Large PowerPoint Presentations Do Not Finish Spooling to Network P

[Daisystich]

I am trying to print handouts for a 73 page presentation located on a shared
drive, on a networked printer. The job stops spooling at 7 pages and never
gets to the printer both from my computer and another. Yet I attempted to
print it from two other computers and the job completes spooling and prints.

I was told by the printer service tech this is a Microsoft software issue.
Have you heard about this and is there a way to correct it?

 

[Bill Dilworth]

Hi Daisystich,

This is going to sound like a lot of work to fix something that shouldn't
need fixing, but this is PowerPoint where image is everything ...

The problem is probably that the computer is sending WAY too much
information to the printer. The funny thing is, that it is probably sending
mostly nothing (clear pixels) but using a lot of band width to send it.

Here's why. Some printer drivers send each layer of the slide as a complete
image to the printer. The printer then, builds the image it will print
layer by layer. Each shape on the slide is a new layer that causes an
entire page of data to be sent to the printer as a new layer. The reason
that some computers can print it and others can not, is probably in the
update status of the printer driver on each of the computers.

So, how do you fix this? Easy. Just send one layer for each page to the
printer. Now for the weird part, the how to...

Step 1
Save your existing PowerPoint Presentation
Step 2
Save your existing PowerPoint presentation as PNGs
Save As
File Type => PNG
All Slides
Step 3
Create a new presentation
File => New
Step 4
Insert all the PNGs, one to a slide
Insert => New Photo Album => Navigate to where you saved the PNG
images
Step 5
Delete the first slide if you do not want it
Step 6
Print this new presentation

The new presentation should look exactly like the old presentation, but
nothing should be selectable. This is because they are no longer individual
objects in layers - instead, everything has been flattened to a single
layer.

Let me know (post back) if this resolves the printing problem. I might have
guessed wrong

Bill Dilworth

 

[Daisystich]

Well Bill you were right but for the wrong reason. I finally was able to
speak to a Xerox software tech who explained the problem was a post script
driver; it tries to send far more than is necessary. He advised I install the
pcl driver. I did and voila the problem disappeared. Now that our IT
department changed the driver on the network no one else will have that
problem.

Thanks,
Linda

 

[Bill Dilworth]

That's different; usually I'm wrong for the right reasons.

Bill

 

[Daisystich]

I am so thankful for this community resource. I am always amazed at the
wealth of knowlege and terrific answers I get from you all. Thanks to both of
you for monitoring this site and your willingness to help us!
Linda