"Stopped - Filter Failed" Error

[Charles218]

Need help figuring out what is going on with my SP-400, I get the above error when I try to run a print job. It did print a nozzle check, but fails to print a file. I'm on a Mac with 10.13.6 High Sierra. Would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[stratman]

Have you tried Google to look up "stopped - filter failed"? The top couple results in my search were instructions to "Reset Printing System".

 

[Charles218]

Well actually, no I didn't, of course looking back that clearly should have been the first step. Instead, I searched here in the Epson Forum and didn't get a single hit. So now that I've gone the Google route, I'm getting hits that say it has something to do with the driver. I just manually updated the driver using version 10.83 directly from the Epson site, but now in looking at the printer settings it says "Driver Version: 9.80". I'll have to figure out what went wrong with the install.

 

[stratman]

Did you try the "Reset Printing System" suggestion first? Seemed like it applied to your 10.x OS and printing issue.

 

[Charles218]

I reinstalled the Epson Drivers again, this time it worked. I actually went through and deleted all of the Library - Epson files this time, then reinstalled version 10.83 and my printer is finally happily printing again. I'm incredibly cautious about Epson and installing new files as I understand that a firmware update can make it impossible to then use non-OEM carts. This makes me think twice before I install anything involved with Epson.

Your previous post suggest that there is some issue that requires that a "Reset Printing System" would fix, I'm not aware of this. Can you point me to this?

 

[wdt]

You understand that mac uses CUPS (and now is lead) -common unix printing system?
The web interface (at least on linux) is localhost:631. Or, if that doesn't work,, 127.0.0.1:631 (in browser)
ppd's are stored in /etc/cups/ppd/ ,, about 15 lines down it will specify a filter
This is usually a script which calls another script and yet a 3rd script.
When you get down to bottom either it will be postscript -> escP driver (for epson),
or just escP driver to turn the print job into something the printer can understand
The postscript filter may be gv (ghostview), the escP will be an executable
Most printers (except win printers) can print 'raw' but you are limited to
what is in the printers rom, a small selections of fonts & no graphical printing
Pretty sure will ask for root password for a rom update, just refuse
launchd is the service daemon, I don't know how it works
The 'engine' underneath is a modified BSD, a unix version
I am not sure if drivers from Epson use CUPS, they may have
a NIH attitude, but they may, a lot less work keeping current
--more--
For web interface (in terminal)
sudo cupsctl WebInterface=yes

 

[stratman]

Glad to hear the problem is resolved.

Your previous post suggest that there is some issue that requires that a "Reset Printing System" would fix, I'm not aware of this. Can you point me to this?

Did you try Google as I wrote in Post #2? Or, does your web browser point to a different listing result on Google using the search parameter I wrote previously?

The first two results for me on Google are about this resetting of the print system fix for the precise error you posted, and, it seems the error message and the fix are printer manufacturer independent.

 

[Charles218]

Stratman - I use the "DuckDuckGo" search engine, it brought up solutions that suggested resetting my printer system. I would have taken that route, though I have three different printers, Epson, HP, and Canon, and I didn't want to reconfigure all of them unless absolutely necessary. So I deleted all of the Espon files and reinstalled from scratch. Had that not worked my next step would have been to reset the system.

 

[stratman]

I use the "DuckDuckGo" search engine

May be a source for search result incongruity. If someone says to specifically look on Google then probably a good idea to do so for that one time. It may have saved me a lot of time typing and you time rummaging around looking for answers.

I have three different printers, Epson, HP, and Canon, and I didn't want to reconfigure all of them

I thought you only mentioned Epson. Did you say the error happened with other printers besides Epson? Were the other printers also resulting in the same error?

The better info you give, the better we can help.

 

[wdt]

Trouble shooting,, trouble shooting
To really see what is going on, try to print
a plain text, a heavily formated text, a jpg, a png, a pdf
What works, what doesn't
I get the impression that most of the troubles are printing pdfs,
Filter is gv, ghostview, ghostscript
anyway, it all goes thru CUPS, it's easy enough,
just start browser, localhost:631