations you describe. I hope Apple/HP can fix the software issue ASAP, because I really love my LaserJet 1200.

[lizingrid]

I had same problem with HP1320n (always had quirky communication issues). After upgrading to High Sierra. I tried to solve the new issue by moving the USB printer cable from my Apple express to my third party USB2/Ethernet to USB C adapter. [My Epson scanner plugged into this third party adapter works fine after upgrading to High Sierra, after I downloaded the new Image Capture driver.] Since, I previously had a problem mounting my LaCie Porsche external Hard drive on my 2016 MacBook Pro; It would ONLY mount with the Apple USBC-USB adapter... I plugged the my HP 1320n Printer directly into this adapter and it printed the 2 pages that had failed...immediately. I tried another tough job...two pages of landscape oriented text including color images. Of course it printed more slowly, but printed nonetheless. Please advise if this might solve your Laserjet printing problems?

[gregeiselein]

Nice solution — this won’t work with my system, however. I don’t have the adapter you mention.

[lizingrid]

I have to purchase a new one, too...but did just that. Wirth it to gef my HO wirkhirse back

[lizingrid]

I have to purchase a new one, too...but did just that. Worth it to get my HP workhorse back.
Now if I could only type on my phone!

[joefilmmaker]

I have the same problem if I connect my printer directly to my laptop.

However, I also have an AirPort Extreme and its printer drivers still work just fine. 🙂

So that's another workaround for you,

[luz42]

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@joefilmmaker wrote:

I have the same problem if I connect my printer directly to my laptop.

However, I also have an AirPort Extreme and its printer drivers still work just fine. 🙂

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That's interesting, but unfortunately not a workaround for me - because my LJ 1320 was always connected via an AirPort Extreme and still has that problem.

Probably direct connection vs AirPort connection is one of the many factors that can cause variations in printer side memory usage (like certain fonts, size of the documents, characters with diacritical marks etc. are also factors). In your case it seems to make a difference, in my case apparently not.

Again: while all those factors contribute to how often (or if at all) the problem occurs, they are not the cause. The cause is a bug in the printer driver (more likely HP's part, as other brands do not have that problem, but could also be a corner case Apple is not handling correctly), and either HP or Apple need to fix it!

To me, the most plausible speculation I heard in the forums is that this is related to Unicode encoding, which apparently has changed subtly between 10.12 and 10.13, and which in fact is a very complex field with nasty corner cases. However only HP and Apple, probably in cooperation, can actually look into that (no open source...).