CWS VDP not working

[stow@minutemanpress.com]

We have used the CWS VDP funtionality for several years without issue. Recently, we the VDP functionality has stopped working. When trying to create a master, we receive a job error "PS undefined error, offending command "get"". The master attempts to process from the held queue then fails, drops into the print queue and shows the error message.

We are using CWS 5.4.1.25, Windows XP on most of our workstations (one has Windows 7), Acrobat X version 10.1.7 running on a Fiery bussed on the back of KM6501's. We have two machines and have lost functionality on both. We also have Enfocus PitStop Professional 7.03 installed.

Konica techs have attempted to resolve the issue without success including reloading firmware, replacing a hard drive, changing server and printer settings, etc. I've updated Acrobat and CWS without resolving the issue.

ANY suggestions would be appreciated as this is a serious productivity killer, not to mention I have software I paid for not functioning properly.

Thanks!

Brian.

[Scott_W]

Please have your KM tech escalate this through his help desk. That way issue gets formally escalated to EFI from KM Japan.

That is the quickest way for a solution to found- if, this is a Fiery bug.

You say your dealer reloaded Fiery system and FreeForm still was broken. Did they install any Fiery patches after the reload?

I wonder if Freeform would work on a system that did not have any patches installed on it?

[adam1991]

The Fiery has to process the job into a print-ready file in order to make it a master. Have you verified that this very file, as it sits on the Fiery, can be printed at all?

[manyfaces]

Are you printing through the driver or importing PDFs?

If you're printing through the driver, it might be worth checking to see if there's a new version available. One thing that's happened to me in the past is that, as I update my Fiery with patches or upgrade CWS versions, I have to update the print drivers as well so as to avoid random VDP-related PS errors.

[Scott_W]

Stow@minutemanpress.com, what may be critical to know is approximately when did being able to create a FreeForm master STOP working?
Any event involving the Fiery change during that time?

Was creating FreeForm Masters something you did every day, week, month, etc?

Or every several months.... ?

[DRavid]

Does it happens on any file?
Please deselect the job property option "create master" . Will the job process properly?

If it will also fail, it means that the problem is with the file and not related to the create master.
If it happen on any file, it can be also that the fiery s/w is corrupted, it should not have any relation to the CWS version.

DR

[Gavin]

Hi Brian

Sorry to hear you're having problems with VDP productivity.

I've generally found that postscript errors in CWS tend to be caused by unflattened pdfs. Since we upgraded to 5.4.1 we have been inundated with T1_gsave errors, but downgrading back to 5.4 the errors don't appear nearly as much.

I don't know if you've tried this, but it may be worth running your pdf through Impose, saving it as a flattened file, then using that for your master.

All the best

[Scott_W]

stow@minutemanpress.com; I am almost certain to the causes of this issue from testing I've done to a IC-408 here.

1.) I found that if all patches are installed via Fiery's System Updates utility, those patches will not affect FreeForm functionality. However, patch 1-18EVD5 apparently has a side effect that does break that functionality. That patch can only be obtained from KM support and a tech would have to manually install it.
Print a config page to verify whether or not it is installed. If it is already installed, Fiery System software will have to be reloaded by your dealer, and System Updates run to install all patches.

2.) There were several Mac drivers released for this Fiery over the last several years. One, possibly two of these drivers cause this issue. I have verified the original Mac driver on the v2.0 IC-408's User Software DVD works - but this driver does not support 10.7 and 10.8
Also, the latest 10.8 driver for the IC-408 on EFI driver download site works as well

3.) There were four Windows PS print drivers released for this Fiery over the last several years. Two of these drivers cause this issue. I have verified the original Windows PS driver on the v2.0 IC-408's User Software DVD works. Also, KM dealer can obtain an updated Windows PS driver from KM Support. That driver is identified by "1-14DDXE". Though these drivers support Windows 32-bit and 64-bit OS's, neither supports Win8

[stow@minutemanpress.com]

The Fiery has to process the job into a print-ready file in order to make it a master. Have you verified that this very file, as it sits on the Fiery, can be printed at all?

We have tried multiple files (old, new, created from scratch, etc.), flattening verus the dbp option, we print by dragging files into the CWS and imposing. We rarely print using the print drivers only. KM has been out and installed the newest drivers recently as we added a computer workstation. Yes, we used this functionality daily until it crashed. Now we are back to VDP using InDesign which then takes forever to spool due to the replicated art.

[stow@minutemanpress.com]

I talked to EFI at our vendor show, they asked that we submit to KM to escalate. This looks like a bad patch issue to us. We are experienced using RIP's and various VDP options from past lives and are confident this is not a print file problem. If anyone has ideas in the meantime, that would be create; if not, I'll re-post if fixed by KM/EFI.

Thanks for all the replies!

Brian B