Are you using Adobe Illustrator to print?

[kandod]

Is there anyone else out there that uses Illustrator for some touch up, editing and prepress work then print directly to a digital press printer via windows printer driver, or I am indeed the only one?

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

I think most workflows are PDF based, and it is normal to export the AI (save as) PDFx4 for automatic preflight and imposition.

 

[kandod]

The reason I am asking for that is because I installed the new Illustrator CS6 and to my bad surprise it has the same stupid bug as CS and CS2 being unable to save the printer specific driver settings (such as paper type, tray and so on, the settings that are in the driver UI dialog) after closing the Print dialog. So if you print a lot you must EVERY SINGLE TIME you hit Ctrl + Print go again to the driver and set those settings again, and it is not the bug that is so annoying as it is the complete lack of any user response to it, which leaves the problem unsolved as Adobe finds no a reason to make a fix for it.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

What OS are you using? What printer driver? Is this an Adobe issue or a printer driver issue? Does the free Acrobat Reader and your printer driver remember the settings or have the ability to save settings? If so, would it be an issue for you to save as PDF (are you currently saving PDF compatible .AI files)?

Stephen Marsh

 

[kandod]

Hi Stephen, have you checked for the issue on your own system? I think all people have that problem but never understand it exists simply because never use the Illustrator the way I do.

I have tried it on Windows XP, Vista, 7 (all of them both x32 and x64) and 2000 with various printer drivers postscript, PCL and whatever more there are. This is an Adobe issue I believe, and in my opinion there is some problem communicating with the ppd file (although it is the same with non ps printer drivers).

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Hi Kandod, sure I have tried on my system and all works well, I can save presets from Ai, however I am on a Mac.

Stephen Marsh

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

Have you filed a bug/feature request? I think you can save a printer configuration, and then use that setting for illustrator the problem is it is not an application issue rather a workflow issue, involving the application, the OS and the printer driver… which makes it hard to know up which tree to bark.

 

[modgraph]

Using CS5 and CS6, Windows XP Pro and Windows 7 Pro, all of the print setting are saved when you save the file. Opening the file and going to the print dialog box recalls all of the previous settings.

 

[kandod]

It saves the settings that you make in the Illustrator dialog, but I am talking about the ones you make in the driver menu after you press the Setup button in the lower left corner. CS5 does not have that problem, it appeared with CS and was present in CS2 but was fixed in CS3, and now appears again in CS6.

 

[tomcatinc]

If you have this same problem always, install multiple instances of same printer driver, set each one as you need and name it so you could recognize it from within any program. And print always with same settings.

 

[kandod]

Thank you tomcatinc for the response, but this is not a good solution because I will end up with dozens of printers for each combination of paper types, trays and sizes. Plus I am not looking for a workaround, the best one is to not use Illustrator at all, I want to rise some attention to the problem so that Adobe might make a fix for it.

 

[tomcatinc]

Well, either you will have dozens of printer drivers or you will have dozens of saved presets in Illustrator. Whichever way you go, your specific situation requires better output software, maybe a propper RIP.
And if you want Adobe to pay attention to your request, post it on their forums or make official request for it. If there is enough interest in such option, they will make it a key new feature of next update or edition.

 

[MacTwidget]

What about setting up "Printing Presets..." from within Illustrator. You can set-up media size, tray, etc.

 

[kandod]

Print Presets dont work either. The same problem. I have filled a bug request in Adobe site but I dont want to wait for 2 versions as was the case with CS and CS2 for Adobe to make a fix for it, that's why I am ringing the bell, I can live perfectly with CS5, but very soon I will start to receive client files made in CS6 and will have to inevitably move up?

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

There used to be a utility called PPD editor, in which you could lock printer specific features. It would mean one PPD per set up. I know for you it appears as a bug even if it is a hand over from application to printer that you are finding problematic. The question is how much of a printers driver should a software have access to. It may be you need to mentally see it as Out of illustrator and In to the printer driver. Illustrator no longer meddles with what happens after you put it in to the printer driver, but what frustrates you is the handover. Like a customer that orders "the usual" and gets frustrated if you don't know what is his/her ususal.

 

[kandod]

I am pretty sure it is an Adobe bug and bug exactly, it was introduced with CS and it was that release that took many general changes in the engine, open Illustrator 10 and see how different the Print dialog screen looks like, and what makes me believe Adobe has to do with that is the fact that in CS3 and later that bug was not present. I have read the Adobe product mangers boasting that in this release (CS6) they completely rewrote many of the program routines, so my guess is that they have made similar bug as in CS.

 

[joseph]

Seriously speaking,I am not because I am on beginning position to learn this art that is why i am here too to have discussion with you people.
stubby coolers

 

[iamgemini]

I've had the same problem and I'm pretty sure it is an Adobe bug. We use Illustrator for all of our projects and just recently began experiencing this problem. It's also important to mention that we've used CS during the entire time we've been in business.

I'm also pretty sure that we submitted a report to Adobe concerning this bug (although I must admit that I am not in charge of troubleshooting most of the time). To my knowledge we have yet to hear back but I am betting that it is something that they are working on.